---
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: 7
number: 3
published: 1904-01
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* 7, no. 3 (January 1904): 231–240.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  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: improvementera0703unse
start_page: 231
end_page: 240
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  publication_year: 1904
  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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Events of the Month

<!-- page:231 -->

EVENTS  
        OF 
        THE  
        MONTH,
Local.
        —
        November, 
        1903.
The 
        Coal 
        Mine 
        Strike.—
        The 
        situation 
        at 
        Sunnyside, 
        Carbon 
        Co.,
remained 
        so 
        unsettled 
        that 
        the 
        Utah 
        Fuel 
        Co. 
        sent 
        thirty-three 
        armed
men 
        to 
        the 
        camp 
        to 
        maintain 
        order 
        on 
        November 
        18. 
        On 
        the 
        following
day, 
        Governor 
        Wells, 
        in 
        a 
        letter 
        to 
        the 
        strikers, 
        calls 
        upon 
        them 
        to 
        refrain
from 
        every 
        act 
        of 
        violence 
        or 
        disturbance 
        of 
        the 
        peace 
        and 
        good 
        order 
        of
the 
        community, 
        until 
        the 
        differences 
        are 
        adjusted. 
        The 
        situation 
        had
grown 
        so 
        threatening 
        on 
        the 
        21st, 
        that 
        Sheriff 
        Hyrum 
        Wilcox, 
        of 
        Car-
bon Co., 
        informed 
        Governor 
        Wells 
        that 
        the 
        local 
        authorities 
        are 
        powerless
to 
        cope 
        with 
        the 
        lawlessness, 
        and 
        maintain 
        law 
        and 
        order, 
        and 
        asks 
        the
state 
        for 
        aid 
        and 
        assistance 
        at 
        Scofield, 
        Castle 
        Gate 
        and 
        Sunnyside. 
        He
says 
        the 
        miners 
        number 
        two 
        thousand, 
        two-thirds 
        of 
        whom 
        are 
        foreign-
ers, principally 
        Italians, 
        not 
        speaking 
        English, 
        and 
        not 
        more 
        than 
        fifteen
per 
        cent 
        are 
        naturalized. 
        The 
        Governor 
        thereupon 
        sent 
        Gen. 
        John 
        Q.
Cannon, 
        commanding 
        the 
        N. 
        G. 
        U., 
        to 
        investigate 
        the 
        situation 
        and 
        report
■apon 
        the 
        necessity 
        of 
        ordering 
        out 
        the 
        miltia. 
        Mine 
        Inspector 
        Gomer
Thomas 
        had 
        already 
        been 
        sent 
        out 
        to 
        the 
        mines, 
        and 
        reported 
        all 
        the 
        old
residents 
        in 
        favor 
        of 
        working, 
        and 
        that 
        the 
        majority 
        of 
        the 
        strikers 
        are
Italians. 
        On 
        the 
        22nd, 
        the 
        evidence 
        presented 
        to 
        General 
        Cannon 
        alleges
many 
        acts 
        of 
        violence, 
        intimidation 
        and 
        outlawry 
        against 
        non-union 
        men.
Adjt.-Gen. 
        Charles 
        S. 
        Burton 
        sent 
        four 
        sergeants 
        to 
        notify 
        all 
        the 
        mem-
bers of 
        the 
        National 
        Guard 
        to 
        be 
        in 
        readiness 
        to 
        go 
        at 
        a 
        moment's 
        notice-
to 
        Sunnyside; 
        like 
        orders 
        were 
        given 
        to 
        officers 
        at 
        Manti, 
        Nephi^
Provo, 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        and 
        Bountiful. 
        Each 
        officer 
        reported 
        that 
        he 
        could
have 
        his 
        command 
        in 
        readiness 
        within 
        two 
        hours. 
        At 
        a 
        late 
        hour 
        on 
        the
23rd, 
        Governor 
        Wells, 
        by 
        proclamation, 
        called 
        out 
        the 
        entire 
        National
Guard 
        of 
        Utah, 
        including 
        the 
        infantry, 
        cavalry, 
        artillery 
        and 
        hospital
corps, 
        to 
        proceed 
        to 
        the 
        scene 
        of 
        the 
        coal 
        mine 
        strike 
        in 
        Carbon 
        Co., 
        to
preserve 
        life 
        and 
        property. 
        The 
        action 
        was 
        taken 
        after 
        a 
        long 
        confer-
ence with 
        members 
        of 
        the 
        Legislature 
        and 
        other 
        advisers, 
        on 
        the 
        verbal
report 
        of 
        Gen. 
        Cannon, 
        who 
        had 
        investigated 
        the 
        condtions 
        of 
        disorder.

