The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-01

mountains. seventy-five miles away.
They constructed irrigation works; they
established cotton factory. with ma
chinery brought across the plains
They grew the cotton themselves ana
traded their goods for other products
when cash was almost unknown YET
With all the stress OF material things
they kept their ideals; they built
schools at an enormous cost; they sa-
orificed more than most small commu-
mites do to preserve their standards.
That much for the class of people in
Dixie. Now as to their attitude to-
ward the outside world. The MAYOR OF
ST George is a uon-Mormon, Judge
Francis Dagget. He has lived among
these people long while, and although
he was one of a haIf-dozen Gentiles in
the community for years, he never had
any trouble with his neighbors; on the
contrary, he was recognized as a lead
er, valued as an advisor, trusted as a
friend. Aspiring to no office, he has
been compelled to accept it as a tribute
to his merits.
The Dixie folks have known for years
that they had oil and camel coal and
copper and iron near by. They have
never concealed the existence of these
riches, as some would have the world
believe, but, on the contrary, have tried
hard to get outsiders to develop their
wealth. At the Portland fair they had
on exhibition samples of their oil and
shale. as we'll as their other natural re-
sources; and for long years such men
as James AudrUs, Thomas Judd, the
late r. c. Lund and others have talked
and worked and spent money to inter
est the outside world. They not only
sought help in the development of
their country, but they exhausted their
own limited resources to develop for
themselves.
Within a very few miles Of Virgen
City and TOquerviIle Mr.. Judd had a
ranch for which he secured a water
supply by tunneling a mountain. He
spent what was to him a fortune try
ing to get Salt Lakers interested with
him in the establishment of a health
resort on this LaVerkin ranch. Others
near him have been putting in an irri-
cation line on the Virgen river involv-
ing an enormous amount of rock work,
blasting and nighttime fiume. To a Wis
itor it looked like a stupendous task
even with unlimited means, and yet it
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and grind and save a dime at a time
in order that they might reclaim more
of the desert.
Repel outsiders? Why, these people
have besOught outsiders to come in.
only 10 have their appeal fall on deaf
ears here in Utah until strangers from
Nevada proved the truth of all the
claims the Dixie promoters made when
a rush followed.
The truth is. as shown by all the
records, that the wealthy men of this
state have had all the opportunities of
Dixie spread before them and have ig-
nored them. No one is to blame but
themselves, and it is manifestly unfair
to charge that religious prejudice or
ignorance had anything to do with it.
much better way would be to take
advantage of the opportunities that re-
main and utilize them to the utmost.
No finer region exists on the continent
than this same Dixie land; no more
progressive fairminded people live
anywhere; the soil is rich, the water
supply large the climate is perfection
in winter and better than the average
desert climate in summer The land
needs capital and transportation facil-
tiles, but with these it would be the
garden spot of Utah as well as rich
contributor to the future greatness of
the state.