Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-23
ACHIEVEMENTS OF PIONEERS.

The Pioneers of lS47 and others who
at that time came into and first per-
manently settled Salt Lake valley ae-
compished several other things al
much human consequence, directly for
tho advancement of civilization in the
West and Indirectly for the instruction
and profit of other countries.
They proved that the intermounlaln
area was not, as Webster believed, -
vast worthless area" but fertile ana
well favored country when once 1t was
understood and rightly managed,
They showed that cooperation and
mutual assistance in time Of need may
render the desert places Of the earth
habtabe and transform the barren
wilderness into fruitful fields.
They demonstrated that what is
termed Faith" does really work nit
acles. For under it's stimulus the
thirsty land became dotted with verdi
ant pools, and the dry desert brought
forth fountains of water,
Their successful settlement OF Utan
made possible the colonization of many
surrounding places, not alone by their
example and the demonstrations when
they gave. but by the add they were
able to extend to other colonlsts about
them.
They introduced TO the western world
the theory and practice of Irrigation;
the benefits of this practice no long
Ell confined to the semi-arid regions are
now successfully derived from apply
Ing It to the agriculture of humid re-
gions.
They occupied a vast piece OF Mexican
territory that was especially needed for
the western expansion OF the United
States and their successful occupation
OF this tract, and their use of IT, as an
agricultural district, was the key TO
the chief difficulties of the winning OF
the west"
They Illustrated what is always pos
sible In colonization, but rarely made
actual that new communities far from
contact with tee sources and centers of
civilization and the conyeniences Of
modern life. can nevertheless. hc kept
peaceful orderly, progressive, and en-
lightened without afflicuon from the
terrors and other evils of border ruff
fanism that have almost uniformly
been the lot of other new commons
wealths similarly situated.
They lived at comparative peace with
the most savage and embittered of the
American Indians proving anew that
Kindness and humanity are not lost
even when bestowed upon the least
advanced of the children of nature.
They We're content to remain here
and to struggle hard and long for a
bare existence in the midst OF this
wilderness, when almost all other west
ern emigrants were imbued with the
California yellow fcver'-the mad
rush for the gold fields
1t was Latter-day Saint pioneers
momhors of the Mormon battalion
VINO discovered the first gold in Cali
fornia-an event that led to the enorm-
Gus westward migration across this
continent lin the days of 40" on
Jan. "a, 1915, Henry w. Bigelcr, a bat
talon member who afterwards lived
in St George, Utah, wrote In his diary,
This day some kind of metal was
found in the tail race that looks like
gold;' and on the 3Oth wrote, "Our
metal has been analysed and proved
to be gold, i IS thought to be rich
We have picked up more than a hun
dred dollars worth during the past
week"
1t was this battalion of 800 members
that raised the first American flag over
the site of the present city of Los An
Eeles on July a. lS47,
Tho generation of younger men, who
Immediately followed or grew up I'M
der tho eyes OF the pioneers ana early
settlers, developed marvellous heroic
qualities, and many of them became
famous in the romantic literature OF
the times, AS scouts. riders, guides.
indian fighters, and frontiersmen of
all sorts, 1t seems probable that this |
generation Of Western Americans gem |
orally have had few peers I'm former
ages; while the great number of those |
whose deeds of courage are worthy to |
chronicle, causes this generation 10
stand ont in peculiar attractive llghr
In the annals of history
The town government developed bv
the pioneers arising, Of course. mainly
out OF the necessities of the case and
of their peculiar situation. was char
acterlstcally American. aud affords
one OF the most fruitful fields of study |
in the development of modern forms Of |
the typical village communities New |
England blood ana traditions predon,-
mated ANA gave form To the oreanizn- !
ton and government Of early times |
here,
siNly-onc years ago came the first of |
those who made of these valleys their |
permanent abiding places. What was |
then an unhospitablc desert is now |
place of wealth, beauty and fertility.
May the memory of those who bore
the brunt OF a battle With nature that
Is uniranslaahlc to the prcseu, gen
Grafton be recalled with feelings OF
reverence, sympathy admiration ana
honor
-----7-----7- co.
ANOTHER REMEDY,