<!-- page:232 -->

232 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA
The 
        troops 
        were 
        immediately 
        ordered 
        by 
        Gen. 
        Charles 
        S. 
        Burton 
        to 
        mo-
bilize at 
        their 
        armory. 
        The 
        strikers 
        are 
        said 
        to 
        have 
        paraded 
        at 
        Castle
Gate, 
        armed 
        with 
        shotguns 
        and 
        carrying 
        the 
        American 
        flag 
        upside 
        down.
The 
        24th 
        was 
        spent 
        in 
        mobilizing 
        the 
        army; 
        and 
        just 
        before 
        midnight,
seven 
        carloads 
        of 
        men, 
        being 
        the 
        state's 
        entire 
        guard, 
        four 
        hundred 
        in
number, 
        left 
        Salt 
        Lake, 
        or 
        were 
        picked 
        up 
        at 
        the 
        various 
        stations,
for 
        the 
        scene 
        of 
        trouble, 
        to 
        be 
        posted 
        at 
        Sunnyside 
        and 
        Scofield.
Gen. 
        Cannon 
        addressed 
        the 
        troops, 
        and 
        gave 
        them 
        to 
        understand 
        that
the 
        uniform 
        was 
        to 
        be 
        respected, 
        and 
        any 
        soldier 
        who 
        allows 
        it 
        to 
        be
insulted 
        is 
        unfit 
        for 
        duty. 
        The 
        labor 
        agitator, 
        Charles 
        Demolli, 
        repre-
sentative of 
        the 
        United 
        Mine 
        Workers 
        of 
        America, 
        was 
        tried 
        on 
        the 
        25th,
charged 
        with 
        disturbing 
        the 
        peace 
        by 
        inciting 
        miners, 
        and 
        sentenced 
        to
thirty 
        days' 
        imprisonment 
        in 
        the 
        county 
        jail. 
        The 
        Pleasant 
        Valley 
        Coal
Co. 
        notified 
        all 
        who 
        do 
        not 
        report 
        for 
        work, 
        of 
        their 
        discharge, 
        and 
        that
they 
        must 
        vacate 
        the 
        company's 
        property 
        at 
        once. 
        Complications 
        a'^e
feared 
        when 
        this 
        order 
        is 
        effective, 
        which 
        will 
        be 
        in 
        thirty 
        days. 
        Gen.
Cannon 
        established 
        headquarters 
        at 
        Scofield, 
        with 
        a 
        majority 
        of 
        the
troops 
        with 
        him. 
        The 
        presence 
        of 
        the 
        troops 
        is 
        having 
        a 
        good 
        effect 
        or
the 
        camps, 
        and 
        many 
        men 
        were 
        reported 
        returning 
        to 
        work 
        on 
        the 
        26tb.
On 
        the 
        day 
        following, 
        four 
        hundred 
        strikers 
        met 
        in 
        the 
        thicket 
        near 
        Sec-
field, 
        electing 
        officers, 
        and 
        initiated 
        one 
        hundred 
        and 
        fifty 
        men 
        into 
        the
union. 
        The 
        Italian 
        consul. 
        Dr. 
        Guiseppe 
        Cuneo, 
        later 
        visited 
        the 
        strikers'
camps 
        and 
        heard 
        the 
        grievances 
        of 
        the 
        miners. 
        His 
        report 
        was 
        very-
non-committal, 
        and 
        had 
        little 
        effect 
        on 
        the 
        situation. 
        That 
        the 
        foreigners
have 
        little 
        cause 
        for 
        grievance 
        appears 
        from 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        the 
        consul 
        ad-
vised them 
        to 
        respect 
        and 
        obey 
        the 
        laws 
        of 
        the 
        country, 
        not 
        listen 
        t«
organizers 
        or 
        anyone 
        else, 
        and 
        follow 
        their 
        own 
        conscience 
        and 
        do 
        what
they 
        thought 
        was 
        right. 
        An 
        effort 
        was 
        made 
        on 
        the 
        29th 
        to 
        arbitrate,
but 
        Vice-President 
        Kramer, 
        of 
        the 
        Utah 
        Fuel 
        Co., 
        refused 
        the 
        invitation
to 
        attend 
        a 
        conference. 
        There 
        is 
        a 
        strong 
        effort 
        made 
        to 
        have 
        the 
        com-
pany recognize 
        the 
        Union, 
        but 
        from 
        all 
        indications 
        this 
        will 
        never 
        be
done, 
        and 
        efforts 
        are 
        being 
        made 
        with 
        considerable 
        success 
        to 
        get 
        Amer-
icans from 
        all 
        parts 
        of 
        Utah 
        to 
        take 
        the 
        place 
        of 
        the 
        striking 
        Finns 
        and
Italians.
Arch^ological 
        Organization.—
        Dr. 
        F. 
        W. 
        Kelsey, 
        of 
        Detroit, 
        Mich.,
representative 
        of 
        the 
        American 
        Institute 
        of 
        Archaeology, 
        lectured 
        No-
vember 18, 
        at 
        Barratt 
        Hall, 
        on 
        Pompeii. 
        At 
        the 
        close 
        of 
        the 
        lecture, 
        on
invitation 
        of 
        Prof. 
        Byron 
        Cummings, 
        those 
        interested 
        in 
        the 
        subject 
        of
archaeology 
        organized 
        the 
        Utah 
        Archaeological 
        Society. 
        The 
        requisite
number, 
        twenty-five, 
        was 
        easily 
        secured, 
        and 
        the 
        organization 
        effected
with 
        Frank 
        Pierce, 
        president; 
        Benj. 
        W. 
        *" 
        luff. 
        Dr. 
        J. 
        T. 
        Kingsbury 
        and

<!-- page:233 -->

EVENTS 
        OF 
        THE 
        MONTH. 
        233
Jud^e 
        S. 
        W. 
        Stewart, 
        vice-presidents; 
        Prof. 
        Byron 
        Cummings, 
        secretary;
Matthonihah 
        Thomas, 
        treasurer; 
        and 
        these 
        with 
        Prof. 
        George 
        A. 
        Eaton,
executive 
        committee. 
        Utah 
        is 
        said 
        to 
        be 
        rich 
        in 
        archaeological 
        treasures,
and 
        it 
        is 
        expected 
        that 
        the 
        society 
        will 
        grow 
        rapidly 
        during 
        the 
        year,
and 
        that 
        profitable 
        explorations 
        in 
        the 
        cliff 
        dwellings 
        of 
        our 
        state 
        will 
        be
prosecuted 
        ere 
        long.
New 
        Stake 
        Tabernacle.—
        On 
        the 
        28th 
        and 
        29th 
        the 
        Granite 
        Stake
new 
        tabernacle 
        was 
        opened 
        to 
        the 
        public, 
        a 
        conference 
        of 
        the 
        people
being 
        held. 
        It 
        is 
        located 
        on 
        State 
        street 
        and 
        Fourteenth 
        South
        —
        about
the 
        centre 
        of 
        the 
        stake. 
        The 
        building 
        is 
        unique 
        in 
        architecture, 
        there
being 
        no 
        other 
        structure 
        in 
        the 
        Church 
        built 
        upon 
        the 
        same 
        plan. 
        The
basement 
        floor 
        is 
        designed 
        for 
        stake 
        entertainments, 
        and 
        is 
        divided 
        into
a 
        large 
        assembly 
        room 
        64 
        by 
        64 
        feet, 
        with 
        a 
        large 
        stage. 
        Around 
        this
are 
        six 
        rooms 
        in 
        semi-circular 
        form, 
        easily 
        converted 
        into 
        three 
        by 
        fold-
ing doors, 
        designed 
        for 
        meeting 
        places 
        of 
        the 
        various 
        auxiliary 
        organ-
izations. The 
        upper 
        or 
        assembly 
        room 
        is 
        nearly 
        106 
        by 
        106 
        feet 
        in 
        size,
with 
        organ 
        platform, 
        choir 
        and 
        speakers' 
        stands 
        on 
        the 
        east 
        side. 
        There
are 
        four 
        entrances, 
        one 
        at 
        each 
        corner 
        of 
        the 
        building. 
        The 
        floor 
        of 
        the
assembly 
        hall 
        slopes 
        from 
        each 
        quarter 
        to 
        the 
        center, 
        and 
        seats 
        2500
people. 
        The 
        dome 
        rises 
        70 
        feet 
        above 
        the 
        assembly 
        hall 
        floor, 
        the 
        roof
being 
        supported 
        by 
        two 
        large 
        trusses 
        running 
        diagonally 
        across 
        the
building 
        with 
        span 
        of 
        98 
        feet. 
        The 
        hall 
        is 
        lighted 
        by 
        four 
        rows—
        124
        —
incandescent 
        lights, 
        and 
        by 
        five 
        arc 
        lights 
        in 
        an 
        immense 
        chandelier 
        sus-
pended from 
        the 
        apex 
        of 
        the 
        dome. 
        The 
        Estey 
        pipe 
        organ 
        situated 
        back
of 
        the 
        speakers' 
        stands 
        cost 
        $3000, 
        and 
        has 
        829 
        pipes. 
        The 
        seating 
        and
finishing 
        are 
        samples 
        of 
        the 
        most 
        modern 
        methods 
        in 
        these 
        respects. 
        The
great 
        square 
        tower 
        on 
        the 
        southwest 
        corner 
        rises 
        133 
        feet 
        from 
        the 
        base
to 
        the 
        pinnacle, 
        and 
        has 
        several 
        commodious 
        meeting 
        rooms 
        on 
        the 
        various
floors 
        reached 
        by 
        a 
        stairway.
Work 
        on 
        the 
        grounds 
        was 
        begun 
        on 
        Monday, 
        November 
        24, 
        1902,
and 
        more 
        than 
        ten 
        thousand 
        loads 
        of 
        sand 
        and 
        gravelly 
        soil 
        were 
        dumped
on 
        to 
        the 
        site. 
        Timbers 
        were 
        then 
        driven 
        into 
        the 
        earth, 
        and 
        the 
        founda-
tion, containing 
        sixty 
        tons 
        of 
        cement, 
        is 
        then 
        laid 
        on 
        one 
        hundred 
        and
forty-five 
        piles 
        upon 
        which 
        the 
        structure 
        rests. 
        The 
        foundation 
        was
completed 
        and 
        mason 
        work 
        begun 
        about 
        April 
        15, 
        1903, 
        continuing 
        until
the 
        615,000 
        bricks 
        in 
        the 
        building 
        were 
        laid. 
        On 
        Sunday, 
        May 
        17,
        1903,
the 
        corner 
        stone 
        was 
        laid 
        by 
        President 
        John 
        R. 
        Winder. 
        The 
        total 
        cost
•of 
        the 
        building 
        and 
        grounds 
        was 
        $60,000 
        in 
        round 
        figures, 
        the 
        building
proper 
        costing 
        $50,000. 
        The 
        organ 
        and 
        seating 
        cost 
        about 
        $6,000^
..making 
        a 
        total 
        of 
        $66,000.
On 
        Sunday 
        evening, 
        27th, 
        President 
        Joseph 
        F. 
        Smith 
        spoke 
        to 
        a

