Passing Events

Passing Events.

Jose Madriz was inaugurated president of Nicaragua, December 21, and former president Zelaya has fled to Mexico, where he has been ordered to keep quiet. Madriz was said early in January to be tired of his charge, and to wish to leave.

The University of Copenhagen announced on December 21, 1909, that the records and observations of the "Dash to the North Pole" sub- mitted by Dr. Cook, fail to establish his claim to the discovery of the Pole. Dr. Cook has disappeared under the scorching criticism and bitter shame that has come to him. Some are generous enough to state that he might have believed honestly that he discovered the Pole, but was self-deceived.

Frederick Remington, an American painter and sculptor, and author of several volumes of sketches and fiction, died on the 26th of December, age 48 years. He was a well-known contributor for Harper's Weekly, Colliers, Youth's Companion, and other publications, and his sketches reproduced, both in picture and sculpture, types of the wild- west, including Indians, cowboys and wild scenery, all of which he interpreted for the people of the East.

King Leopold II of Belgium died December 17, 1909. He wa s buried in Brussels, Dec. 22. Born April 8, 1835, he ascended the throne December 10, 1865, at the death of his father, Leopold I, the uncle and trusted counselor of Queen Victoria, of England. He has become famous, or shall we say infamous, through his founding, in 1882, the Kongo Independent state where the slave trade was freely carried on in later years. In the absence of any direct male heir, Leopold's nephew, Prince Albert I, succeeded to the throne as king of the Belgians, Decem- ber 23. This young prince is 34 years old and is very popular.

The Nobel prizes this year, which prizes are given as rewards to those who from year to year are thought to have attained the greatest results in various fields of activity for 1909, were awarded in Physics

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to William Marconi, inventor of wireless telegraphy, and Prof. Ferdinand Braum, director of Physics at the University of Strausberg; in Chem- istry, to William Ostwald, professor of Chemistry at Leipzig; for Physiology and Medicine, to Professor Emil Theodore Kocher of the University of Berne; for literature, to Selma Lagerlof, a Swedish author. The peace prize is divided between Baron Constant of France, and Beer- nert of Belgium. Each prize amounts to $38,672.

The present site of Manti, the Temple City, writes Peter A Paulson to the Era, was located August 20, 1849, by an exploring party, Joseph Home, W. W. Philips, Ira Willis, and D. B. Huntington, with Chief Walker as guide. They entered the valley through Salt Creek canyon, and were entertained in a most friendly manner by the Indians or Lamanites, numerous at the time. Within a few days the exploring party returned to Salt Lake City, reporting to President Brigham Young most favorably for the founding of a colony. A company of about fifty families from Salt Lake City and Center- ville organized, and proceeded south that fall, under command of Isaac Morley, Seth Taft, Charles Shumway and Nelson Higgins. Manti was selected by them as the site of the first frontier settlement in Central and Southern Utah. President Young visited the little band, in 1850, and christened their city Manti, in honor of one of the cities mentioned in

the Book of Mormon. He also named the county "Sanpete," after the Indian Chief Sanpitch, a prominent character among his tribe at that time. Manti City was incorporated by act of the legislature, in 1851, and Dan Jones was elected the first mayor. In 1853, Manti claimed 647 souls out of a population of 765 in the entire county. Since that time the Temple City has steadily pressed onward through numerous difficulties, until she has now a population of three thousand. Her beautiful temple was dedicated to the Lord in May, 1888. Since then Saints from all parts of the earth have enjoyed the peaceful influence prevailing there, and received blessings for them- selves and for departed relatives and friends by the thousands.

The sixtieth anniversary of the settlement of Manti, claimed by some to be August 19, 1849, was celebrated November 22, 23 and 24, 1909, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. More than five hun- dred people attended from various parts of the Union: Boston, Mass., Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and other states, and Canada. Rep- resentatives, besides, from many of the cities and towns in Utah made up the happy gathering on "Home Coming Day." All the living pio- neers of Manti, during the first ten years of her existence, were the guests of the city during the three days' celebration. A bureau of

384 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

information was established, writes Peter A. Paulson to the Era, where all pioneers and visitors were invited to register and to gather. Every convenience within the reach of the efficient committees having the mammoth undertaking in charge was supplied. One hundred and ninety-six badges of honor were distributed to those persons who were residents of Manti during the ten years from 1849 to 1859. The veterans impressed the youth of the land with the faith they must have possessed to enable them to endure the trials of these early days of sixty years ago — yet blessed days of unity they were. Monday, November 22, was "Home Coming Day;" given over to the entertaiament of the pioneers and visitors, to renew old acquaintance and to see the sights. A splendid concert in the tabernacle in the evening was attended by more than twelve hundred people. Tuesday was "Pion- eer Day." The guests at the tabernacle heard a unique program, con- sisting of interesting reminiscences, given principally by the veterans, of experiences in Manti sixty years ago. Musical numbers and readings by some of the later generations of the Temple City were interspersed. In the afternoon the Daughters of the Pioneers and others entertained nearly three hundred of the veterans and their escorts at a banquet in the opera house. The entertainment concluded with toasts and responses by the early pioneers, who related many interesting accounts of the bat- tles with the Lamanites, their advantages, or rather disadvantages, for gaining an education, their amusements, and numerous anecdotes most interesting and amusing to the younger people. Wednesday was given over to the school children, and was termed "Governor's Day," but Governor William Spry could not be present. An interesting talk was given by State Superintendent of Schools, A. C. Nelson, who represented His Excellency. This meeting, held in the high school building, was attended by a large congregation of school children and veterans. The celebration concluded with a dramatic entertaiment of pioneer days, in the opera house. Of the first company of pioneers who settled Manti in 1849, Ezra Shomaker, Azariah Smith, William B. Richey, Adelia B. Cox Sidwell, Mary Lowry Peacock, Chelnecha Hambleton Jolley Tuttle, Esther Smith Andersen, Jerusha Shomaker Billings, and Lucy Allen Cox, are now residents of the city. The successful entertainment was attended by many former residents who had been" absent from Manti nearly fifty years. President Anthon H. Lund represented the First Presidency, and in the tabernacle gathering related some interesting history of the early days.