Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-07-29
M0RM0NS PRAISED
FOR THEIR WORKS
Arizona Paper Tells Of Some of
TasIr Achievements In
That State,
ENDURED MANY HAROSHIpS.
Bat They We're Prospcred 10 Their
Efforts aud Desert Now Blossoms
As the Rose,

In an extended article dealing with
The work Of Mormon" pioneers, the
Journal q nom Mormon" paper pub.
llahod at Stafford, Arizona, p0ye the
following tribute to these sturdy path.
nndors
About thirty years ago the Nor.
mons nrst came to, Arizona nnd set /.
tied In the salt river valley above the
place whore Phoenix IN now located.
From ihoro a company went via Tue.
son into the San Pedro valley IN Co.
chiHo county,
Here President Layton, one of tho
founders Of SAIL Lake clly ana IN,
pioneer OF dry farming M Utah, a
nnnncler nnd leader of great nblnty,
called upon by the head al the Church
To leave home ana wealth. came To this
toulloh ana assumed ,ho leadership OF
Tho Arizona oolonistg
About this TIME there war organized
from among The settlers ln northern
Arizona IN what was then navajo
county a smnll band consisting of not
moro Than lyo wagons and ns many
Families, which was 10 be the nuclpoup
around which would form the thriving
Mormon communities OF the ullm
valley Aftor long ana extremely
tedious journey over the mountains,
where AT times they were forced 10
ltt their wagons down Gins by means
or ropes, ana across deserts whore they
suffered the tormonia Of thirst, fio.
qlently sci upon by hostile indians
ana compelled 10 light for their lives,
they arrived IN the ella valley
a settlement known as Smllhvne, so
called IN honor OF President Jesse N,
smith who organized the expedition
ANA nj that time presided over the Ar.
Sona section, was formed az the place
now called Pima, The first task un-
dorlakcn boy these settlers was the con.
slructIon Of the old Smlthylllc canal,
Long ana nrduous days of labor were
expended upon this enterprise, but Nm.
any iheif onOriR were rewarded with
success and from this small beginning
nus grown tho many prosperous soltles
monts which are occupied by the
Mormon people IN the ella valley
ENDURED HARDsHlps,
VIZ should not pass unnotlced the
compelled 60 endure In the carly
days of the settlement, There war
a great abundance OF rain ana the en-.
tire country was covered with a RANK
growth of vegetation which II was nee.
tssary To remove IN order TO bulld upon
on cultivate the land, In Pima the
W0ckado ana wagon-covor hAbitntlons
scattered among the gigantic mesquite
trees were located only by following
the trnil OF the 'llS2ard' witch was
used TO draw water from the ono well
which supplied the entire village with
drinking water The heat was In.
tonsc there was no shade " any con.
sequence, and because of the
abundance OF sl0gnnnt water In the
vicinity there was considerable
malaria, Upon scnnly allowance
of food the little company iollcd day
ana night ana llnally succeeded In d.
Norling stream nom the ella aud
getting upon the land sufficient water 10
enable th0m 10 put In small crop,
The members OF the settlement were
frequently called upon TO defend thom-
selves from hostile Apaches, "liustlors'
and outlaws who infested the border
country made war upon them and drove
on thor stock, while the women and
ohilden were continually kept IN a
state of terror
Tho experiences Of these early set.
ilerB of Pima county was only II ropo.
iillon NJ what their co.rollglonIHts had
to Hulfer from the time their message
was first delivered To the world Driven
from pillar to post robbed, plundorod,
beaten, murdered, their leaders mar.
tyred, with indomloblc courage and
untIrIng energy they have porsevercd
and the mcaeuro OF their hnal success
Is now to be seen IN the happy ana
poacefl homes which they have oroot-
ed all over this broad western land,
MORMoNs IN ARIZONA
II IN estimated that there are now
5000 Mormon oolonlsta IN Arlgonn,
and Of thia number ~ settlements are
IN ~ Joseph stake Of Zion, with head.
quarters NJ Thatcher, whore President
Andrew kimbnll ana his associates, w,
u, Johnson and G, NJ, Layton, direct
their operations,
Al Thatcher IL located the f.Nttor.dny
Saints academy, modern educational
Institution established ana maintained
by ,no Mormon Church, The Latter
day Saints academy " I'm every way
worthy Institutions There In connected