<!-- page:234 -->

234 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
large 
        assembly 
        of  
        young 
        people 
        on  
        "Conduct 
        and  
        Amusements."    
        The
dedication 
        of 
        the 
        edifice 
        is 
        set 
        for 
        December 
        27.
Died.
        —
        William 
        Wright, 
        in 
        Charleston, 
        Wasatch 
        Co., 
        November 
        11,
1903. 
        He 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        England, 
        October 
        15, 
        1832, 
        and 
        came 
        to 
        Utah 
        in
1850. 
        He 
        was 
        tithing 
        clerk, 
        Fourth 
        ward, 
        Provo, 
        for 
        sixteen 
        year.
        —
        In
Payson, 
        Friday, 
        13th, 
        John 
        Montague, 
        age 
        70. 
        He 
        was 
        an 
        early 
        settler
of 
        Payson.
        —
        In 
        Deseret, 
        Millard 
        Co., 
        Friday, 
        13th, 
        Daniel 
        S. 
        Cahoon, 
        son.
of 
        Reynolds 
        Cahoon, 
        a 
        pioneer 
        of 
        1848, 
        and 
        a 
        worker 
        on 
        the 
        Kirtland
and 
        Nauvoo 
        temples. 
        He 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        Ohio, 
        April 
        1, 
        1822, 
        and 
        was 
        bap-
tized by 
        William 
        E. 
        M'Lellan.—
        In 
        Lehi, 
        Tuesday, 
        17th, 
        Anna 
        M'Affee, 
        77
years 
        old, 
        who 
        came 
        from 
        Ireland 
        in 
        1866.
        —
        Mary 
        Ann 
        Yearsley, 
        Sunday,
22d. 
        She 
        was 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        oldest 
        inhabitants 
        of 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        City.
        —
        In
Logan, 
        Saturday, 
        21st, 
        William 
        Gilbert 
        Smith, 
        formerly 
        president 
        of 
        the
Morgan 
        stake, 
        a 
        survivor 
        of 
        Haun's 
        Mill 
        massacre, 
        and 
        a 
        member 
        of 
        the
Mormon 
        Battalion. 
        He 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        Arahurst, 
        Ohio, 
        May 
        9, 
        1827.
        —
        In
Bountiful, 
        Davis 
        Co., 
        24th, 
        Bishop 
        Henry 
        Rampton, 
        74 
        years 
        of 
        age, 
        a
resident 
        of 
        Utah 
        since 
        1856.—
        On 
        Friday, 
        27th, 
        in 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        City, 
        Mifflin
Palmer, 
        age 
        90 
        years 
        and 
        5 
        months. 
        He 
        v/as 
        born 
        in 
        Pennsylvania 
        and
joined 
        the 
        Church 
        in 
        early 
        days.
        —
        On 
        the 
        same 
        day, 
        in 
        Manti, 
        Sanpete
Co., 
        John 
        Pcitten, 
        nephew 
        of 
        Apostle 
        David 
        Patten 
        (^martyr). 
        He 
        was 
        a
veteran 
        of 
        the 
        Black 
        Hawk 
        and 
        Walker 
        Indian 
        wars.
        —
        In 
        St. 
        John, 
        Tooele
Co., 
        28th, 
        David 
        H. 
        Crosby, 
        born 
        Massachusetts, 
        October 
        28, 
        1837. 
        He
was 
        a 
        devoted 
        Latter-day 
        Saint.
        —
        William 
        Slater, 
        of 
        Ogden, 
        who
came 
        to 
        Utah 
        in 
        the 
        early 
        70's, 
        died 
        on 
        the 
        29th. 
        He 
        was 
        born
in 
        England, 
        November 
        21, 
        1832, 
        and 
        was 
        a 
        faithful 
        Latter-day
Saint.
        —
        Word 
        is 
        received 
        of 
        the 
        death 
        of 
        Elzira 
        Carbett 
        Stewart, 
        at
Lyman, 
        Wyo., 
        November 
        2. 
        She 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        Winter 
        Quarters, 
        Mo., 
        No-
vember 23, 
        1855, 
        v^as 
        a 
        pioneer 
        of 
        1847, 
        a 
        former 
        resident 
        of 
        Mor-
gan Co., 
        and 
        mother 
        of 
        fourteen 
        children.
Miscellaneous 
        Events.
        —
        Peter 
        Mortensen 
        was 
        legally 
        shot 
        on
Friday, 
        20th, 
        within 
        the 
        state 
        prison 
        walls, 
        for 
        the 
        murder 
        of 
        James 
        R.
Hay, 
        his 
        friend 
        and 
        neighbor. 
        He 
        protested 
        innocence 
        to 
        the 
        last.
        —
The 
        Grass 
        Creek 
        and 
        Weber 
        Coal 
        companies 
        raised 
        the 
        price 
        of 
        coal 
        on
the 
        19th 
        fifty 
        cents 
        per 
        ton.
        —
        Oscar 
        Kirkham, 
        of 
        Lehi, 
        has 
        returned
from 
        a 
        three 
        years' 
        sojourn 
        in 
        Germany, 
        where 
        he 
        has 
        studied 
        music
under 
        eminent 
        musicians.
        —
        The 
        new 
        city 
        jail 
        was 
        opened 
        in 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        on
the 
        23d. 
        It 
        will 
        accommodate 
        forty-eight 
        men, 
        and 
        is 
        said 
        to 
        be 
        a
model 
        institution 
        of 
        its 
        kind.
        —
        On 
        the 
        24th, 
        Hon. 
        F. 
        J. 
        Kiesel 
        presented
the 
        Commercial 
        Club 
        v/ith 
        an 
        oil 
        painting 
        of 
        President 
        Roosevelt, 
        show-
ing a 
        three-quarter 
        view 
        of 
        him 
        standing.
        —
        Nick 
        Haworth's 
        death 
        sen-
tence has 
        been 
        commuted 
        by 
        the 
        State 
        Board 
        of 
        Pardons 
        to 
        life 
        impris-

