The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-04

Truth, it has been said, is strange
than fiction. But of course there is
great quantity of fiction that has moth
ing strange about it save the fact tina
it is recognized. There are volume.
and volumes, rich and rare, as t.
covers, of alleged history that have
no more claim 10 recognition, or life
than has this mass of ''hog-wash'' fic-
ton to which we have alluded Truth
in history wholly true. would be very
largely biographical; would be, in the
main, the story of the lives of the
pioneers of the human race
That is to say. the pioneers Of the
world have been the real makers of
the history Of the world. and the truth
about them would be stranger than
lction because it has never been half
old. There is no romance that has
ever been conceived so grandly strange
as the wonderful trials, struggles and
persistence of Columbus, the most re-
narkable pioneer of time. Had the
people of Spain been worthy to follow
so great man there would have been
marvellous civilization in the south
today, and Cubans, instead of pleading.
hunger-stricken and blood-stained. in
their sublime and Incompatible strug-
gle for freedom, would have been
among the leaders of the world. But
the laurels of the great pioneer can
not be sullied by the inability of the
nation for which he tolls Slowly NOV
ing humanity must cruelty it's saviors
and recognize them when they have
become dust
After Columbus came many grand
maratime explorers who were true
TaiOnaprs oh aF
who, catching the inspiration of the
earlier Dath-finder followed the west
ern shore of the Atlantic around Cape
Horn He lost his life among the
sayages of the Pacific ocean. but sent
his primitive ship on until she reached
the East Indies. for which Columbus
sailed. and which he supposed he had
found. rounded the Cape of Good Hope
and returned to her starting point
having circumnavigated the globe. It
was the triumph of the faith of
Columbus, and the Christian Scientists
of those days who had condemned
him as hereto and a fool because he
insisted the earth is round, received
such q shock as the successful pioneer
always gives to those who are welded
to their idols and wish to he let alone.
The French pioneers followed the
Spaniards in their search for gain
across the Atlantic. But the French
were no more nation-makers than were
the SDaniards. They loved the lakes
and wildernesses of America and were
contented to be fellows among the
aborigines. The French priests how
ever, possessed the pioneer spirit. and
yet they. too, failed because their mis-
sion was simply TO save savage souls |
for a future joy. There must be a |
practical side to all pioneer work 10 |
make it successful This life must be |
as important as the next. or there will /
be failure. Those French priests We're |
among the most heroic souls this world /
has ever known, and yet, they failed.
The first, and, in fact, the only sue
cessful, pioneers from Europe to I
America. We're the Pilgrims and Pur-
itans, who made their homes on the
bleak shores and the UNEMPLOYED for
ests of Massachusetts Bay. They were
a grim. determined lot. They allowed
no religious opinions save their own.
but they had turned their backs upon
their homes in Europe for the purpose
of finding place upon the earth
where they could worship as they
pleased, whether right or wrong. 1t