Events of the Month

EVENTS OF THE MONTH. BY JOSEPH F. SMITH, JR. Local—January, 1905. Senator Smoot's Case.—On Tuesday, December 20, 1904, the protestants in the case of Senator Smoot closed their side of the question, and on January 11, 1905, the defense began the examination of witnesses, which continued until the 25th, when the case closed, and the attorneys began their arguments, each side having five hours at their disposal. Briefs were later filed with the committee, by the attorneys, but as yet no report has been made to the Senate of the United States. On the 20th, Senator Smoot took the witness stand on his own behalf and created a favorable impression. Among the witnesses who testified for the defense were the following: Ex-Governor W. J. McConnell, of Idaho, F. H. Holzheimer, Frank Martin and James H. Bradley, of Idaho; from Utah, Judge J. W. N. Whitecotton, Hugh Dougall, Alonzo A. Noon, William Hatfield, Judge James A. Miner, Judge Elias A. Smith, William P. O'Meara, Judge C. W. Morse, Judge W. M. McCarty, Dr. A. S. Condon, Major Richard W. Young, E. D. R. Thompson, Charles DeMoisey, Frans S. Fernstrom, Charles P. Anderson, H. J. Haywood, Jens C. Nielsen, William Langton, Dr. James E. Talmage, Frank B. Stephens, J. U. Eldredge, Jr., and David Eccles. Utah Historical Society.—The eighth annual meeting of the Utah Historical Society was beld in Salt Lake City, Monday, January 16. Officers for the year were chosen as follows: President, Orson F. Whitney; Mrs. I. C. Brown, vice-president; Jerrold R. Letcher, recording secretary; Alfales Young, corresponding secretary. A board of control was also elected, consisting of E. W. Wilson, R. W. Young and C. S. Zane, to 1906; Spencer Clawson, J. T. Kingsbury and Moses Thatcher, to 1907, David McKay, Alice M. Home and George Havercamp, to 1908, A special committee was named to try to secure from the Legislature an appro-

EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 393 priation to enable the society properly to preserve the relics now belonging to it, and in securing others. The members of this committee are: Spencer Clawson, Matthonihah Thomas, Em?line B. Wells, James T. Hammond and Alice M. Home. Death of Elder Hokanson.— On Tuesday, 17th, Elder William Edgar Hukanson, of Freedom, Wyoming, died at Louisville, Kentucky, where he was laboring as a missionary. He was the son of Ola and Ingar Hokanson, and was born in St. Charles, Bear Lake county, Idaho, February 22, 1877. On the 6th of September, 1885, he was baptized by Elder Lorenzo D. Yarsud, and on the 16th of February, 1904, was set apart for a mission to the Southern States by Elder George Reynolds. The particulars of Elder Hokanson's death have not been received. Senator George Sutherland.—On Tuesday, 17th, Hon. George Sutherland was formally elected by both branches of the Utah Legislature, as U. S. Senator, to succeed Senator Thomas Kearns, and on Wednesday, 18th, the result of the vote was declared in the joint session of the Legislature. Mr. Sutherland received the entire vote of the Republican members. The six Democrats voted for Judge William H. King. Bounty Frauds in Utah.—About the middle of the month, the discovery was made in Salt Lake county, that a systematic method had been adopted by which a number of men were defrauding the state by presenting the skins of wild animals for bounties on which no bounty was due. An investigation was begun and the discovery made that some individuals were operating in other counties in this and also in some of the surrounding states. According to the law in Utah, when the hide of an animal on which there is a bounty, is presented to the officials, the ear should be punched to indicate that a warrant had been given. It was of*en the case that the holes punched were quite small, and these the enterprising swindlers would plug and then present the same hide in another county, or perhaps the same county,timeand time again. But this is not the worst feature of this disgraceful proceeding. It appears that in Weber county, and also in Salt Lake county, where the greatest amount of this kind of work was carried on, the thieves had accomplices working in the offices where the bounty warrants were issued, who, at times, made out warrants for hides without examining them, and for hides that were never presented at all. In this way, several thousand dollars have been obtained from the state. Several arrests have been made, including one or two of the deputies, who apparently engaged in this fraudulent work and were guilty of issuing these bogus warrants.

