built of adobe walls. The roofs of the
houses were made of soil. The windows and doors faced the inside. Though
better than living all the winter in tents and wagons, you may imagine
these houses were not very comfortable, especially when the rain came
through the roofs onto beds, tables, stoves, etc.

[Illustration: SALT LAKE VALLEY IN 1847.]

A conference was held in the bowery on Sunday, August 22nd, where
considerable business was attended to. The Salt Lake Stake of Zion was
organized, with John Smith as president. It was shortly after this that
President Young and his company went back to Winter Quarters.

The next addition to the settlement was the Mormon Battalion from
California.

At the coming of winter all moved into the fort. That season the winter was
mild, so quite an amount of work was done outside.

The spring of 1848 opened with fine prospects ahead. Five thousand acres of
land were planted, and the grain was growing rapidly; but another trial was
at hand. In May and June great swarms of crickets came from the mountains
and began to devour every growing thing. The settlers fought them as best
they were able, but what could be done with such countless millions of
insects! It seemed hopeless. Their crops were fast disappearing, and with
them their means of living through the next year. Remember, they were a
thousand miles from any other people, with mountains and deserts between
them. They could not get food from other places. They would have to raise
it or to starve.

When they had about given up hope, there came great flocks of white birds
from the lake. They settled on the fields and began eating the crickets.
They would eat all they were able, then vomit, and eat again. This they did
day after day until the crickets were destroyed and part of the crop was
saved.

[Illustration: IN THE OLD FORT.]

That fall President Young with the main body of Saints arrived from the
East. There were now about five thousand people in the valley, and
prospects were not very encouraging, owing to the small crop raised. Food
was scarce, as also was clothing. Many people lived for weeks on "greens"
and the roots of the sego and thistle. A kind of soup was made by cooking
raw-hides. Yet in the midst of these times Heber C. Kimball declared in a
public meeting that it would not be three years before "states goods" would
be sold in Salt Lake cheaper than in St. Louis. No one at that time could
see how it could be po