Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-23

glnbaked soil, turning the mountain
torrent from its channel TO soften and
mako arabic the rocky ground and
when not guarding himself and his
loved only against maraudlnB and
hloodthirsty saYagea, was disputnR
nossesslon Of his acanly crops with
erlekets. grasshOppers aud other yora-
clous pests With which the region
awarmed. While the overland emil
grants I'm too many Instances, were
trospassing upon the rights Of the red
men. and az times shooting them down
on the sllghtoat provoc0ton, tie Saints
were feeding them and teaching them
the arts OF civilization. During the
california gold excitement salt Lake
CITY WAS halfway house between the
Missouri river and the Pacific coast
and mere the tired gold seeker halted f1r
reet and TO obtain supplies 20 enable
him 10 reach his journeys end TN
founding of Utah facilitated the settle
mont Of othes states ana territories now
clustering around her, The whole OF
Nevada ana parts Of Colorado and
wyoming were once included In Utah,
ana the creation OF most OF the sur
rounding commonwealth would have
been next TO impossible without her
Nor should Il be forgotten that IL
was members Of the Mormon Battalion
-honorahly DISCHARGED nlter "a years
faithful service on Che Pacific ccast--
who, at Suffers Mills, near Sacmmen-
to. In January lS4S, dug up Che first
gold I'm California, discovery that
created the Golden state, and revo'u
tionzed the commerce lOf the nation.
Yes, Il was Mormon pcks and shovels
that brought that gold 10 the surface
and It was q Mormon who made the
first record of the world renowned dis
coyory. Moreover II Mas n Mormon
colony, sailing from New York aroun ;
the Cape 10 Yerb0 Bufna now san
Francisco, in 1915 that gave California
her second pioneer neEspoper The
first newspaper publlshef IN the Rocky
Mountain region was established by the
Mormon people at Salt Lake city
about four years later.
Here, In the tops OF the mountains,
exalted above the hilla3 Morm1nsm
has continued It's work Aof gathering
Israel from the nations The first mis-.
slonaries from Deseret--ae Utah was
originally called forth in the IA I
Of iSi0. hound for Great Britain, Scan
dnavla, France, Italy California and
the Pacific Islands SlmuH lnaously was
organized the PerpcWfl Emigration
Fund Company TO assist the poor
among the scattered Saints to mi
crate westward. This enterprise was
established and conducted by the
Church, whose leading men with the
Church itself, were among the main
contributors 10 the fund Those aide
by Il. with means advanced for their
transportation were expected TO reim-
burse II as soon ~ abb, that the
amount returned might DE used for the
benefit OF other immigrants. AMI the
fund thus made perpetual Many per-
sons, 30 helped, owe TO his system
their dellVeranCe from poverty or DO
pendence In the lands Of their nativity
and their subsequent rise 10 wealth
and ailuence,
The prosoytes who came to build up
The Stakes OF Zion in the Rocky Noun
,ains were Of the bone and slnew genius
end talent Of nearly ali countries
farmers. laborers, tradesmen, mechan-
les, manufacturers, business men, with
a liberal sprinlNing Of artists, music
clans, writer's and. other professional
people, representing the average run
OF American society and Whqt are
known in Europe as the mi die and
working classes, Charles hi ,kens.
when Newspaper reportsr esald of O
shiIs company If Norman emigfants,
ga ling from London early IN the SIX
tiei, that they We're in their degree the
pick and flower of England" Certain
Il s that such people We're as o rule
Jealous, heroic and God fearing. TO
thus leave native land, forsaking all r
thu Gospels sake, and Drawing the dan
re . and hardships Of ocean and Of des-
ert to find new homes In a strange and
almost savage country, And by far the
greater part Of those who have gath
cred here since those primitive times
have been Of the same sterling mettle
Choosing the sea, generally In large
companies. thoroughly organized and
equipped--tLe emigratiOnal arrange
nents being Of so perfect a character
as TO call forth In 1864 the comm nda
ton Of a selec committee Of the House
Of Commons, who after investigation
pronounced tie Mormon emigrant shin
"a family u'der strong and accepted
discipline, Nth every provision fer
comfort, decorum and Internal peace"
they would travel until railroad IA
cilities We're extended mostly If not
entirely by team TO the frontier where
they would be te7organi2ed, in like eff.
cient manner, for the passage Of the
plains an oX-team and wagon or
handcart. with three months supplies
being necessary for the journey TO
Utah, The toilsome trip over prairles
plains, rivers and mountains at an end
they would here be met by kindred and
friends who had preceded them, or by
Church agents appointed for that pur-
pose, would be taken home fed and fur
nished with employment IN Sslt Lake
City and the surrounding settlements.
or sent TO colonize and build up new
sections. Most Of them, preempting
and improving land, at the same time
practicing wherever possible their
trades or professions would on ac-
qure homes Of their own and lay the
foundations for future prosperity.
| have in mind an English farmer.
who with his wife aud seven small
chaldren settled in Salt Lake Valley
some forty years ago; the OK team and
wagon which had brought him from
the frontier being then his only pos
sessions, and the wagon tox--p'aced
upon the ground by the roadside where
his family ncampe1-serylng them for
house. Today that farmer and his
sons live in comfortable modern homes
own hundreds Of acres OF choice land
with flooks and herds in abundance
all as the result Of filling the soil ana
st0ck-raising land from absolute pov~
erty have risen 10 wealth aud indenend-
ence; and this is but one Of many such
cases that mleht be cilel.
lis It saying too much that II Nor
monism had done nothing more tina
bring such people from the lands Of
their birth where they were living in
rented homes dependent upon others
for employment u not support, with no
prospect Of a change for the better. and
here make of them Independent house
holders and landed proprietors, IL
would have achieved one Of the great
est and most beneficent works Of mod
ern times? In this connection let me
quote the substance Of remark made
by Phil Robinson, former war
correspondent Of the London Daily
Telegraph. who as special cor
respondent Of the New York World
came to Utah early in tho eighties. Sold
he, after visiting some Of our settle
ments. notably those Of Cache Valley.
81 defy any honest man 10 survey that
broad expanse Of orchards, meadows
and grain fields, dotted with the homes
Of a peaceful prosperous and contented
people to sav IN his heart th't Nor