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278
BEADLE’S MONTHLY.
shining, mirror, spotted with purple
mountains of islands, and framed in pale,
violet peaks, draped with gauzy clouds
of purest white. He passes thrifty Mor-
mon villages of dull brown adobe houses.
with flourishing orchards, shading cot-
tonwoods, and streets wateredtbyvlittle
artificial streams. One of these, called
Morrisville, was built bytthe fanatical
followers of Morris, a prophet who out-
Brighamed Brigham. Persuading them
that the world, with all its people, except
themselves, was about to be destroyed,
he taught them to seize the cattle, horses
and grain of their neighbors, upon. the
theory that the earth and the fruits there-
of belonged to the chosen of the Lord.
But religion isa poor excuse for horse-
stealing, and this was too much even
for the Mormons. In a pitched battle,
they defeated the schismatics-who fought
bravely-lodged a bullet in the brain of
the pretended prophet, killed several of
his deluded followers, including women‘
and children, and drove out the rest.
The surviving Morrisites, escorted from
the Territory by United States soldiers,
(settled in Montana, where they still re-
side. They asserted of their thieving,
just as the Saints, from whom they.
were an offshoot, do of polygamy-that
it was a part, of their faith; and Brig-
ham may learn (a wholesome lesson
from their fate. It is useless to fight the
moral sentiment of the civilized world.
Every relic of barbarism must succumb,
sooner or later. The Mormons begin
to comprehend this, for, like many reli-
gious communities in history, they com.
bine extreme fanaticism of belief with
the shrewxdest and wisest common sense
in practical ‘affairs. T
Leaving Utah, with its great basin,
the passenger crosses over a low bare
“ divide,” and is in Idaho, on waters run-
ning to the Pacific. Thevsouthern part
of this young Territory juts far east-
ward, cutting off -Montana from Utah.
There are no dwellings, except low ad-
obe stage-stations, with stacks of winter
hay cut from the wild grass of the val-
leys.
-The road passes through Port Neuf
Q-anon--thirty miles long-where twice
the coach bringing gold-dust from Mon-
tona has been robbed. The most dar-
ing assault was committed one .'Y‘3‘" 330'
The stage was crowded with passengei‘Sy
all armed toithe teeth, and keeping V13‘
ilant watch-for a suspicious looking
horseman, his face concealed by 3
slouching =hat, had twice ridden‘ P“5.tv
staring into the vehicle. The canon 18
narrow, with high walls and sl1rubbcl'.Y
along the little brook which tlireads It-
In broad daylight, when all were riding
with guns and revolvers cooked in their
hands, seven men, with hlacl;ene(l.faC<3-‘$1
instantly rose upfrom the dense willows
on each side, stopping the horses; and
firing into the coach. At the same mo-
ment the passengers returned the fire,
but their courage was useless. In stage’
robberies, which occur frequently on the
lonely roads leading out of our gold
regions, persons are seldom able to de-
fend themselves if they remain in ‘the
coach. , By jumping out and scatteringv
they often succeed in driving away the
robbers.’ On this occasion, one of the
highwaymen was wounded, but escaped F
four passengers were killed-one riddled
with fifty bullets and buckshots. T119
robbers secured sixty thousand d01'
lars in gold dust, climbed back out of
the canon to the sand-hills, where wait-
ing confederates guarded their h9T5e5r
and thus made good their escape. Singu-
larly, none were ever caught, t11‘f“gh
the peopleof Montana searched V1!-301"
ously for them, through all the bofder
States and Territories.
Beyond, the road winds along the
clear Snake River, the old Lewis F03
of the Columbia. The Indian name!
Shoshonee, or Winding River, is far
more Iitting and musical than ours. This
dim, crooked arterylof the great desert 5
heart, fifteenhundred miles in length:
rises from springs within half a mile Of
those forming the’ head-waters of ‘the
Missouri. It is the river of desolation-
Unrelieved by forests or green bank5 f0’
nearly the entire length, it is a natural
ditch sunk in the sand-filled with clear
water, and faintly fringed. with scatter‘
ing willows and eottonwoods. .
Many smaller streams suddenlf smk
