“Although much complaint has been made about the Mormons, we saw on our late trip evidences of improvement on our prairies, which we consider highly creditable to the Mormons who made them, and without whom we doubt whether they would have been made for many years to come. All those who have travelled over the large prairie between Fort Madison, , and , remember how dreary it was a few [HC 6:195] years since. Now it is studded with houses and good farms. The English who understand hedging and ditching far better than our people, have gone upon that prairie and have enclosed extensive fields in this manner. Along the old Rock Island trace, which we travelled seven years ago and which was then a dreary waste, we saw a field enclosed with a good sod fence, six miles long and one wide. We think such enterprize is worthy to be mentioned. As long as the Mormons are harmless and do not interfere with the rights of our people, we think they should be treated well. We shall never convince them that they are a deluded people, as far as their religious notions are concerned, in any other way.”