16. Beaver County: chief town Beaver Creek, 220 miles S.
17. Shambip County: Rich Valley and Deep Creek.
18. Salt Lake Islands.
19. St. Mary’s County: west of Shambip City, extending to the Humboldt River; chief settlement, Deep Creek.
I found it impossible to arrive at a true estimate of the population. Like the earlier English numberings of the people, which originated in bitter political controversies—the charge of unfairness was brought as late as 1831 against the enumerators in Ireland—the census is a purely party measure. The Mormons, desiring to show the 100,000 persons which entitle them to claim admission as a state into the Union, are naturally disposed to exaggerate their numbers; they are, of course, accused of “cooking up” schedules, of counting cattle as souls, and of making every woman a mother in esse as in posse. On the other hand, the anti-Mormons are as naturally inclined to underestimate: moreover, as the “census marshals” receive but three halfpence per head, they are by no means disposed to pay a shilling for the trouble of ransacking every ranch and kanyon where the people repair for grazing and other purposes. The nearest approach to truth will probably be met by assuming the two opposite extremes, and by “splitting the difference.”
POPULATION OF UTAH TERRITORY.In 1849 Mr. Kelly estimated the Mormons to be “about 5000 inhabitants in the town, and 7000 more in the settlements.” In 1850 the seventh official census of the United States numbered the inhabitants of Utah Territory at 11,354 free + 26 slaves = 11,380 souls. In 1853 the Saints were reckoned at 25,000 by the Gentiles, and 30,000 to 35,000 by Mr. O. Pratt, in the “Seer.” In 1854 Dr. S. W. Richards estimated the number at “probably from 40,000 to 50,000” in the United States, and in Great Britain at 29,797. In 1856 the Mormon census gave 76,335 souls. I subjoin a synopsis of the official papers.[166] In 1858 the Peace Commissioners sent to Utah Territory reported that the Saints did not exceed 40,000 to 50,000 souls, half of them foreigners, and that they could bring 7000 men, of whom 1000 were valuable for cavalry, into the field. In 1859 M. Remy made the number of Saints in Utah Territory, not including Nevada, 80,000 souls, and the total in the world 186,000. The last official census, in 1860, was taken under peculiar disadvantages. General Burr, of the firm of Hockaday and Burr, was appointed to that duty by Mr. Dotson, the anti-Mormon federal marshal. But as the choice excited loud murmurs, the task was committed to a clerk in the general’s store, and deputies for the rest of the Territory were similarly chosen. The consequence is that the Gentile marshal’s census of 1860 offers a number of 40,266 free + 29 slaves = a total of 40,295 souls; while the Mormons assert their Territory to contain from 90,000 to 100,000, and the world to hold from 300,000 to 400,000 Saints. Their rise is remarkable, even if we take the statistics of the enemy, which show nearly a quadrupling of the population in ten years, while Great Britain creeps on at a rate of about ten per cent.: a similar increase will in the ninth census of 1870 give in round numbers 160,000 persons. Utah Territory now ranks second in the eight minor states: New Mexico (93,541) and District of Columbia (75,076) take precedence of it, and it is followed by Colorado (34,197), Nebraska (28,842), Washington (11,578), Nevada (6857), and Dakotah (4839).
[166] The following is a condensed Report of the enumeration of the inhabitants of Utah Territory, taken February, 1856:
| Counties. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Salt Lake | County | 12,730 | 13,074 | 25,804 |
| Utah | „ | 6,951 | 7,614 | 14,565 |
| Davis | „ | 4,765 | 4,575 | 9,340 |
| Weber | „ | 3,486 | 3,585 | 7,071 |
| Iron | „ | 2,474 | 2,943 | 5,417 |
| Tooele | „ | 1,315 | 1,673 | 2,988 |
| San Pete | „ | 1,110 | 1,133 | 2,243 |
| Juab | „ | 807 | 1,034 | 1,841 |
| Box-Elder | „ | 822 | 717 | 1,539 |
| Washington | „ | 742 | 778 | 1,520 |
| Millard | „ | 544 | 512 | 1,056 |
| Green River | „ | 394 | 345 | 739 |
| Cedar | „ | 312 | 369 | 681 |
| Malad | „ | 259 | 208 | 467 |
| Cache | „ | 240 | 223 | 463 |
| Beaver | „ | 118 | 126 | 244 |
| Shambip | „ | 83 | 64 | 147 |
| Salt Lake Islands | 125 | 85 | 210 | |
| 37,277 | 39,058 | 76,335 | ||
“Great Salt Lake City, March 1st, 1856.
“I do hereby certify that the above is a correct enumeration of the white inhabitants of Utah Territory, according to the reports furnished by my assistants, and which are now on file in my office. Leonard W. Hardy, Census Agent.”