<!-- page:235 -->

EVENTS 
        OF 
        THE 
        MONTH. 
        235
onment. 
        He 
        was 
        to 
        have 
        been 
        shot 
        December 
        11.
        —
        The 
        cost 
        of 
        coal,
through 
        the 
        interference 
        of 
        E. 
        H. 
        Harriman, 
        of 
        the 
        U. 
        P., 
        was 
        reduced
on 
        the 
        26th 
        to 
        its 
        usual 
        price 
        before 
        the 
        recent 
        raise.—
        The 
        $300 
        state
prize 
        of 
        the 
        Utah 
        Art 
        Institute, 
        was 
        awarded 
        H, 
        L. 
        A. 
        Culmer 
        in 
        the 
        ex-
hibition held 
        at 
        the 
        Commercial 
        Club, 
        on 
        the 
        28th.
        —
        On 
        the 
        30th, 
        the
Beaver 
        county 
        commissioners 
        granted 
        town 
        incorporation 
        for 
        Milford, 
        and
E. 
        S. 
        Sawyer 
        was 
        appointed 
        president.
A 
        Home 
        Life 
        Insurance 
        Company.
        —
        The 
        Continental 
        Life 
        Insurance
and 
        Investment 
        Company, 
        with 
        a 
        capital 
        of 
        $500,000, 
        has 
        been 
        organ-
ized, with 
        Heber 
        M. 
        Wells, 
        president; 
        Hiram 
        Tyree, 
        vice-president; 
        W.
S. 
        McCornick
        , 
        treasurer, 
        and 
        W. 
        H. 
        Cunningham, 
        secretary. 
        The 
        home
office 
        of 
        the 
        company 
        will 
        be 
        in 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        City, 
        although 
        many 
        of 
        the
subscribers 
        to 
        the 
        stock 
        are 
        prominent 
        financial 
        men 
        in 
        Montana, 
        Colo-
rado, Oregon, 
        Idaho, 
        Wyoming, 
        California, 
        Washington, 
        Nevada, 
        and
other 
        western 
        states. 
        The 
        purpose 
        of 
        the 
        company 
        is 
        to 
        write 
        insurance
upon 
        the 
        lives 
        of 
        individuals, 
        and 
        to 
        occupy 
        the 
        field 
        now 
        covered 
        by 
        the
old 
        line 
        companies. 
        Utah 
        alone 
        pays 
        out 
        every 
        year 
        over 
        a 
        million 
        dol-
lars for 
        life 
        insurance, 
        which 
        goes 
        east 
        for 
        permanent 
        investment. 
        This
company 
        hopes 
        to 
        gain 
        much 
        of 
        this 
        business, 
        and 
        keep 
        the 
        money 
        in
Utah 
        and 
        adjacent 
        states 
        for 
        investment, 
        and 
        to 
        aid 
        in 
        building 
        up 
        the
industries 
        of 
        this 
        section.
Opening 
        of 
        the 
        Lucin 
        Cut-off.
        —
        Thanksgiving-day, 
        1903, 
        (Thurs-
day, 26th,) 
        will 
        be 
        noted 
        in 
        Utah 
        as 
        the 
        day 
        of 
        the 
        opening 
        of 
        the 
        great
Lucin 
        cut-off. 
        On 
        that 
        day 
        E. 
        H. 
        Harriman 
        made 
        the 
        first 
        trip 
        over 
        the
new 
        road, 
        and 
        formally 
        opened 
        and 
        inspected 
        it. 
        Many 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        and
Ogden 
        officials 
        and 
        leading 
        citizens 
        were 
        in 
        the 
        party, 
        which 
        was 
        made
up 
        of 
        leading 
        railway 
        officials 
        of 
        the 
        Union 
        Pacific 
        system. 
        The 
        train
carrying 
        the 
        company 
        was 
        the 
        most 
        expensive 
        ever 
        seen 
        in 
        the 
        West.
There 
        were 
        tv/enty 
        cars, 
        fifteen 
        of 
        which 
        were 
        private 
        cars 
        of 
        the
officials, 
        the 
        whole 
        representing 
        half 
        a 
        million 
        dollars. 
        There 
        were 
        of-
ficials also 
        from 
        more 
        than 
        a 
        dozen 
        different 
        systems, 
        representing 
        a
mileage 
        of 
        50,000, 
        and 
        a 
        capital 
        of 
        over 
        a 
        billion 
        dollars. 
        There 
        were
no 
        ceremonies 
        save 
        the 
        stopping 
        of 
        the 
        trains 
        about 
        half-way 
        between
the 
        two 
        extremities 
        of 
        the 
        trestle, 
        when 
        "America" 
        and 
        the 
        "Star-Span-
gled Banner" 
        were 
        played 
        by 
        the 
        band, 
        and 
        the 
        company 
        and 
        train 
        were
photographed. 
        In 
        Ogden, 
        the 
        Weber 
        Club 
        entertained 
        members 
        of 
        the
party. 
        All 
        were 
        loud 
        in 
        praise 
        of 
        the 
        wonderful 
        engineering 
        feat. 
        The
trestle, 
        22.94 
        miles, 
        is 
        the 
        longest 
        in 
        the 
        world, 
        and 
        is 
        in 
        water 
        from
a 
        shallow 
        depth 
        to 
        thirty-four 
        feet 
        at 
        the 
        present 
        level 
        of 
        the 
        lake.
There 
        are 
        11.10 
        miles 
        permanent 
        trestle, 
        and 
        11.84 
        miles 
        of 
        temporary

