Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-06-28
A MORMON LESSON.
The Industrial System Of Utah
Was Founded by a Genius.
The Corner stone OF brigham Young's
state Was Industrialistn what
lie Did with the Problem
of Irrigation.

loung and his fellOw-piOnCers passed
through the picturesque outlet of Emil
grafton canyon into the valley Of the
Great Salt lake. Utah was then Next
can soil, and the leader believed lac
could found whatever character of IN
stitutions should suit him and his peo-
Pile In the bitter anti-Mormon cru
sades of the past il has been alleged
that brigham Young had chains ON
mems souls" There il no doubt. writes
William T.. Smythe in Century, that
religious superstition. rendered effect
i've 10y the marvellous machinery of the
church, was partly the source of the
leaders irresistible power with his own
people; but back OF the religious su-
pcrstition and the church organization
stood the brain OF a great aud master
ful man. He knew that his power. to
be enduring, must rest upon something
material and tangible; and this some
thing he disccrned To- be the prosperity
of the people themselves.
brigham Young was an organizer
of prosperity. This was the real source
of his strength. lie did not aim at
mere temporary prosperity. On
the contrary. ne fought everything
that tended 10 that end, going u the
length of actually forbidding the open
ing of the rich mines in the mountains
near at hand, because he abhOrred the
spirit of speculation. He chose for the
corner stone of his state the principle of
industrialism; and that principle lies
there yet. at the base of a noble edifice
of economic fact, reared by human
toll, and held firmly in place by the
average prosperity Of all who had part
in its building If the great architect,
and the superintendent and foremen
who surrounded him. enjoyed a larger
share Of the profits than the workmen,
it is also true that the humblest newer Of
stone and carrier of mortar was paid in
proportion 10 the Importance Of his
labOrs. And what fair mind can object
TO an industrial system that yields
these results?
So far as can be learned, brigham
Young had no previous knowledge of
irrigation when he entered salt Lake
valley. He quickly realized that he
had come 10 an arid country which
would be hopeless for agriculture uu-
less artificially watered. With mar
vclous perception he saw that irriga-
ton was not "a drawback but an advan-
tage of the most important sort. He re-
allied that il meant freedom alike from
the dangers of the drought and of the
flood. He discovered that, having a
rich soil and ample sunshine. and add
ing moisture by the construction of
bitches ~ anfna11r-
ment upon nature To be able 10 turn
the rain" either on or off with equal
facility. And therefore he rightly con-
Guided that he had found in these con-
ditions the basis of the most certain
worldly prosperity ard the most scien-
titc agriculture.
Ii remained for a later genius TO re-
mark Irrigation is not a substitute
for rain. Rain is a substitute for irrig-
ation-and mighty poor one" But il
the Mormon leader did not say
so, he evidently felt it. He perceived.
furthermore. that irrigation was much
more than an insurance policy upon
the crops, II brought all the processes
of agriculture within the realm of
known facts, and that is science. 1t
even rendered possible the control of
the size of vegetables, and this became
important many years afterward, when
the Mormon people added great
sugar factory to their industrial sys-
tenn for il is important 10 grow sugar
beets of about standard size to get |
the best results. Moisture is required |
to give the beet a vigorous growth at
ha hn,rinntnpr. l,4rt ,.-hn - i v,y..1
started, weeks of uninterrupted sun
shine are desirable in order To de-
velop the saccharine qualities. Much |
sunshine at the wrong time dries up |
the crop, while much moisture at the |
wrong time produces beet pleasing |
to look upon, but Improbable at the |
factory.
Brigham Young also realized, almost |
at the first, that the necessity of care
full irrigation largely increased the labor
upon an acre of land: but he found that |
this labor was generously rewarded by |
the increased yield both in quantity
and quality. And from this fact he
drew the most important principle 81 |
his commonwealth, which was the divi-
sion of land into small holdings. Close
ly related TO this Is the other twin fac
tor in Mormon prosperity diversi-
fcGtion of farm products 10 the last
degree.
Natural conditions. even where there
is the most abundant and well-distrib-
uted rainfall, are often favorable to
the production of only a few crops.
But the Mormons realized that the
skillful application of water just where
and when needed, and in just the right
quantity, and by the very best method,
rendered possible the widest variety of
fruits, vegetables and cereals suited to
the temperate zone. Thus brigham
Young taught the people that no mao
should own more land than he could
cultivate TO its highest point 10y his own
and his family's labor and that no man
should go TO a store for any article of
food or clothing that could be profit
ably produced on his own small farm.
fastidious Miss.
A short time agoa young woman of
s.. -, %