394 IMPROVEMENT ERA. History of Utah Completed.—On the 28th, the announcement was made that the fourth volume of the History of Utah, by Bishop Orson F. Whitney, was ready for subscribers. This volume contains 344 biographical sketches of the makers of our state, and also 129 illustrations, and is a book of 711 pages of large, clear type. The preparation and publication of this history was originally the plan of the Utah Historical Society, which employed Bishop Whitney to write the work. Later the George Q. Cannon Association purchased the history, with all the rights pertaining thereto, from the society, and as the proprietors of the work, published all four volumes, retaining Bishop Whitney as the author. Since the commencement of the history, it has taken much of the past fifteen years to collect and prepare the facts in the shape they are now presented to the public. The author finished the writing of the work in October, 1904. The fourth volume, which contains the biographical sketches, is promised by the proprietors as a gift to all subscribers who have paid for the original set of three. Died.—Thursday, 5th, in Lund, Nevada, Casper F. Bryner, an active Church worker and counselor in the M. I. A. of Lund.—Monday, 9th, in Paradise, Patriarch Henry Clark Jackson, who embraced the gospel in Great Britain and was one of the first settlers of Paradise.—Monday, 9th, in St. George, Susannah Keate, a pioneer resident of Washington county.—Thursday, 12th, in Ogden, Louis J. Holther, an active worker in the Weber Stake.—Thursday, 12th, in Spring City, John Frantzen, a pioneer of Sanpete county.—In Mount Pleasant, Friday, 13th, James Jorgensen, Sen , a pioneer of Sanpete county—Friday, 13th, in Salt Lake City, Janet S. Lindsay, a native of Scotland, and a faithful member of the Church.—Sunday, 15th, in Plain City, Mary J. Draney,who crossed the plains in the second hand-cart company of 1856. She was born in Newtowne, Ireland, October 28, 1827, and was always a faithful member of the Church.—The same day, in Providence, Cache county, Milton D. Hammond, a prominent Church worker and missionary.— I'he same day, in Ogden, John E. Bitton, a high priest in the Weber stake, who crossed the plains by hand-cart, in 1856, and a pioneer of Weber county.—The same day, in Levan, Soren P. Jenson, born in Denmark, October 30, 1836, joined the Church May 16, 1875, and came to Utah in 1877.—Monday, 16th, in Cardston, Canada, Elder Samuel Matkin, a pioneer of that set. tlement.—On Tuesday, 17th, the funeral of Rachel W. Winegar was held in Big Cottonwood ward. Sister Winegar came to Utah in 1848 with her parents, Nathan and Rachel W. Tanner.—Tuesday, 17th, in Oakley, Idaho, John Dahlquist, an old and respected resident of Cassia stake.—

EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 395 Thursday, 19th, in Plain City, Polly A. C. Richardson, a pioneer of 1850, born July 20, 1821.—Friday, 20th, in Salem, Utah, Eliza B. Davis, born in England January 9, 1823, and joined the Church in 1840.—S?turday, 21st, in Price, Eunice C. Harmon, a pioneer of southern Utah.—In Franklin, Idaho, Alexander Steel, a veteran Church worker, aged 82 years. For many years Elder Steel was a counselor in the bishopric of the First ward, Salt Lake City.—Monday, 23rd, in Provo, Mercy Harris Dennis, a grand-daughter of Patriarch Hyrum Smith.—Tuesday, 24th, in Moroni, Niels Rasmussen, one of the oldest residents of that place, born Denmark, February 17, 1812, and came to Utah in 18G2.—The following day, at the same place, Swen Sorenson, a high priest, and a pioneer of Moroni, born September 12, 1812.—Wednesday, 25th, in Snowflake, Arizona, Ralph Ramsay, a Church veteran, born in Ryton, Durham, England, January 22, 1824. Elder Ramsay carved the eagle which originally adorned the Eagle Gate, Salt Lake City.—In Davis county, Thursday,26th, Jedediah Willey, Sen.,was accidentally killed, while hauling wopd from the canyon near his home in East Bountiful.—Friday,27th, in Salt Lake City, the funeral services over the remains of W. H. H. Kinsel, were held by the veterans of the Civil war. The deceased was a member of the 84th Pennsylvania volunteers, and his death was hastened through the effects of a wound he received at she second battle of Bull Run.—Friday, 27th, in Pocatello, Idaho, Ella S. Harrison, wife of Elder Edwin D. Harrison. She was an active worker in Church matters, and at the time of her death was president of the Relief Society of the Pocatello stake.—In Provo, Saturday, 28th, Thomas J. Sheffield, a prominent resident and business man of Utah county.—Sunday, 29th, in Ogden, Jesse S. Brown, member of the Mormon Battalion, and a pioneer of Weber county, born in Davidson, North Carolina, March 26, 1829.—The same day, in Ogden, Mary Eliza Hutchins, a pioneer of Weber county.—Tuesday, 31st, in San Franoisco, Emanuel Kahn, a prominent wholesale merchant of Salt Lake City.—Wednesday, 25th, in Deseret, A. F. Warnick, a faithful elder and prominent citizen of Millard county.—Thursday, 26th, in Vernal, J. M. Thomas,a veteran of the Black Hawk and Walker Indian wars, and a faithful member of the Church. New Wards Organized.—During the quarterly conference of the Beaver stake, held Saturday and Sunday, January 21 and 22, Beaver ward was divided from North to sou'.h into two wards. L. W. Harris was selected as bishop of the East ward, with George A. Parkinson and C. Dennis White, Jr., as counselors; Samuel 0. White, Jr., was selected as Bishop of the West ward, with Charles E. Murdock and George Pace,

