Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-21
PUSHING PAROWAN.


Parowan, Iron County, Sept. 18th
1s97.-The grand old giant round-leaved
cottonwood trees of Parowan growing
In the center OF the four streets that
surround the public square are the
great attraction to the stranger visit
ing here. Their massive trunks and
great far-renching limbs Impress the
mind with the idea that the settlement
OF this town antcdatcg the coming Oh
the Pioneers Of Utah, but upon IN
qulrlng we find they were planted
about forty three years ago, when q
fort wall surrounded them, situated
some twenty rods distant from the
lines they now occupy. \ portion on
said wall Is still in existence at the
northwest corner.
What changes these trees have Wit
messed since In their early youth their
leaves first whispered to one another
their gratitude to their planters; or
shivered and trembled in fear. as the
early settlers watching from the fort
wall. gave the alarm that the Indians
had attacked the herdsmen. and were
driving off the stock How dinerent
the scene now, The walls that sur
rounded these grand old trees then
have disappeared. all but the fragment
mentioned, and although on the west
and north sides Of the square the
houses are built close TO one another,
occupying the regular space OF thir-
ty-three feet allowed To the population
in those early days, the town now eX-
tends out and over an area OF a mile
square. with fine residences on every
hand This present season several
fine brick dwelling houses are in course
OF erection.
Notwithstanding Parowan has met
with reverses of late. nothing dauntcd
.l.A
ing the winter Of 1898 they lost about
forty per cent of their sheep. and from
sixty to seventy per cent Of their cat
tle and there was nearly total fnli-
ure of their crops last year, when the
Bishop considered rs being closer
drain upon Pnrowan, all things con-
sldprcd than anything the people had
met before. To add to their trials,
their grist mill, an old-fashioned burr
mill, was burnt this last spring. But
the stockholders have determined TO
erect upon Its site substantial up-to-
date roller mill. and work has already
commenced for the improvement oil the
race.
The cooperative system exists here,
and the superintendent. VIM. II. Holy
oak has his time fully occupied IN
looking after the details OF their large
cooperative business. Besides me
work on the new roller mill he has
shops, harness and boot and shoe de-
partments, also the tannery. all under
his superintendcncy. william Brltch-
ard the tanner, whom / found DENY
ering fine lot of sole leather ~ me
coon store. very courteously conducted
me through the tannery, which mas a
capacity of twelve hundred sides per
year. He never tires OF singing the
praises OF the cnnaigre root. SAD me-
"Among tanners II has come 70 stay
and Is the only material worth WINE
using, II bothers and perpleNes the
craft in the first attempt In hana ,iil,,s
II. but there II nothing mysterious
about 1t in the least" He showed me
couple OF wagon LOADS
which some Dixie people had
brought from St. George where
II grows abundantly In a wild state,
for which he pays thirty-hve dollars
per to delivered at the tanery. frac'
teal tanners in the East had been per-
picked in It's use, but now 1t was get
ting thoroughly understood. Mess
CITY shipped about two thousand IONS
OF canagre last year, most OF whler
went TO Germany; and the town o.
Demming uses about twenty Thousand
toms per year in their manufacture %
canagre extract. which Is sold IN az
the markets of the United States. Al
of which proves Mr.. Pritchard TO VI
correct in his statement that II MAJ
come to stay. In appearance the plan
resembles the course growing sour
dock. and the root is somewhat Ike
sweetpotnto or oVerlarge dahalla bui'
1T is sometimes called Wild ruparp
as IL bears n good resemblance to ina
root when dried. and Is used by IN
Indians in southern Utah as medi
cine. Mr.. Pritchard showed me mn
skin upon which he Is going TO try M
skill. IL was taken from bear kllie'
last year in this neighborhood by Ale
Mathison Jr. The bear measured !
feet from tip to tip and was supposed
TO weigh near upon 1000 pounds.
The cabinet and carpenters SHOP !
fitted up with planning mill and othe
improved machinery for aiding tn
workmen in this line. Seeing som
very fine clear lumber in the shops
endured Ii II was oregon pine, an
was Informed that 1t was Parown
pine, and further that the Patpwh
pine was of so fine quality that
had been used in the construction .
the world-renowned Thhernacle "VEa
of Salt Lake city.
TheShoe shop, which turns out
servIceable article, has only -FOUR hnhu
now employed. but after the thrashlil
and fall work Is over, II Will run II
usual quota of eight hands. The hai
ness shop is noted for It's make OF co
lars. -, .
George Taylor, Alex orion. Newell
Whitney & Company, have erected
fine brick opera house, sixty by tort
feet in the clear, with stage thirty b
fifty feet in the clear. The building
not entirely finished, hut so far con
pleted that performances have bee
given within its walls for some tim
Judge Higgins's season of court Ian
Monday was a brief affair The erin
InaI calendar was clear, and the prt
hate business was 30 light that IN
Judge adjourned the term at noon an
the same afternoon took team II
Beaver. An old custom used To Pre-
vail in some parts of England on sue
occaslons when no criminals were
be tried on the visit OF the judge, n
citizens would present him with pa.
OF white gloves. II ii held here u
Judge would be the posacssor of w
pair. as like condition existed at 5
George.
Like the Judge, your travelling agei
did not find much to be done here
your genial local agent William I
McGregor is looking closely after u
interest OF the News" and keeps ado
ing new subscribers to the old list
this place.