--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hull, Thomas collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 4 published: 1900-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Thomas Hull, "Events of the Month," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 4 (February 1900): 316–320.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera34unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera34unse start_page: 316 end_page: 320 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera34unse publication_year: 1900 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Events of the Month EVENTS OF THE MONTH. BY THOMAS HULL, SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL BOARD OF Y. M. M. L A, December 7th: Representative B. H. Roberts of Utah issues an address to the people of the United States, calling attention to the threatened dangers to the safeguards of American liberty in the precedent sought to be established in his case. * * *^ 9th: Apostle Franklin D. Richards dies in Ogden. Mrs. Emily Dow Partridge Young, wife of the late President Brigham Young and daughter of Edward Partridge,the first bishop of The Church, dies in Salt Lake City. 10th: In a battle with the Boers near Stromberg the British forces under General Gatacre sufiier a serious defeat. The funeral services over the remains of President Frank- 12th: lin D. Richards are held in Ogden. * * * Advices just received in San Francisco bring the news that on Nov. 2nd a huge tidal wave swept over the island of Ceram in the Malay Archipelago. Cities were blotted from the earth and the report that at least five thousand lives were destroyed. 13th: There was a very perceptible earthquake shock in Salt Lake City, Ogden and all the intermediate territory. * * * Qgjj^ Otis telegraphs the war department that Aguinaldo has abandoned his troops and is in hiding in the province of Beugnet. * * * The British forces suffer another serious defeat in a battle with the Boers at Magersfontein, General Methuen commanded the British, 15th: Gen. Buller the commander-in-chief of the British forces in South Africa is defeated by the Boers in an engagement near Chieveley. In an attempt to cross the Tugela] River he is repulsed with heavy loss. He loses 1097 men; killed 82; wounded 667; missing 348. 18th: The British government removes Gen. Buller from the supreme command in South Africa and appoints Baron Roberts of Kanda- EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 317 tar commander-in-chief, with Lord Kitchener of Khartoom as chief of staff. * * * Letters found among the rebel archives captured, indicate that Aguinaldo has had the active moral support of prominent anti-expansionists in the United States. 19th: Gen. Henry W. Lawton, the gallant officer who fought so valiantly at Santiago and all through the Philippine campaign, is killed at San Mateo, in Luzon, to capture which place he started from Manila on the night of Sunday, Dec. 17th. 22nd: Dwight L. Moody, the evangelist, died at his home. East Northfield, Mass., after a month's illness. * * * "While the school children of St. Francis parochial school, Quincy, Illinois, were rehearsing for a Christmas play, the dress of a little girl caught fire, and as a result eleven children lost their lives. * * * At Amalfi, Italy, a tourist's resort, an enormous rock upon which stood the Capuccini hotel slid bodily into the sea, carrying with it the hotel, other buildings and fifty thousand cubic feet of earth. ^ Many lives were lost. 23rd: By an explosion of fire damp in the Braznell coal mines. Pa., more than forty miners were' buried alive. * * * Christmas trade in the leading cities of Utah was heavier than was ever before known. * * * The 94th anniversary of the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith was fittingly celebrated by the Relief Society at their regular quarterly conference held in the Assembly Hall. Addresses were made upon the Life and Teachings of Joseph Smith by M. I. Home and Elders Samuel W. Richards and Angus M. Cannon. The British steamer Ariosto stranded on the North Carolina 24th: coast, and 21 sailorswere drowned, while Captain Barnes and eight others were saved. * * * Hostilities in South Africa were mutually suspended for Christmas day. * •* * Daniel S. Ford owner and editor of Youth's Companion, died in Boston, aged 77 years. 25th: A severe earthquake visited Southern California at 4:25 a. m. destroying much property, the center of the shock being at San Jacinto, in Riverside county. Several Indians were killed by falling rocks. * * * Gen. Young has been appointed military governor of the province of northwestern Luzon with headquarters at Vigan. 26th: Charles W. Stayner, an old and well-known resident of Utah and a brother of the late Arthur Stayner, died at his home in East Bountiful. of 27th: Edward C. Hodges & Company, bankers and brokers Boston, made an assignment. 318 IMPROVEMENT ERA. 28th: Word was received by steamer Aorangi from Sidney to Victoria, B. C. that Oscar Eliason, the Salt Lake magician, came to his death by the acccidental discharge of a gun while he was hunting, Nov. 26, 1899. 29th: The United States Fish Commission decided, after recent inquiry, that the physical condition of the waters of Great Salt Lake will not permit the introduction of useful marine animals therein. * * * Three representatives of Aguinaldo arrive in Wash- * * * rpj^^ ington with a peace proposal. three-days' session of the State Teachers' Association came to a close. Oscar Van Cott has been chosen its president. 30th: M. W. Merrill, Jr., a leading citizen of Cache county, and son of Apostle M. W. Merrill, died at his home in [Richmond, aged 43 years. 