Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-03-23
BRAVE CONQUGRORS, THESE!
Not Of Armies, but Of a TTsachsrOus
Stream and a D,sert Land.
IIonors worthiiy Wen by the Gallant
men Of sL Joseph, Arisona-rhr
Ladies' Apprsciatiss n.oogniiiop.



SNOWFLAKE, Arizona, March ~, 1894.
Probably none have laborcd more
faithfully to control the elements and
establish a colony than those who re.
side at St. Joseph, on the Little Colorado
river The settlement was first made In
1870. and the people have been laboring
Tor the mastery OF the waters Of that
trcacherous river ever since The re.
suits are su0icien, to have discouraged
less persoyering men; and indeed, they
have discouraged the greater number OF
those who first located there. But when
such men as ]. II. Richards, John Bush.
man, ]. {. Hansen and II. NJ. Tanner
feel that they have a special mission TO
fll, they do not give up when obstacles
begin to appear, but 10 earnestly 10
work to sufmuunt them.
This is strikingly true In the present
instance. The men whose names appear
above, with not more than half a dozen
faithful associates, have tuilcd on dam
after dam, only 20 see their work
crumblc and disappear under the force
Of mighty, periodical lreshets, Nuwon.
der then they rejoice at the completion
OF what appears to be a substantial one
Al the available help OF the town has
been employed for five weeks In an
effort to complete the dam. Knowing
that they would have accomplished this
much desired object on the roth inst,
the wives, mothers and sisters Of the
laborers, together with the few men
who were at home, two besides the
wHtcr) concluded To celebrate the occa
sion by a surprise In the form Of picnic
dinner for them. Accordingly all hands
responded; and a table OF boards, spread
| out ON the hillside near the dam, fairly
gtoaned under the load OF good things
that covered il. This bounteous fepast,
together with the appearance OF rosy
checked, well.clad children, Of whom
the greater part of the company was
composed. showed plainly that the PEG.
pie were by no means destitute, II they
had been laboring ON bitches and dams
so much for the last eighteen years.
Dinner over, the whole company as.
sembled on the dam, where short
speeches were made by the leading
men, expressing acknowledgements for
| divine aid and support; after which the
Father. The prayer was Characteristic
OF them; "Oh Lord We pray that this
dam may stand II Il be Thy will, Il not,
let Thy will be done.
The larger part Of the dam consists OF
a huge mountain OF earth 90 yards long,
100 feet wide at the base, "a feet high,
| and "a feet wide al the top. II is well
| protected by brush and rock on each
side, aud a great crib OF large timbers
bolted together and filled with rock,
serves as protection TO the end where
the water passes. Thus the stream is
turned out OF It's quick.sandy CHANNEL,
| and made 10 run over a bed OF solid
rock. Here another crib sixty.seven
yards long, bolted TO lis stony lounda-
| ton, raises the surface Of the water q
few ieet to the level OF the canal A
stone, planted ON the highest part OF the
dam, bears this inscription; saint lo'
seph No. s Dam, Commenced 1891,
Completed 1904" The other seven have
gone down the river.
"What Is the cost Of all these damsf
Well, they have expended over Sl7oo in
labor and material, for repairs and COM
pletion this spring. This sum is prob
ably not more than one siNtieth OF their
total outlay upon such work. With the
exception Of possibly $1,000, this little
community has borne the entire ex-
pcnse; and. best Of all they have done
It uncomplainingly
Respectfully
JosEPH W. SMITH