Letter to the Editor of the Mormon, 6 February 1857
G. S. L. City
Editor of the Mormon
Dear Sir,
We have not received any Eastern mail for the last 3 months
Mr. Gerrish arrived from the Plains on the 19th. ulto, reports a mail
somewhere on the way. We have received the California Mail regularly up to
this time, by which we occasionally hear something from the lower world.
The Jan. mail for the East was sent out, but only got to the top
of the little mountain, before it was stopped by the vast quantity of snow,
and one carrier froze to death, the remainder returned. We are passing thro'
the most severe winter so far as snow is concerned that we have ever ex-
perienced in the vallies, the mountains are full, and over 8 feet has
fallen in this city acording to Judge Phelps' report, it has been for a
month between 2 & 3 feet deep in our streets, and about 3 feet on the islands
& more North. all the stock have been brought from the Island, and
some from the North, and were fed in the city, some driven South, and
some to Rush valley, notwithstanding the great amount of snow there has
been but few of the stock lost in comparison to the loss last winter. The
abundance of Snow in the mountains will be of great benefit for irri-
gation the coming season, the Earth needs it as it has been very dry fo[r]
two years. The wheat which was sown in the dry dust last Fall
has sprouted under the snow, and grown several inches, we have had a
constant thaw for about one week past, which causes the water to gradually
soak into the soil. The inabitants of this city have again commenced labor
upon the cotton wood canal, to bring that stream to this city, and they
expect to finish it by the opening of Spring, the inhabitants of Davis
County have also commenced on a canal to take out a portion of the
Weber river into Davis County for irrigation, mills &c.