<!-- page:236 -->

236 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
trestle 
        built, 
        whicH 
        latter 
        is 
        replaced 
        by 
        embankment.    
        As 
        to 
        the 
        advan-
tages of 
        this 
        cut-off, 
        the 
        following 
        statements 
        testify:
Original 
        road, 
        146.68 
        miles. 
        New 
        road, 
        102.91 
        miles. 
        New 
        road
saves 
        43.77 
        miles, 
        3919 
        degrees 
        of 
        curvature 
        and 
        1515 
        feet 
        vertical 
        of
grade. 
        Sharpest 
        curve 
        of 
        new 
        road 
        one 
        and 
        one-half 
        degrees, 
        versus
ten 
        degrees 
        on 
        the 
        old 
        road. 
        Steepest 
        grade 
        of 
        new 
        road 
        21 
        feet 
        per 
        mile
versus 
        90 
        feet 
        per 
        mile 
        on 
        the 
        old 
        road.
The 
        trestle 
        stands 
        about 
        8 
        feet, 
        from 
        that 
        to 
        15 
        feet 
        above 
        still
water, 
        and 
        is 
        built 
        of 
        piles 
        125 
        feet 
        in 
        length. 
        These 
        are 
        driven 
        in 
        pairs,
about 
        fifteen 
        feet 
        apart, 
        and 
        connected 
        and 
        braced 
        with 
        heavy 
        stringers
and 
        cross-pieces. 
        Chief 
        engineer, 
        William 
        Hood; 
        and 
        assistant 
        in 
        charge,
William 
        E. 
        Marsh,
The 
        track 
        was 
        laid 
        from 
        Ogden 
        to 
        the 
        east 
        shore 
        of 
        the 
        lake 
        June
16, 
        1902, 
        and, 
        continuing 
        westward, 
        met 
        the 
        track 
        laid 
        eastward 
        from
Lucin, 
        November 
        15, 
        1903, 
        near 
        the 
        middle 
        of 
        the 
        lake.
No 
        trestle 
        material 
        was 
        delivered 
        at 
        the 
        lake 
        for 
        the 
        work 
        until 
        after
the 
        month 
        of 
        June, 
        1902.
The 
        Ogden-Lucin 
        cut-off 
        is 
        essentially 
        a 
        direct 
        line, 
        being 
        by 
        com-
putation but 
        1706 
        feet, 
        or 
        0.32 
        mile, 
        longer 
        than 
        an 
        air 
        line.
The 
        new 
        track 
        is 
        already 
        well 
        seasoned 
        from 
        constant 
        use 
        by 
        work
trains, 
        whose 
        cars 
        when 
        loaded 
        weigh 
        205,000 
        pounds. 
        A 
        train 
        with
twenty 
        of 
        these 
        cars, 
        with 
        engine, 
        has 
        passed 
        over 
        the 
        road 
        often, 
        and 
        the
opinion 
        of 
        experts 
        is 
        to 
        the 
        effect 
        that 
        the 
        track 
        [is 
        perfectly 
        safe 
        in
■carrying 
        passenger 
        trains 
        going 
        at 
        the 
        rate 
        of 
        a 
        mile 
        a 
        minute. 
        At 
        times
there 
        have 
        been 
        over 
        five 
        thousand 
        men 
        at 
        work 
        on 
        the 
        cut-off, 
        and 
        the
total 
        cost 
        is 
        said 
        to 
        have 
        been 
        about 
        thirteen 
        million 
        dollars. 
        It 
        i»
-announced 
        that 
        regular 
        trains 
        will 
        run 
        over 
        the 
        new 
        road 
        after 
        January
1, 
        1904.
I
December, 
        1903.
The 
        Strike 
        Situation.—
        December 
        opened 
        with 
        little 
        change 
        in 
        the
Carbon 
        county 
        coal 
        mine 
        regions. 
        William 
        Price, 
        the 
        Union 
        representa-
tive, said 
        on 
        the 
        2nd 
        that 
        the 
        strike 
        might 
        be 
        called 
        off, 
        providing 
        the
company 
        would 
        recognize 
        the 
        Union; 
        but 
        Vice-president 
        Kramer 
        of 
        the
Utah 
        Fuel 
        Company 
        is 
        willing 
        to 
        take 
        back 
        only 
        strikers, 
        not 
        agitators,
who 
        will 
        give 
        up 
        their 
        union 
        cards. 
        Intense 
        cold 
        prevailed 
        during 
        the
early 
        part 
        of 
        the 
        month, 
        and 
        this 
        caused 
        some 
        suffering 
        among 
        the
soldiers. 
        On 
        the 
        4th, 
        Governor 
        Wells 
        informed 
        employers 
        who 
        made
application 
        for 
        the 
        return 
        of 
        their 
        soldier 
        clerks, 
        with 
        threats 
        of 
        dis-
missal, that 
        employers 
        should 
        be 
        loyal 
        to 
        the 
        state, 
        and 
        it 
        would 
        be
a 
        shame 
        and 
        disgrace 
        to 
        discharge 
        an 
        employee, 
        because 
        his 
        duty 
        to 
        the