396 IMPROVEMENT ERA. counselors. At the same time, the Frisco branch was organized as a ward, with William B. Ashworth, bishop. Four members of the High Council were honorably released because of other duties, and the vacancies were filled. President Francis M. Lyman ordained and set apart these brethren to their separate callings, assisted by the stake presidency. On Sunday, 22nd, the Sugar House Ward of the Granite Stake was divided, and the Emerson ward was created, with Millen M. Atwood bishop, George Arbuckle and Jesse T. Badger, counselors. This embraces the territory lying between 7th and 15th East and 10th and 11th South streets. John M. Whitaker was chosen bishop of the Sugar House ward, in place of Bishop Atwood, who had previously presided over the territory embraced by the two wards. The counselors to Bishop Whitaker are John R. Smith and John Varley. One week later, the 29th, the Waterloo ward was created from the portion of Farmers ward lying between 3rd and 7th East, and 10th to 12th South, with Asahel H. Woodruff bishop, and Joseph J. Daynes, Jr., and Hyrum A. Silver counselors. In both of these new wards the officers of the auxiliary organizations were also chosen and set apart. On the same day, Jan. 29, Bishop Thomas Atkin retired from the bishopric of the Tooele ward, Tooele stake, feeling that on account of his age, he could not do justice to the position; Elder Silas C. Orme was selected bishop of that ward. He chose as his counselors Peter Clegg and Albert Lurdholm. February, 1905. Died.—Friday, 3rd, in Salt Lake City, Lucy Bigelow Young, widow of President Brigham Young, and a pioneer resident of this state. She was born in Coles county, 111., October 3, 1830, and received the gospel when a girl. She was driven from Nauvoo with the Saints, went to Winter Quarters, where she was married to President Young in 1846, and arrived in Salt Lake valley in 1848. She was a faithful member of the Church, and labored diligently for the salvation of the dead for many years.—In Riverside, Idaho, the same day, Susannah S. Fackrell, who walked across the plains in 1850. She was born October 29, 1836, in Lancashire, England.—The same day, in Centerville, John Wayman, aged 79 years.—Sunday, 5th, in Monroe, Eliza F. Foreman, aged 77 years, and a pioneer of Monroe.—The same day, in Union, Salt Lake county, Ishmael Phillips, born in Hereford, England, May 22, 1815; was converted by Elders Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards in 1840. and labored as a missionary for many years. July 1, 1877, he was ordained a bishop, and until the creation of the Jordan stake, acted in that capacity, when he was ordained a patriarch.—In Lehi, the same day, Martha

EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 397 J. Brown, born in Nauvoo in 1845.—Monday, 6th, in Riverside, Idaho, Emery Lorocque, aged 56 years.—Wednesday, 8th, in Salt Lake county, Hanna Oleen, who was born in Maltno, Sweden, April 6, 1830; joined the Church March 31, 185?, crossed the plains by handcart.—Wednesday, 8th, in St George, Ulrich Bryner, of Price,Carbon county, aged 78 years. —Thursday, 9th, in Coalville, Elijah Turner, second counselor in the bishopric of the Grass Creek ward.—The same day, in Logan, Kanute Hansen, one of the oldest residents of Providence,—Friday, 10th, in Provo, Joseph Evans, who crossed the plains in 1857, by handcart.— Sunday, 12th, in Kaysville, John S. Smith, aged 95 years and 11 montas. Elder Smith was born in Worcestershire, England, March 10, 1809; married Jane Wadley in 1838, and three years later emigrated to America, having joined the Church. He settled in Nauvoo, where he joined the Nauvoo Legion and became an active Church worker, laboring faithfully in the behalf of the Saints. In 1850 he came to Utah, and since that time has filled several missions; was one of the first settlers of Kaysville, Davis county, and has held many offices of trust.—Monday, 13th, in Ogden, Hyrum Conant, aged 68 years. Death of Edson Barney.—Edson Barney, perhaps the oldest man in the state of Utah, and the oldest member of the Church, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Alice M. Wilkins, in Provo, Thursday, February 2. He was born June 30, 1806, in Ellisburg, Jefferson county, New York, and was the son of Royal and Rachel Barney. In his youth he removed to Loraine county, Ohio, where he married, and on the 10th of May, 1831, became a member of the Church. In 1834 he traveled to Missouri in Zion"s Camp, passing through the hardships and trials of that journey, and after his return became a member of the first quorum of Seventy, having been ordained under the hands of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. He was always an active worker, and in the early days of the Church performed several missions and assisted in building the Kirtland Temple. He passed through the trials in Missouri and went to Nauvoo in 1840, where he took an active part in the work of the Church. In the year 1844 he campaigned in Ohio for the Prophet Joseph Smith, who at that time was a candidate for the Presidency of the United States; but hearing of the death of the Prophet, returned to Nauvoo, where he worked diligently on the Temple, in which he later was endowed. After the exodus, he moved to Farmington, Iowa, and then to Council Bluffs, where he remained for some time, arriving in Salt Lake valley in 1851. Since his arrival in Utah, most of his life has been spent in Provo until 1862, when he was called to go

398 IMPROVEMENT ERA. to St. George, to assist in the building of that settlement. Here he remained until about nine years ago. when he returned to Trovo because of his advanced age, and made his home with his daughter, Sister Wilkins. Domestic January, 1905. Crimes of 1904.—According to the Chicago Tribune which gathered and published the statistics of crimes committed in the United States in 1904, there was a total of 8,482 homicides, 494 less than in 1903; 13 train robberies, 8 below the average for the past 15 years; 464 homicides by highwaymen and burglars, compared with 406, in 1903, 333 in 1902, and 193 in 1901. There was a total sum of $4,742,507 stolen by embezzlement, forgery, and bank wrecking, which was $1,819,658 less than in 1903. Of the 87 lynchings, 82 occurred in the South, 5 in the North; 83 victims were negroes; two were negro women, and two were white men. Floods in Arizona.—Heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday, January 2 and 3, caused considerable damage in Graham county, Arizona. The Gila and Frisco rivers overflowed their banks and completely buried large fields of grain with mud and debris. Many acres of the best farm lands were ruined, while the settlement of Clifton, forty-five miles from Thatcher, was entirely destroyed, over one hundred houses having been washed away by the flood, in which two of the inhabitants lost their lives. Severe Storms in the United States.—On Wednesday, 25th, the worst storms of the winter swept over the United States from the Rocky mountains to the Pacific coast, and from the lakes to the gulf, tying up traffic in many of the Northern states and causing wrecks along the Atlantic coast. The temperature ranging from 20 to 40 degrees below zero. The storm did not affect Utah, where, on that day the temperature registered 57 degrees, the warmest day of January. For the, week ending January 28, Utah had the warmest weather in seven years, the minimum thermometer registering 30 degrees above zero. The "Salt Lake Route" Completed.—At 3: 15 p. m., Monday, January 30, at a point twenty miles north of the California state line, in Nevada, the last spike in the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railway was driven, with imposing ceremonies. This road will shorten the travel between Utah and Southern California points by many hours. Previous to this time, all traffic has gone over the Southern Pacific, through northern Utah, and Nevada by way of San Francisco.

EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 399 Race Suicide Advocated.—On January 25, the Women's Society for Political Study, in New York, after a lengthy discussion, declared in favor of race suicide among the poor of the United States, and in favor of anti-pauper laws that shall restrict the propagation of the human species. Case of the Beef Trust.—On Monday. 30th, the Supreme Court decided against what is known as the Beef Trust, and in favor of the government. Justice Holmes, who wrote the opinion, said that the combination embraced restraint and monoply of trade within a single state, although its effects upon commerce among the states was not accidental, secondary, remote or merely probable The intention of the combination was not merely to restrict competition among the parties, but also to aid in an attempt to monopolize commerce among the states. February, 1905. The Largest Dam in the World was completed Wednesday, 1st, at Croton-on-Hudson, New York, after ten years of labor and an expenditure of $9,000,000. The dam is intended as a reservoir for the water supply of New York City. It is estimated by the engineers that it will require about two years to fill this reservoir, which will contain 30,000,- 000,000 gallons of water and make a lake sixteen mi!es long. The Presidential Vote was officially canvassed by the National Congress in joint session, Wednesday, 8th. Theodore Roosevelt and Charles W. Fairbanks were declared elected as President and Vice-President, respectively, for the four years beginning March 4, 1905. The vote stood 336 for Roosevelt and Fairbanks, and 140 for Parker and Davis, the Democratic candidates. Foreign.—January, 1905. The North Sea Commission.—Sitting as a court of inquiry, in the Dogger Bank affair, the commission held its first session in Paris on Thursday, 19th. Uprising in Russia.—Thursday, 19th, during the religious ceremony of blessing the waters of the Neva, in St. Petersburg, the Czar and official party narrowlv escaped injury from the discharge of a gun loaded with grape shot, from a battery which was firing a salute in honor of the occasion. A policeman was killed, and several other parties were injured. According to the official version, this was an accident, but it is not so considered by many of the newspapers of the

400 IMPROVEMENT ERA. United States. The following day striking workmen began surging through the streets of the city, forcing their way into the factories, and compelling other workmen to join them. On Sunday, 22nd, under the leadership of a priest named Gopon, the workpeople attempted to present a petition to the Czar at the Winter Palace. The Czar had departed to the Tsarskoe-Selo Palace, outside the city, and when the petitioners began their march to the Winter Palace they were met by cordons of troops, and upon their refusal to disperse, were shot down without mercy. Some two hundred were killed or wounded. The clash between the strikers and the troops took place on the Nicholas bridge, connecting the working class quarters on Vassiliostroff island and the main land, and in the streets leading to the public square before the palace. The strike involves more than 100,000 workmen in practically all the mills and factories in St. Petersburg, and the immediate demand of the workmen was for shorter hours, higher wages and better conditions of employment; but political issues are intermingled in the shape of demands for the granting of the requests of the zemstvos for a voice in local government. During the remainder of this and the following week the strike spread to Moscow, Kovno, Radom, Vilna, Warsaw, Mittau and other parts of Russia and Poland. Priest Gopon fled from St. Petersburg, and Maxim Gorky, the novelist, and other leaders of thereform movement, were arrested. On the 25th, General Trepoff warned the strikers to return to work under pain of deportation. February, 1905. The Russian Outbreak.—Early in the month the strikers seemed to be subdued in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and a few other places, due to the severe handling they received by the troops, but the relations were nevertheless strained, and bloodshed was reported from various points. The situation in Poland on the 1st was rather serious, Prince Mirski, the Russian Minister of the Interior, resigned, and the Czar counseled a deputation of the workmen to use patience, and promised them certain reforms. A relief fund was started by the Czar, Empress and Empress- Dowager, for the relief of the families of those who were killed or wounded in the affair of January 22, and on Thursday, February 2, the council of ministers considered the reforms and submitted proposals for the enlarging of the powers of the people, restricting the power of the ministers, and providing for direct relations between the Czar and the people. On the 3rd, 40,000 men were on strike at Sosnovice, while the movement continued to spread through Poland, with scattering outbreaks and occasional encounters with the troops.