Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-10-27
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. L
What They Arc and Reasons Why Thoy Should BIO ton
as Soon by One Familiar With tho Subject

ricErtss, events eliminate In such q
manner or to force development In a
few years which otherwise might re
quire centuries to accomplish. A
spasm Of this kind occurred about the
middle Of the present century, and the
rlace and peroid Of it, elimination was
the western part q! this continent. In
word, within the past half century
vast wilderness has been transformed
into garden Of the foremost ciyiliza.
ton.
Taking, then. Utah as the primary
point and her great settlement as the
influence Of this evolution single
glance at the existing state OF affairs
before this epoch, aud at what followed
II, overwhelms us with a sense OF the
mighty things which have been accom-.
plished within this short period OF time
by men and women many Of whom larc
still living.
The year iSl7 was the starting date
Of this great movement. Throughout
all this western region there was scarce.
ly wheel conveyance; no agricultural
or other implements Of civilization to
speak Of; scarcely a wagon road, ex-
cept the natural prairie. or the widcncd
pack-mule trail; no pos,ohiee. or any
regular intcrcommunication anywhere
by land or water. Al was a pumeyal
wilderness.
What do we now behold Through.
out the vast region, which men az first
regarded as absolutely worthless. We
see thrifty and intelligent population;
we see the farms fenced, roads laid oft,
comfortable dwellings. aud the nipple.
ments Of husbandry at work, we see
mines developed, manufactures cstab.
lished, and hundreds Of miles OF ifriga.
ting canals. a great commerce has
sprung up-towns aud cities with their
busy hives Of industry. postal. express,
telegraph and telephone facilities, aud
railroads everywhere.
Who has accomplished this2 What
Cesar, Napoleon or Washington has
wrought this wonderful changc' None
OF these. IL has been done. not by
military genius or supernatural agency,
but by plain, practical men, labOriug
each iOr himself, bis family. his locality,
but Ia the aggregate accomplishing hr
greater results than ever have been
done by any king, potcntatc. or govern
ment on earth. II would seem proper
and profitable TO the public ID their
friends and the world nj large could
know more Of them, Of their life, and
the means by which they accomplished
their work.
Among the various nations. and NJ
various cpochs, great men were evolved
from the hetce iuCtions Of the times
soldiers, priests and princes, some OF
them conspicuous because OF their good
deeds. but more OF them by reason oi
their wickedness. Evil la fact, was APP
parenty more powerful factor than
good IN their kneadrngs, and reasonings,
and pOlishings OF mankind. Hut In the
development Of our thrice-layorud land,
this wcslcnmost America, there was
little else than good accomplished, and
by good men. There we're no wars, cx.
ccpt the war OF mind over matter. OF
civilization over sayigsm. Yet, turning
TO our towns and cities, our fruitful
fields. and orchards aud gardens, with
railways, irrigating canals, our mines,
manufactures and commerce, our gov
eminent and other social condition, we
lind accomplished within fifty years what
elsewhere has taken other people five,
ten, or a hundred times as long TO do.
True, We had q record OF their eN.
pencnce as foundation upon which TO
build Our new experiences in this fair
wilderness; otherwise Il could not have
been done; but for all that Il was
great and good thing 10 build here as
we have built, thus making proper avail
OF our high privileges And are the
men who have quietly aud patiently
wrought out this grand accomplishment,
each laboring after his own fashion and
ilr his own immediate puTposes--arr
they not entitled to prominence and
praise as Alexander or Cesar, Napoleon
or William u Is II not as interesting to
us-the studyol their chamc,cri Is itnut
as profitable for us to follow them In their
good deeds as to follow the Others IN
their good aud evil deeds'
IL Is therefore essential that a record
Of the lives OF these upbuilders should
be kept. aud that q proper historical pre-
sentatiOn Of the country and those who
made Il should be filed away IN the
archives. At the same time there is an
opportunity 10 do much better than
simply present a collection Of detached
biographies OF the most influential and
prominent peSonages, after the usual
form, howsoever good AMI valuable
such a work would be In connection
with the history. But what would make
It ten.iold more interesting and valuable,
would be TO take one each OF The more
important OF these men OF strength
influence, and after thorough chafac-
ter study place his portrait IN the midst
OF the work which he has done, and In
company with kindred industries &C.
complished by others, and around the
whole throw a framework OF history
Here would be embalmed IN the annals
OF his own time and country the man
and his deeds, there TO remain, the
benefits and blessings conferred during
life being perpetuated. What could be
more interesting to the Teaderl What
more entertaining and practically In.
structive than thus to hold within the
intellectual grasp this whole western
world; vivid description Of the mater
lal and industrial condition OF things,
interviewer with thread work Of his-
tory, with life.like portraits OF the
great-hearied men who accomplished
all this, each in It's proper place, each
having It's own immediate Industries and
interests as a sittingl
Aiter securing the comforts and luNu.
Ties OF lie for himself and his family,
iOr what does a man further labor n
OF a miserly disposition, he works Tor the
mara ptgugurf pf nrguutulaftntF money.