<!-- page:237 -->

EVENTS 
        OF 
        THE 
        MONTH. 
        23T
state 
        necessitated 
        his 
        absence 
        from 
        work. 
        Demolli, 
        the 
        United 
        Mine
Workers' 
        organizer, 
        had 
        a 
        conference 
        with 
        Governor 
        Wells 
        on 
        the 
        7th.
No 
        permit 
        was 
        granted 
        him 
        to 
        return 
        to 
        the 
        striker's 
        camps, 
        and
Governor 
        Wells 
        sternly 
        told 
        the 
        agitator 
        that 
        the 
        people 
        did 
        not 
        want
him 
        in 
        the 
        state, 
        "and 
        the 
        sooner 
        you 
        are 
        out 
        of 
        the 
        state, 
        the 
        better 
        we
will 
        be 
        pleased." 
        Attorney 
        Edler 
        was 
        arrested 
        on 
        the 
        9th 
        on 
        the 
        charge
of 
        criminal 
        libel, 
        and 
        put 
        into 
        the 
        Scofield 
        jail; 
        and 
        on 
        this 
        same 
        day, 
        130
carloads 
        of 
        coal 
        were 
        mined, 
        the 
        largest 
        output 
        since 
        the 
        strike. 
        Edler
was 
        released 
        on 
        the 
        11th 
        on 
        $1,000 
        bonds 
        to 
        appear 
        before 
        the 
        district
court. 
        The 
        company 
        on 
        the 
        12th 
        notified 
        strikers 
        that 
        up 
        to 
        the 
        15th
they 
        might 
        apply 
        for 
        work, 
        by 
        delivering 
        their 
        union 
        cards, 
        and 
        that 
        it
is 
        intended 
        to 
        open 
        the 
        Castle 
        Gate 
        mine, 
        December 
        21. 
        At 
        that 
        date
it 
        is 
        feared 
        some 
        trouble 
        might 
        occur. 
        The 
        notice 
        had 
        a 
        good 
        effect,
and 
        the 
        indications 
        on 
        Monday 
        14th 
        were 
        that 
        the 
        labor 
        trouble 
        in
Carbon 
        county 
        is 
        nearing 
        an 
        end. 
        About 
        100 
        new 
        men, 
        chiefly 
        farmers,
are 
        at 
        work 
        to 
        take 
        the 
        place 
        of 
        miners 
        who 
        have 
        left. 
        The 
        headquarters
of 
        General 
        Cannon 
        and 
        his 
        guards 
        was 
        established 
        at 
        Castle 
        Gate 
        on 
        the
12th.
Died.
        —
        In 
        Lehi, 
        Edward 
        Edwards, 
        was 
        buried, 
        December 
        1. 
        He 
        was
born 
        in 
        South 
        Wales, 
        March 
        3, 
        1831, 
        joined 
        the 
        Church 
        in 
        1849, 
        and
came 
        to 
        Utah 
        with 
        the 
        first 
        hand-cart 
        company 
        in 
        1856. 
        , 
        He 
        died 
        in
American 
        Fork, 
        November 
        29.
        —
        On 
        the 
        3rd 
        in 
        Payson, 
        one 
        of 
        that 
        city's
oldest 
        residents, 
        Thomas 
        Green 
        Wilson, 
        born 
        Tennessee, 
        February 
        14,
1816. 
        He 
        came 
        to 
        Utah 
        in 
        1850, 
        having 
        joined 
        the 
        Church 
        in 
        1844.
        —
Rt. 
        Rev. 
        Abiel 
        Leonard, 
        of 
        the 
        Episcopal 
        church, 
        born 
        Fayette,
Missouri, 
        June 
        26, 
        1848, 
        died 
        in 
        St. 
        Marks' 
        hospital, 
        December 
        3. 
        His
great-grandfather, 
        Abiel 
        Leonard, 
        served 
        in 
        the 
        War 
        of 
        the 
        Revolution
as 
        chaplain 
        to 
        General 
        George 
        Washington. 
        Rev. 
        Leonard 
        came 
        to
Utah 
        in 
        1888, 
        and 
        made 
        friends 
        among 
        all 
        classes.
        —
        In 
        Ogden, 
        on 
        the
4th, 
        William 
        Eccles, 
        father 
        of 
        Hon. 
        David 
        Eccles, 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        Scot-
land, April 
        6, 
        1825, 
        joined 
        the 
        Church 
        in 
        1842, 
        and 
        came 
        to 
        Utah 
        in
1863.
        —
        In 
        Salt 
        Lake 
        City, 
        3rd, 
        Caroline 
        B. 
        Fairclough, 
        who 
        was 
        born 
        in
England 
        in 
        1836, 
        and 
        emigrated 
        to 
        America 
        in 
        1845, 
        and 
        to 
        Utah 
        in 
        the
early 
        50's.
        —
        In 
        Ogden, 
        6th, 
        Prof. 
        Orson 
        Pratt, 
        musician 
        and 
        oldest 
        child
of 
        Apostle 
        Orson 
        Pratt, 
        in 
        his 
        sixty-seventh 
        year. 
        He 
        was 
        born 
        in
Kirtland, 
        Ohio, 
        and 
        came 
        to 
        Utah 
        over 
        50 
        years 
        ago.
        —
        In 
        West 
        Weber,
3th, 
        Frances 
        E. 
        Bulmer, 
        sister 
        of 
        Thomas 
        Etherington, 
        born 
        in 
        England
78 
        years 
        ago.
Receptions 
        TO 
        Veterans.—
        On 
        the 
        11th 
        an 
        enjoyable 
        birthday 
        re-
ception was 
        given 
        by 
        the 
        Temple 
        workers, 
        in 
        the 
        Temple, 
        to 
        President
John 
        R. 
        Winder, 
        who 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        Biddenden, 
        county 
        of 
        Kent, 
        England,