31st: The United Irish] Societies of New York and vicinity held a mass meeting sypathizing with the Boers and condemning England because of the South African war. Senator Mason of Illinois, and Congressman Sulzer of New York made addresses. Resolutions were passed which closed in these words: Resolved: That we apppeal to the heart and conscience of the liberty-loving 'people, descendants of -the founders of this Republic and inheritors of Washington's fame, and all lovers of liberty through- out the world, to cast aside all personal and selfish consideration unworthy of free men to extend the hand of fellowship to the patriots and heroes now so bravely fighting to maintain their liberty and to drive theiinvader from the soil of the Boer republic, and we hail all the victories as the happy augury of the es- tablishment of the United States of South Africa. January, 1st, 1900: A hard fight begins the move to drive the insur- * * * gents out from southern Luzon. George Buckle, Republican, was elected president of the Salt Lake City council. 2nd: Captain Leary, naval governor of Guam, has issued a proclamation decreeing the absolute prohibition and total abolition of slavery, or peonage, the order taking effect Feb: 22nd. * * * Heber H. Thomas, Republican, was elected president of the Ogden city council. 3rd. The bubonic plague is reported at Manila. * * * Governor McLaurin, in delivering his message to the Mississippi legislature, EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 319 denounced the "Mormons" in scathing terms, and recommended the adoption of laws to prevent their doctrines from being taught in the state. 4th: There were six cases of small pox reported in Salt Lake City, and the Board of Health advised the closing of the schools. * * * Arguments in the Roberts case were begun before the Tayler committee. 5th: Congressman B. H. Roberts argues his case before the Tayler committee, speaking for nearly five hours. * * * General Otis reports the complete success of the military operations in North Luzon, which effected the release of Lieutenant Gilmore and other Americans captured by the rebels. 6th: Congressman B. H. Roberts finished his speech before the Tayler committee, it having occupied seven hours time and won him many friends. * * * N. F. Haworth, at Farmington, was held without bail on the charge of murdering Thomas Sandall, at Layton, last March. 7th: The British have met with three heavy reverses in South Africa during the past few days. 8th: Dr. J. M. Tanner placed his resignation as president of the Agricultural College in the hands of President W. S. McCornick of the board of trustees. * * * Senator Rawlins introduced a bill in the Senate increasing the appropriation for the public building in Salt Lake City to $750,000, from $300,000 appropriated by the last Congress. * * * President Snow issued a proclamation declaring that the Church has positively abandoned polygamy, and that if any member disobeys the law, either as to polygamy or unlawful cohabitation, he must bear his own burden and be answerable to the tribunals of the land for his own action pertaining thereto. 9th: Robert Murdock was appointed postmaster at Logan, vice Orson Smith. * * * Senator Beveridge of Indiana made a strong plea in the senate for the retention of the Philippine Islands, giving as a keynote this sentence: "That man little knows the common people of the Republic, little understands the instincts of our race who thinks we will not hold it (the Philippine archi- pelago) fast and hold it forever, administering just government by simplest methods." 10th: Lord Roberts and General Kitchener arrive in South Africa and their presence restores the shaken confidence of the English soldiers in their generals. * * * The Medical Society, Salt Lake City, declare for compulsory vaccination. 11th: Senator Pettigrew of South Dakota denounced the adminis- 320 IMPROVEMENT ERA. tration's policy in the Philippines. * * * The trial of Captain J. F. Millsfor the killing of John C. O'Melveney began, a jury having been secured. 12th: The school vacation in Salt Lake City was extended one week, owing to small pox. Large numbers are being vaccinated. * * * Mark Lindsey, well known as the founder of Lindsey's gardens, dies at his home in Ogden. * * * The Utah bank statements for 1899, compiled by Secretary of State Hammond, show an increase over 1898 of two million dollars in individual deposits and the same amount in savings deposits. 13th: A large meeting was held protesting against compulsory vaccination, and an organization was effected to be known as the Utah Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League, Thomas Hull, temporary president, C. S. Booth, secretary, and B. H. Schettler, treasurer. 14th: Small pox breaks out in Fire-Chief Devine's family, and the Salt Lake fire department is quarantined. * * * An official statement is made by Frank H. Hitchcock of the Agricultural Department that the agricultural products of the United States exported for the period 1894 to 1898, five years had an average annual value of $663,538,201, sixty per cent of which found a market in Great Britain and its dependencies. * * * Field Marshal Roberts reports no change in the South African situation. 15th: The Board of Health decides that unvaccinated children will not be admitted to the Salt Lake City Schools. * * * The Ogden city council authorizes the establishment of a pest house. 16th: The Utah Poultry Association opened its 13th annual exhibit in Salt Lake City. * ^ * The House Committee on Postoffices begins its enquiry into the cases of Utah officials who are charged with polygamy. * * * Qen. Wheeler has resigned and will return home from Manila. 17th: The Tayler committee reached a conclusion'in the Roberts case. Two members will render a report favoring admission and then expulsion, while six, the majority report will recommend that he be excluded without admission. * * * Gen. Buller occupies the hills fifteen miles west of Colenso, and Gen Lyttleton's brigade and General Warren's forces have crossed the Tugela, surprising and routing the Boers. Gen Buller is marching to the relief of Ladysmith. 18th: The arguments in the Mills case began. * * * Henry K. Carroll, special U. S. Commissioner to Porto Rico, reports that the area of that island is from 3150 to 3860 square miles, and in 1897 had a population of 890,820. The greatest need of the island is good roads. He recommends that the island be given a territorical form of government.