The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-23

former days. This improved condition
: OF things had just been brought abou
: when ] came into the world. But create
and more wonderful changes have beef
accomplished since that time. In m,
boyhood every acre of grain was Gu
with a sickle in New England The frs
advance made in that direction was wheI
the hand cradle came into use. Tit
reaper and the binder were nevel
: dreamed of in those days. If such thing.
had been brought into the wheatffelC
then. the people of the land would hav,
almost thought the millennium had come
and there has been rapid advancement
in almost every department of life.
l need not take up your time in detail
ing the many changes and improvements
that have been made We live today
amid the wondrous powers of steam and
electricity. by which such marvellous
things are being accomplished.
All these things have been brought
about in our day, and | feel TO thank God
for what ne has done for the children of
men in blessing them as he has done.
Mankind have great cause for thankful
:ess to our Father in heaven because of
the many blessings he has bestowed upon
them in this day and generation.
We who live in Utah have especial
cause to thank and praise his holy NINE
| for the blessings we enjoy. | have spent
| 80 years in these valleys of the Rocky
mountains. and have passed through all
/ the phases of a territorial government
u--tl we have arrived at full statehood.
! ard ] feel It great privilege 10 meet
of the state OF Utah. and ] consider it
proper here to make some reference to
! our arrival as pioneers. and the COM
mercement Of our labOrS in this great
/ American desert. And ] should be rec
reant in my duty and justly place my
I self under strong reproof did | not give
the honor and glory to our great prophet,
seer revelatOr and pioneer, President
Brigham Young. who. under God. laid
the foundation of redeeming this great
barren American desert from its steriiit-
into the fruitful and noble state of Ut.-I
( as We find il today. President Young
was Inspired to come here. and he was
INSPIRED TO work after he got here. and
when Samuel Brannan. who took the
ship Brooklyn from New York to San
Francisco. loaded with Latter-day Saints.
came to this barren country and met
with the pioneers. he looked upon the
desolation and barrenness, and tried with
dent Young not to stop here, but to 80
on to California l heard President
Young give his answer to Samuel Bran
nan. in the following language. Striking
mis- cane into the soil: No sir: / am
zo:rg TO stop right here. l am going to
Ju:id a city here. l am going to build
d cou,t-y mere" And by the help of
Coo he lived to see all this fulfilled He
dedicated the corner stone of the Salt
Lake temple. and dictated the building
OF tire temple IN to the time OF his
der He directed the building of the
St. George temple. and he moved gre 1t
mountain to get a place TO suit him upon
which to erect the Manti temple. He
ported out the place on which to build
the Logan temple and he did a great deal
to--,-ds its erection. He built the big
tabernacle in Salt Lake City. and he die
trted to the architects nearly all that Is
uoo- the temple block. There is hardly
a city or town in Utah that was not laid I
out under his direction
brought Preside-t Young INTO the |
valley in my carriage. This was the |
hrst time he had ever seen the place eX-
cept in vision. and as we came round
the bene Wnere we could nave Il Soou
view of the valley. he wished me 10 turn
the side of the carriage so that he could
have better --iew, which | did, having
a doo- opening on the side Of the car
riage. After viewing the valley aWhlie- !
he said: THAT will do. drive on; TINS +
is the place. l have seen this valley
before - vision President Young had
been sick for several DAYS on the Teber
river. ard several of the pioneers had
gone ahead and cut the road through
a uuaking asp grove, and had formed a
camD end commenced breaking ground,
bur il was so very dry that ii was diff
cult to break it until it was w2tered. L
arrived 1t the camp AT ii 30 II was a
little "ortheast CT where the hnutsioru
hotel now stands. | had in my carriage
one bushel of potatoes. and covenanted
that | would not eat or dr;nk uHt,I the
potatoes We're planted in the earth fui-
filled this covenant. getting some of the
brethren to help me. ard soon had my
potatoes planted. Other brethren also
planted some. and from those few came
all our Utah potatoes until the railroad
was built.
planted the American flag soon after our
arrival here. We Immediately vert to
work and rs protection against In
iians surrounded a ten acre plat on
three sides with a ten-foot adobe wall
on the remaining side with log cabins.
Immediately we had TO dig bitches and
get water to our crops or nothing would
have matured With our surveyors chain
and co-,oess President Young went TO
work to Law out Salt Lake CITY lust as
we see L today with its broad streets
and sidewalks. in the midst of the dry.
barren sage brush. without white man
house within a thousand miles Of Us |
assisted IN all that work. Many of you
who are before me have also labored and
.oiled to build and beautify this country
md make il what il is today. You know
what we have had to pass through in
al this But God has been with us.
He has crowned our labors with success.
He has blessed the land and made II
fruitful: and we have been able to sur
-ound ourselves with pleasant homes and
many of the comforts of life. Therefore.
say. we have great cause to be thank
Cod bless the aged fathers and mothers
If Utah. They have performed mighty
work in this land. They have worked
md to.led. and sought To do good in the
.arth. and they are WORTHY of respect
md honor in their old age We ought to
10 an We can 10 make them ndfpt WINE
hey I've u9on ire earth. / hone you
Who have come together here. on the old
ol.s excursion. VIII have GOOD time
While YOU are here. | pray God to bless
-ou all. and to comfort your hearts. |
10 rot know how much longer | shall
AIRY with you. but while | remain | want
O do all the good | can This should be
he desire of all of US. Many of us have
wed a long time on the earth. and have
ried to se-ve God and to carry out his
purposes. and we should continue to do
his until we are called to the other side
( the vail God bless you all God bless
ur children, that they may grow IN to
ollow 81 tse footsteps OF their fathers
nd mothers. and to take w the work
hat VIII devolve upon them when we
hall pass away. 1 feel to bless YOU and
II the people. and ask God TO bless you
the name of Jesus, amen.
At the conclusion of President Wood
uff's address the Deseret Mandolin and
iuitar club rendered a selection, which
Tas followed by the Old Folks choir
inging Aud Lang Syne-" w. c.
lumbar entertained the audience with