<!-- page:238 -->

238 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
82 
        years 
        ago. 
        President 
        Joseph 
        F. 
        Smith 
        and 
        a 
        large 
        member 
        of 
        leading
Church 
        authorities 
        were 
        present. 
        A 
        splendid 
        program 
        of 
        songs 
        and
speeches, 
        was 
        presented, 
        and 
        many 
        congratulations 
        were 
        warmly 
        ex-
tended to 
        the 
        veteran 
        Church 
        worker 
        and 
        pioneer. 
        A 
        poem 
        by 
        Bishop
0. 
        F, 
        Whitney 
        was 
        read, 
        which 
        was 
        especially 
        fitting 
        and 
        pleasing.
Apostle 
        George 
        Teasdale 
        was 
        72 
        years 
        old 
        on 
        the 
        8th, 
        and 
        he
celebrated 
        the 
        occasion 
        by 
        a 
        grand 
        social 
        in 
        the 
        North 
        ward, 
        Nephi,
meeting 
        house, 
        to 
        which 
        he 
        invited 
        200 
        of 
        the 
        leading 
        Church 
        workers 
        of
Nephi. 
        The 
        program 
        included 
        dancing, 
        singing, 
        recitations, 
        music 
        and
hearty 
        congratulations 
        and 
        wishes 
        for 
        many 
        happy 
        returns 
        of 
        the
veteran's 
        natal 
        day.
Fish 
        in 
        Utah 
        Streams.
        —
        From 
        the 
        annual 
        report 
        of 
        Fish 
        Commis-
sioner John 
        Sharp, 
        it 
        appears 
        that 
        1,017,000 
        native 
        brook 
        trout 
        fry 
        have
been 
        distributed 
        in 
        Utah 
        streams, 
        and 
        a 
        grand 
        total 
        of 
        all 
        fry 
        of
1,978,000, 
        during 
        the 
        year 
        1903. 
        The 
        total 
        cost 
        of 
        this 
        distribution, 
        not
counting 
        salaries, 
        was 
        $2,079.03. 
        Angling 
        in 
        the 
        mountain 
        streams 
        has
much 
        improved, 
        and 
        the 
        work 
        of 
        the 
        state 
        hatchery 
        is 
        beginning 
        to 
        show
gratifying 
        results. 
        Mr. 
        Sharp 
        recommends 
        that 
        the 
        capacity 
        of 
        the
hatchery 
        be 
        doubled.
Miscellaneous.
        —
        Aurora 
        Hodge, 
        held 
        for 
        the 
        murder 
        of 
        Peddler
Ryan, 
        died 
        from 
        the 
        result 
        of 
        an 
        operation, 
        in 
        a 
        hospital 
        in'
        Salt 
        Lake,
December 
        1.
        — 
        On 
        the 
        3rd 
        the 
        Pleasant 
        Valley 
        coal 
        company 
        sold 
        their
Salt 
        Lake 
        retail 
        business 
        to 
        Simon 
        Bamberger 
        for 
        approximately 
        $50,000
—
        It 
        is 
        estimated 
        by 
        shippers 
        of 
        Alfalfa 
        seed 
        that 
        the 
        Cache 
        Valley 
        crop
this 
        year 
        brought 
        the 
        farmers 
        about 
        $200,000.
Domestic
        —
        November, 
        1903.
Cuban 
        Reciprocity.—
        On 
        the 
        18th, 
        the 
        House 
        passed 
        the 
        Cuban 
        re-
ciprocity bill 
        by 
        a 
        vote 
        of 
        three 
        hundred 
        and 
        thirty 
        five 
        to 
        twenty-one, 
        and
the 
        bill 
        was 
        referred 
        to 
        the 
        Senate 
        Committee 
        onToreign 
        Relations, 
        on
the 
        20th. 
        On 
        the 
        16th 
        of 
        December 
        the 
        Senate 
        by 
        a 
        decisive 
        vote 
        of
fifty-seven 
        to 
        eighteen 
        also 
        passed 
        the 
        bill 
        which 
        carries 
        into 
        execution
the 
        treaty 
        between 
        the 
        United 
        States 
        and 
        Cuba, 
        which 
        was 
        ratified 
        last
March. 
        The 
        treaty 
        provides 
        for 
        a 
        reduction 
        of 
        twenty 
        per 
        cent 
        from
the 
        rates 
        of 
        duty 
        under 
        the 
        Dingley 
        law 
        on 
        all 
        Cuban 
        articles 
        imported
into 
        the 
        United 
        States, 
        and 
        a 
        varying 
        reduction 
        of 
        from 
        twenty 
        to 
        forty
per 
        cent 
        from 
        the 
        established 
        Cuban 
        duty 
        on 
        articles 
        into 
        Cuba 
        from 
        the
United 
        States.     
        Congress 
        adjourned 
        December 
        19, 
        to 
        January 
        4.
Newly 
        Discovered 
        Sayings 
        of 
        Jesus.
        —
        Six 
        years 
        ago, 
        says 
        the
Literary 
        Digest, 
        the 
        distinguished 
        Egyptologists, 
        Drs. 
        Bernard 
        P. 
        Gren-

<!-- page:239 -->

EVENTS 
        OF 
        THE 
        MONTH. 
        239
fell 
        and 
        Arthur 
        S. 
        Hunt, 
        found 
        in 
        Oxyrynchus, 
        a 
        buried 
        city 
        on 
        the 
        edge
of 
        the 
        Libyan 
        desert, 
        a 
        manuscript 
        which 
        had 
        been 
        hidden 
        for 
        many 
        cen-
turies, and 
        which 
        contains 
        fragmentary 
        utterances 
        attributed 
        to 
        Jesus.
Further 
        excavations 
        in 
        the 
        same 
        vicinity 
        have 
        brought 
        to 
        light 
        other
"sayings." 
        At 
        a 
        meeting 
        of 
        the 
        Egyptian 
        Exploration 
        Fund, 
        held 
        in 
        Lon-
don on 
        November 
        14, 
        Dr. 
        Grenfell 
        made 
        public 
        some 
        interesting 
        details.
Opinions 
        as 
        to 
        the 
        value 
        of 
        these 
        finds 
        differ, 
        and 
        Harper's 
        Weekly 
        be-
lieves that.
The 
        hypothesis 
        that 
        newly 
        discovered 
        sayings 
        ascribed 
        to 
        Jesus 
        on
the 
        alleged 
        authority 
        of 
        St. 
        Thomas 
        or 
        of 
        some 
        other 
        apostle 
        should 
        be
accepted 
        as 
        authentic 
        will 
        not 
        bear 
        scrutiny 
        when 
        we 
        call 
        to 
        mind 
        that 
        a
multitude 
        of 
        such 
        traditions 
        were 
        current 
        in 
        the 
        latter 
        half 
        of 
        the 
        second
century 
        of 
        our 
        era, 
        but 
        that, 
        among 
        them 
        all, 
        only 
        the 
        four 
        gospels 
        now
accepted 
        withstood 
        the 
        criticism 
        of 
        the 
        fathers 
        and 
        of 
        the 
        councils 
        of 
        the
church. 
        By 
        the 
        close 
        of 
        the 
        second 
        century 
        A. 
        D., 
        the 
        authorized 
        gos-
pel comprised 
        the 
        four 
        evangels, 
        noM' 
        known 
        to 
        us, 
        and 
        no 
        others.
This 
        is 
        not 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        fragments 
        of 
        gospel 
        narratives 
        once 
        current,
tut 
        rejected 
        by 
        the 
        judgment 
        of 
        the 
        fathers, 
        or 
        that 
        early 
        translations 
        of
the 
        canonical 
        evangels 
        intoSyriac 
        or 
        Old 
        Latin, 
        or 
        into 
        the 
        Memphitic 
        or
Thebaic 
        dialects 
        of 
        Egyptian, 
        or 
        into 
        the 
        Ethicpic 
        and 
        Armenian 
        lan-
guages, may 
        not 
        be 
        useful 
        from 
        the 
        viewpoint 
        of 
        critics, 
        who 
        desire 
        to
arrive 
        at 
        a 
        correct 
        text. 
        To 
        suppose, 
        however, 
        tliat 
        any 
        dicta 
        contained
in 
        spurious 
        gospels 
        would 
        now 
        be 
        permitted 
        by 
        scholars 
        or 
        theologians 
        to
supersede 
        statements 
        of 
        the 
        canonical 
        evangelists 
        would 
        be 
        absurd. 
        Yet
this 
        is 
        precisely 
        the 
        suggestion 
        that 
        is 
        indirectly 
        made 
        by 
        some 
        of 
        the
daily 
        newspapers 
        which 
        have 
        chronicled 
        the 
        recent 
        discovery 
        in 
        Egypt.
Cleveland 
        Refuses.
        —
        In 
        a 
        letter 
        to 
        the 
        BrooJcli/n 
        Eagle, 
        dated
November 
        25, 
        Ex-President 
        Grover 
        Cleveland 
        announced 
        his 
        unalterable
determination 
        never 
        again 
        to 
        become 
        the 
        nominee 
        of 
        his 
        party 
        for 
        the
Presidency.    
        Among 
        other 
        things 
        he 
        says:
In 
        full 
        view 
        of 
        every 
        consideration 
        presented, 
        I 
        have 
        not 
        for 
        a
moment 
        been 
        able, 
        nor 
        am 
        I 
        now 
        able, 
        to 
        open 
        my 
        mind 
        to 
        the 
        thought
that 
        in 
        any 
        circumstances 
        or 
        upon 
        any 
        consideration 
        I 
        should 
        ever 
        again
become 
        the 
        nominee 
        of 
        my 
        party 
        for 
        the 
        Presidency. 
        My 
        determination
not 
        to 
        do 
        so 
        is 
        unalterable 
        and 
        conclusive.
December,   
        1903.
The 
        Smoot 
        Case 
        and 
        the 
        Senate.
        —
        The 
        women's 
        temperance
unions, 
        Sunday 
        schools, 
        and 
        churches 
        of 
        the 
        eastern 
        states, 
        are 
        continuing
to 
        overwhelm 
        the 
        Senate 
        with 
        uniform 
        petitions 
        asking 
        for 
        an 
        "investiga-
tion of 
        the 
        charges 
        made 
        and 
        filed 
        against 
        Hon. 
        Reed 
        Smoot, 
        a 
        Senator
from 
        the 
        state 
        of 
        Utah." 
        They 
        are 
        going 
        it 
        blind, 
        and 
        the 
        v/hole 
        situ-
^ation 
        is 
        thus 
        accurately 
        set 
        forth 
        by 
        Harper's 
        Weekly 
        of 
        December 
        5:
Nobody 
        has 
        yet 
        alleged 
        that 
        Senator 
        Smoot 
        has 
        more 
        than 
        one 
        wife

