Page:History of Utah.djvu/340



CHAPTER XII.

IN THE VALLEY OP THE GREAT SALT LAKE.

1849.

Food Supply and Shelter — Building Lots — Currency Issue— Bajik Notes and Coinage— Private and Public Buildings — Wide Area of THE City — Second Anniversary of the Pioneers — Festivals and Amusements — Labor a Duty among the Saints— Effect of the Cali- fornia Gold Discovery — Immigration— Carrying Company — Cali- fornia-bound Emigrants— Their Traffic with the Mormons— Prod- ucts AND Prices — Gold-hunting Frowned upon by the Church.

Throughout the winter of 1848-9 food was scarce among the settlers. Many still subsisted mainly on roots, thistles, and even on rawhides.^ Milk, flesh, and the small quantity of breadstufls that remained were, however, distributed among the poor in such quantities as to prevent actual starvation. On April 1, 1849, each household was required to state the smallest allowance of breadstuff's that would suffice until the forth-coming harvest. Some received half a pound a day, and others four ounces.^

1 ' Many were necessitated to eat rawhides, and to dig sago and thistle roots for mouths to subsist upon.' Hist. B. Young, MS., 1849, 95.

^ The committee on breadstuflfs reported on the 8th of Feb. that there was I'oo lb. per capita for the next five months. Utah Early Records, MS., 45. ' In the former part of Feb. the bishops took an inventory of the breadstuff in the valley, when was reported a little moro than | lb. per day for each soul, until the 9th of July; and considerable was known to exist which was not reported. Hence while some were nearly destitute others had abundance. The price of corn since harvest has been $2; some has sold for $3; at present there is none in the market at any price. Wheat has ranged from $4 to $5, and potatoes from $6 to $^0, a bushel; and though not to be bought at pres- ent, it is expected that there will be a good supply for seed by another year.' General Epistle of the Twelve, in Frontier Guardian, May 30, 1849. ' Those persons who had imparted measurably to those who had not, so that all extremity of suffering from hunger was avoided.' Hist. B. Young, MS., 1849, 95.