Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-22
A MORMON LESSON.
The Corner Stone of Brigham
YOung's State.
INDUSTRlALISM WAS HIS MOTTO.
Utah Was Founded by a Genius-What
He Did With the Problem OF
Irrigation.
INDUSTRIALISM WAS HIS MOTTO.

duu uio iellOW- -plouoers pdosou oulouGu
the picturesque outlet of Emigration
Canyon into the valley of the Great
Salt Lake. Utah was then Mexican
soil, and the leader believed he could
| found whatever character of institu-
tions should suit him and his people.
In the bitter anti Mormon crusades of
the past it has been alleged that Brig
ham Young had chains ON mems souls.
There is no doubt that religious
superstition, rendered effective by the
marvellous machinery Of the church,
was partly the source Of the leaders
irresistible power with his own people;
but back of the religious superstition
and Che church organization stood the
brain of great and masterful man.
He knew that his power, to be endur-
ing, must rest upon something mater
ial and tangible; and this something
he discerned to be the prosperity Of
the people themselves.
Brigham Young was an organizer of
prosperity This was the real source
of his strength He did not aim at
mere temporary prosperity.
On the contrary, he fought everything
that tended to that end, going to the
length of actually forhiding the open
ing of the rich mines in the mountains
near at hand, because he abhorred
the spirit of speculation. He chose for
the cornerstone of his state the prin-
ciple of industrialism; and that princi-
pie lies there yet, at the base of noble
edifice of economic fact. reared by
human toll, and held firmly in place
by the average prosperity Of all who
had part in it's building. If the great
architect, and the superintendents and
foremen who surrounded him. enjoyed a
larger share Of the profits than the
workmen, it is also true that the hum
blest newer of stone and carrier of NOR
tar was paid in proportion to the i'm
portance of his laDors. And what fair
mind can object to an industrial sys-
tenn 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 to an arid country, which
would be hopeless for agriculture un-
less artificially watered. With marvel
GUS perception. he saw that irrigation
was not drawback, but an advantage
of the most important sort. He real
lied that it meant freedom alike from
the dangers of the drought and of the
flood. He discovered that having a
rich soil and ample sunshine, and
adding moisture by the construction of
bitches, it was actually an improve
ment upon nature to be able to turn
the "rain" either on or off with equal
facility. And therefore he rightly
concluded that he had found in these
conditions the basis of the most certain
worldly prosperity and the most scien-
tific agriculture.
1t remained for later genius to re-
mark: " Irrigation is not substitute
for rain. Rain is substitute for irri-
gation-and a mighty poor one. !"
But if the Mormon leader, did not say
so, he evidently felt it. He perceived
furthermore. that irrigation was much
more than an insurance policy on the
crops. 1t 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 import
ant many years afterward, when the
Mormon people added great sugar.
factory to their industrial system; for
it is important to grow sugar-beets Of
about standard size to get the best
results. Moisture is required to give
the beet vigorous growth at the be-
ginning; but when it is we'll started,
weeks of uninterrupted sunshine are
desirable in order to develop the sach-
arine qualities. Much sunshine at the
wrong time dries up the crop, while
much moisture at the wrong time pro-
duces beet pleasing to look upon. but
Improbable at the factory.
Brigham Young also realized, almost
at the first, that the necessity of care
ful 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 of his commonwealth, which
was the division of land into small
holdings. Closely related to this is the
other twin factor in Mormon prosperity
the diversification of farm products
to the last degree.
Natural conditions, even where there
is the most abundant and well-disturbed
rainfall, are often favorable to the pro-
portion of only few crops. But the
Mormons realized that the skillful ap'
plication of water just where ano
when needed, and in just the right
quantity, and by the very best method
rendered possible the widest variety o.
fruits, vegetables. and cereals suited
to the temperate zone. Thus Brigham