<!-- page:240 -->

240 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA
or, 
        in 
        other 
        words, 
        is 
        practicing 
        polygamy. 
        It 
        follows 
        that 
        the 
        demand
for 
        his 
        expulsion 
        from 
        the 
        Senate 
        must 
        be 
        based 
        upon 
        the 
        assertion 
        that
he 
        is 
        a 
        believer 
        in 
        "Mormonism," 
        and 
        that, 
        as 
        a 
        matter 
        of 
        theory, 
        "Mor-
monism" 
        sanctions 
        a 
        plurality 
        of 
        wives. 
        It 
        would 
        be 
        impossible 
        to 
        exag-
gerate the 
        mischief 
        of 
        the 
        consequences 
        of 
        expelling 
        a 
        Senator 
        on 
        the
score 
        of 
        his 
        theoretical 
        opinions. 
        Such 
        a 
        proceeding 
        would 
        be 
        a 
        flagrant
violation 
        of 
        the 
        first 
        amendment 
        of 
        the 
        Federal 
        Constitution, 
        which 
        pre-
scribes that 
        Congress 
        shall 
        make 
        no 
        law 
        respecting 
        an 
        establishment 
        of
religion, 
        or 
        prohibiting 
        the 
        free 
        exercise 
        thereof. 
        The 
        Act 
        of 
        Congress
by 
        which 
        Utah 
        was 
        admitted 
        to 
        the 
        Union 
        did 
        not 
        violate 
        this 
        amend-
ment, because 
        it 
        did 
        not 
        forbid 
        the 
        profession 
        of 
        the 
        tenets 
        characteristic
of 
        "Mormonism." 
        It 
        simply 
        prohibited 
        the 
        practise 
        of 
        polygamy. 
        We
repeat 
        I 
        hat, 
        so 
        far 
        as 
        any 
        evidence 
        has 
        been 
        yet 
        brought 
        forward. 
        Senator
Smoot 
        is 
        a 
        monogamist. 
        As 
        regards 
        his 
        private 
        opinion 
        concerning 
        the
religious 
        or 
        moral 
        propriety 
        of 
        polygamy, 
        he 
        is 
        as 
        free 
        from 
        restraint 
        as
would 
        be 
        a 
        Jew 
        or 
        a 
        Mohammedan, 
        either 
        of 
        whom 
        is 
        at 
        liberty 
        to 
        hold
what 
        doctrines 
        on 
        the 
        subject 
        he 
        may 
        choose, 
        so 
        long 
        as 
        he 
        refrains 
        in
practice 
        from 
        a 
        violation 
        of 
        State 
        or 
        Federal 
        law. 
        This 
        is 
        all 
        there 
        is 
        to
the 
        Smoot 
        business, 
        and 
        the 
        sooner 
        people 
        stop 
        petitioning 
        the 
        Senate 
        to
transcend 
        its 
        constitutional 
        powers, 
        the 
        better 
        it 
        will 
        be 
        for 
        all 
        con-
cerned.
The 
        hearing 
        of 
        the 
        case, 
        or 
        at 
        least 
        the 
        filing 
        of 
        an 
        answer 
        before
the 
        Senate 
        Committee 
        by 
        Senator 
        Smoot, 
        has 
        been 
        postponed 
        until 
        Janu-
ary 9, 
        1904.
The 
        World's 
        Gold 
        and 
        Silver.
        —
        The 
        Director 
        of 
        the 
        Mint 
        has
completed 
        his 
        annual 
        statement 
        which 
        shows 
        that 
        in 
        1902 
        the 
        United
States 
        produced 
        $80,000,000 
        of 
        gold 
        and 
        $29,415,000 
        of 
        silver. 
        The
world's 
        output 
        was 
        $295,889,600 
        of 
        gold 
        (an 
        increase 
        of 
        $32,500,003), 
        and
$88,486,500 
        of 
        silver, 
        a 
        decrease 
        of 
        $8,000,000 
        ounces 
        in 
        quantity 
        and
of 
        $16,500,000 
        in 
        commercial 
        value.
Bankrupts 
        are 
        Fewer.
        —
        From 
        the 
        annual 
        report 
        of 
        the 
        attorney
in 
        charge 
        of 
        bankruptcy 
        affairs 
        in 
        Washington, 
        filed 
        December 
        8, 
        it 
        is
shown 
        that 
        14,308 
        voluntary 
        petitions 
        in 
        bankruptcy 
        were 
        filed 
        through-
out the 
        United 
        States 
        for 
        the 
        year 
        ending 
        September 
        30, 
        1903, 
        which 
        is
more 
        than 
        two 
        thousand 
        less 
        than 
        were 
        filed 
        during 
        any 
        of 
        the 
        preceding^
years 
        since 
        the 
        enactment 
        of 
        the 
        law 
        on 
        July 
        1, 
        1898.
The 
        states 
        showing 
        the 
        largest 
        number 
        of 
        cases 
        filed 
        during 
        the
year 
        are: 
        Alabama, 
        1797; 
        New 
        York, 
        1546: 
        Illinois, 
        1439; 
        Massachu-
setts, 128; 
        Maine, 
        7033; 
        Ohio, 
        585.