--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Sloan, Walter J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 8 number: 6 published: 1905-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Walter J. Sloan, "An Incident on the San Pedro," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 6 (April 1905): 451–455.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0806unse 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: improvementera0806unse start_page: 451 end_page: 455 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0806unse publication_year: 1905 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 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # An Incident on the San Pedro MONUMENTS AND ALTARS AT COP AN. 449 principal personages, chiefs or warriors, with their faces opposite each other, and apparently engaged in argument or negotiation. The other fourteen are divided into two equal parties, and seem to be following their leaders. Each of the two principal figures is seated cross-legged, in the oriental fashion, office or character, and on three of which the serpent forms part. Between the two principal personages is a remarkable cartouche, which reminded us strongly of the Egyptian method of giving the names of the kings or heroes in whose honor monuments were erected. The headdresses are remarkable for their curious and complicated form; the figures have all breastplates, and one of the two principal characters holds in his hand an instrument, which may, perhaps, be considered a sceptre; each of the others holds an object which can be only a subject for speculation and conjecture. It may be a weapon of war, and, if so, it is the only thing of the kind found represented at Copan. In other countries, battle-scenes, warriors, and weapons of war are among the most prominent subjects of sculpture; and from the entire absence of them here, there is reason to believe that the people were not warlike, but peaceable, and easily subdued. ******** In regard to the age of this desolate city, (Copan), I shall not offer at present any conjecture. * Nor in regard to the people who built it, or to the time when or the means by which it was depopulated, and became a desolation and ruin; whether it fell by the sword, or famine, or pestilence. * One thing I believe, that its history is graven on its monuments. No Champollion has yet brought to them the energies of his enquiring mind. Who shall read them? SPEED THE MESSAGE. (For the Improvement Era.) Go, speed the message 'round the globe. Ye valiant messengers of peace; Ye brave and fearless men of God, Bid carnage, hate and war to cease. 450 IMPRO VEMENT ERA. Ye heralds true of life and love, Oh, may ye firm, united stand; To bear Christ's message from above,— A faithful missionary band. Go tell the world of better ways,— The ways of God and Christ his Son; Go spread the glorious gospel rays, 'Till o'er the earth his will be done. Go tell the people of his love; Aye, sound the tidings loud and long, 'Ere awful vengeance from above Shall put an end to hate and wrong. Let men prepare to worship him; Let them forget the god of strife; Bid them forsake the ways of sin, And worship Christ, the God of life. Go tell them of the God of love, Whom they must learn to know and fear,— That Christ, his Son, in clouds above, To reign on earth will soon appear. He cometh to establish peace, And joy, and love, in every breast; Then war and wickedness shall cease, And earth be crowned with glorious rest. Annie G. Lauritken. Richfield, Utah. AN INCIDENT ON THE SAN PEDRO. BY WALTER J. SLOAN. Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in ruth.—IJohn3: 18. Train No. 72, on "The Salt Lake route" for Juab, Milford, Calente and intermediate points, left Salt Lake on time, one bitterly cold night in February last. Travel was light, neither of the five coaches being more than half full. Near the rear end of the fourth coach sat a woman and child; the latter was a girl of about eight or nine years. The dress of the woman was poor, and a glance at her face showed a care-worn expression, as though she had suffered much, and was still suffering. The child leaned her head against the window with her eyes closed. Her face was pale, and seemed paler still, as viewed with its frame of dark tresses. That the child was sick needed but a moment's glance, while a minute of watching the woman's tender care would only strengthen such opinion. None of the passengers appeared to have noticed the mother and child as they entered the car, nor the mother's care in trying to make the child comfortable. Each passenger was busy with his or her own affairs, and the two were left to whatever care and trouble they had. In the smoker, facing each other, sat four knights of the grip, each represented a different line of trade, each was bound for Caliente, Goldfield and other new camps and towns, which had sprung into existence through the coming of the iron-horse, with the hopes of selling a big bill of goods. They had all met before, and at once proceeded to renew old friendship. Cigars were produced, and as they were about to be lighted one of the four arose with the remark: "Go ahead, 452 IMPROVEMENT ERA. boys, I'll join you in a minute, I just want to take a run through the train and see if there is anyone on that I know. I'll be back in a minute or two." The other three lit their cigars and proceeded to chat. As number four passed through the fourth coach, he noticed the mother and child. He did not stop, but passed on to the last coach,where he nodded to an acquaintance or two,and then started to return. Between the two cars he stopped for a moment and said to himself: "That woman in there appears to be in trouble, and the kid looks as though it was sick. It isn't any of my business, but I am going to stop and speak to her." When he reached the seat where the mother and child sat, he stopped, raised his hat and said, "Pardon me, madam, is the little girl sick?" "Yes, sir; she has been sick for a long time;" and then, in a whisper, that the child might not hear, "and I am afraid that she will never get any better." "Oh, don't say that. I think that she will be better in a few days, you must never give up hope, you know." "Yes, sir, I know that, and I try to hope, but I am afraid that it is no use." The man turned the seat over and sat down opposite the mother. "How long has she been sick?" "Over a year, now. She took sick two months before her father died, and I have tried so hard to have her get well; you see, she is the only child I have now, I had two, but the other died four years ago. The doctors where we live could do nothing more for her, and they advised me to bring her to Salt Lake and see the doctors there. I came up yesterday morning, I have seen three of the doctors, who are said to be the best in the city in troubles such as she has. But none of them gave me any hope. Perhaps it was cruel of them, and I know that two of them didn't want to tell me, but they all told me the same; she cannot recover, and will live but a short time." The latter part of the statement was made in a low tone of voice, as though the speaker knew sorrow and the meaning thereof. Down her thin cheeks the tears coursed and fell to the floor. AN INCIDENT ON THE SAN PEDRO. 453 The man turned his head for a minute. "And where are you going now?" "We are going back home; there is nothing else to do." At the word home, the child opened her eyes and asked, "Are we home now, mamma?" "Not yet, dear, but we will be in a little while." "Oh, I'm so tired, I do wish we were home." "I know you are tired, but we will be home in a little while." The child leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. The man asked the mother where she lived and upon being informed said, "Excuse me, I will be back in a few minutes." He looked neither to the right nor to the left, as he hurried through the train to the smoker. Going to his friends he said, "Boys, there'd a sick child back here in the fourth coach, she's leaning her tired little head against the window pane when she ought to be in bed. We can make something that will do for a bed, until the mother reaches the station where they get off. I want each of your overcoats so that I can fix up something to make her comfortable." "But say, Jack, tell us who it is and what about it." "No time to talk now, this is a time to act," replied Jack, as he gathered up the four overcoats and started down the aisle. Stopping at the door, he turned back and said, "Boys, any one of you would do what I am doing now, and I'll tell you all about it after awhile. It's one of those cases in which what's done has to be done at once. Dan, you know the conductor pretty well, ask him to stop long enough at Provo for you to run over to that little restaurant on the south side of the track and get a warm drink and a sandwich or two, bring it into the fourth coach." "But what about the cup and saucer?" "Oh, hang it, buy the cup and saucer. Ed., you come with me and help me fix up a bed. Joe, you stay and watch our things until one of us returns." As the two men with the four overcoats went through the train, the situation was hurriedly explained to Ed. Reaching the seat occupied by the mother and child, the man to whom she had told her story said: "Madam, if you will permit us, we will fix this seat so that it will be more comfortable to the little girl."