The greater part of the territory, it is asserted, is hopelessly sterile; yet the Mormon population has thriven almost entirely by agricultural pursuits. Wherever irrigation i can be applied the soil usually proves rich in all fertile qualities. The chief agricultural localities are the Malade valley; Cache valley, watered by Bear river; Weber valley; Salt Lake valley, as the tract the s.e. shore of Great Salt lake is called; Jordan valley; Tooele valley, w. of the Jordan; the basin of Utah lake; Rush valley, w. of Utah lake; San Pete valley; Sevier valley; and Rio Virgin valley. The region e. of the Wahsatch mountains is little known, but in the valleys of the Uiutah and some other tributaries of the Colorado river there is considerable irrigated land. In 1870 there were 148,361 acres in farms, of which 118,755 were improved. The farm products were 543, 487 bushels of spring wheat, 14,986 of winter wheat, 1312 of rye, 95,557 of Indian corn, 65,650 of oats, 49,117 of barley, 178 of buckwheat, 9,291 of peas and beans, 323.808 of potatoes, 5 of grass-seed, 22 bales of cotton, 109,018 lbs. of wool, 310,335 of butter, 69,603 of cheese, 322 of hops, 10 of flax, 13 of wax, 575 of honey, 3,131 gallons of wine, 67,446 of sorghum molasses, and 27,305 tons of hay. The live stock included 14,281 horses, 2,879 mules and asses. 190,934 neat cattle, 59,672 sheep, and 3,150 swine. The number of manufacturing establishments in 1870 was 533, employing 1534 hands, and a capital of $1,391,898; they paid $395,365 in wages, used $1,238,252 worth of raw material, and produced annually goods valued at $2,343,019. At that date there were 6 mining establishments in the territory, which had about $44,800 invested as capital, and were producing about $14,900 yearly. At present, however, it is probable that the capital invested in mining operations amounts to more than $4,000,000, and that the products are as much as $7,000,000 annually. The principal mining districts are Par ley's Park, Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, and American Fork in the Wahsatch range; West Mountain or Bingham, Dry Canon, Ophir, and Camp Floyd, in the Oquirrh range; Tintic and West Tiutie in the Tintic mountains; and South Star, North Star, San Francisco, and Lincoln in the s.w. part of the territory. Gold, silver, and lead ores exist in large quantities, and the territory is richer in iron ores of all qualities than any other portion of the United States. In Iron county, within a distance of 10 m., there are 10 separate deposits or mountains of hematite and magnetite, estimated to contain about 130,000,000 tons of iron ore, averaging from 65 to 70 per cent of pure iron. Other deposits of large extent have also been found in the Castle valley region and in Cache, Box, Elder, Weber, and Davis counties in the n. part of the.territory.
Communication with California and the east is obtained by way of the Union Paoific railroads, which meet at Ogden in the north. From this point the Utah Central railroad extends to Salt Lake City, whence the Utah Southern railroad runs a. to Yosik, and the Utah Western w. to Lake Point. The Utah Northern railroad extends from Ogden to Franklin, Idaho; the American Fork railroad from American Fork e. to Deer creek;
the Bingham Canon railroad from Sandy on to Bingham Callon; the Wahsatch and dan Valley railroad from Sandy to Fairfield; and the Summit County railroad from Echo to Coalville. These roads together have a mileage of about 500 miles. Many of them are mining roads, running into the mountain cailons, and used chiefly to transport the ores.—Some of them were constructed, it is reported, at the low average cost of $27,232 a mile, and made in 1875 net earnings of $2,675 a mile. The business transac tions of the territory sustain 3 national banks, with a capital of $450,000. and an out standing circulation of about $400,000; and 6 private banks and banking-houses. The valuation of real estate in 1870 was estimated to be $7.047,881; of personal estate, $5,517, 961; the true value of both together, $16,159,995. The taxation at that time amounted to $167,355, of which $39,402 was for territorial, $80,419 for county, and $47,534 for city and town purposes. The assessed value. in 1877 was $22,553,660; the total receipts into the treasury for the two years ending Dec. 31, amounted to $94,410, including $o32 on hand at the beginning of the period; the disbursements, $94,325. The territory has no debt.
The common schools are under the management of a territorial superintendent, county superintendents, and district trustees. They are sustained by general appropri ations, by local taxation, and by the assessment of rate-bills. For the year 1874 the receipts for school purposes were $109,836, of which $33,883 was from territorial and local taxation, and $75,953 from rate-bills. The school population was 33,164, out of which 17,742 were enrolled, and 12,916 were reported in attendance. The number of school-houses was 260; average duration of school, 134 days, or about 6 months and 6 days; number of teachers employed, 398. Besides the common schools there were 12 private schools, which had 1264 pupils and 37 teachers; and the university of Deseret, at Salt Lake City, which has medical, collegiate, normal, and preparatory departments. The number of libraries in 1870 was 133, with 39,177 vols., of which 59, with 4,684 vols., were private. The number of newspapers and periodicals published in the territory is about 21, of which 5 are daily, 15 weekly, and 1 monthly. The church organizations in 1870 numbered 165, with 164 edifices, 86,110 sittings, and property valued at $674, 600. All excepting 5 of these organizations were Mormon. These were 2 Episcopal, 2 Methodist, and 1 Presbyterian.
The territorial government is organized on the plan of the other territories. The gov.. ernor and secretary arc appointed for four years by the president of the United States. The legislative assembly is composed of a council of 13 members, elected for two years, and a house of representatives of 26 members elected for one year. The judicial power is vested in a supreme court., consisting of a chief-justice and two associate justices (appointed by the president); and in district courts, probate courts, and the other usual minor courts. The territory, like the others, sends one delegate to congress, who has the right to speak, but not to vote. The constitution grants the right of suffrage to women.