--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Freund, Charles J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 16 number: 2 published: 1912-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Charles J. Freund, "Significance of the Jewish Farm Colony at Clarion, Utah," *Improvement Era* 16, no. 2 (December 1912): 106–110.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1602unse 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: improvementera1602unse start_page: 106 end_page: 110 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1602unse publication_year: 1912 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 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Significance of the Jewish Farm Colony at Clarion, Utah MR. HERBST, THE ENGINEER, SURVEYING Significance of the Jewish Farm Colony at Clarion, Utah BY RABBI CHARLES J. FREUND, TEMPLE B'NAI ISRAEL, SALT LAKE This article is a commentary to a letter of which I recently was the recipient. The following is part of the letter from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is dated Salt Lake, October 10, 1912, and reads: "We desire you to know, however, that it is a pleasure to us to be able to make this subscription which, we assure you, is being done as a mark of appreciation of the efforts being put forth by the Jewish colony at Clarion, Utah, to redeem some of the barren land for the purpose of making homes for themselves and families. This attempt on the part of those of your people who have come to dwell among us, and to thus take up the work of your ancestors, is indeed both interesting and pleasing, and with all our hearts we wish them the success which the industry and thrift manifested thus far by them so richly deserve. We may add that it is very gratifying to us to learn that the relations existing between your Utah colony and our people residing in the immediate vicinity thereto are of the most cordial and neighborly character, and we have very great pleasure, indeed, in believing that the spirit of good fellowship and neighborly helpfulness will always exist between you and us." This letter invites and directs our attention to a movement that is of interest and far-reaching effect not only to the people of Utah, but to the entire Western section of our country. What is the farm colony at Clarion, and whence did it orig- JEWISH FARM COLONY 107 inate ? It is a movement of newly-arrived people of the Jewish faith who are desirous of adopting agriculture as a mode of livelihood. Their residence in the United States must be of more than two years' duration before they can join the Jewish Agricultural and Colonial Association, which organization has purchased from the State of Utah a tract of six thousand acres of land in the vicinity of Gunnison, under what is known as the Piute project. Work was begun on the land on September 11, 1911, and in the first year, twelve pioneers, aided gradually by other newcomers, succeeded in placing fifteen hundred acres under cultivation. The desire of all of these people, in the "back to the soil" movement, is to get away from the congested condition of the cities where previously they had been enabled merely to exist. Under the canopy of heaven they prefer to live, even despite the first hardships incident to the conquest of the soil. Their success is assured if indomitable thrift and energy, such as was displayed during the first year of the carrying on of the work, may be taken as a criterion. In the letter of the First Presidency, these words occur : "and to thus take up the work of your ancestors." These words invite to amplification. Why, during all of the centuries since the dawn of the Christian Era, has the Jew given up the occupation of his ancestors? For it is beyond dispute, as evidenced by the legislation, literature, and the land of the Jewish people, before the Christian Era, that the Jewish nation was one of farmers. Their land taken away from them, the right of self-government denied them the Jewish people for the past two thousand years have RABBI CHARLES J. FREUXD 110 IMI'Ki iVKMKNT lk.\ \ cry is being raised that the world needs a producing class. Or, in other words, there arc not sufficient farmers to supply the wants of an ever-increasing population in the world. Hence, whatever tends t<> increase the number of farmers, will be hailed as a boon to society. HARVEST CELEBRATION AT CLARION, AUG. 19 The opening of the Panama Canal, whether near at hand or more remote, will certainly influence immigration to the West. It will be diverted hitherward, away from the now much-crowded Eastern ports of entry. The likelihood of industrial occupation THE BEST CROP OF CLARION being supplied to these immigrants is not so certain. There is no reason, however, why a part of this immigration cannot be utilized to turn it to the occupation of farming. A producing class is needed, and the inducement should be offered to induce JEWISH FARM COLONY 111 people more and more to take to agriculture. We must not look upon such movements as the colony at Clarion from the selfish point of view, viz., as to how much money they bring to our State, but at the thrift and energy that they utilize to reclaim the earth for the service of man. Such colonies as that of Clarion deserve to succeed because, self respecting and with manhood, these immigrants have added one other verification that America is "the Melting Pot" of the nations. Clarion heralds the dawn of a new day and era, when the success of this colony will be the forerunner of like experiments elsewhere out here in Utah and vicinity. Testimony Millions of worlds in order move, Millions of gifts Thy wisdom prove, Forest and mountain and vast, wild sea. Yet Thou dost ever remember me; Longing, my spirit is filled with love, How can I doubt Thee, O God above! Thousands of creeds on earth, today, Each with its own ill-guided sway, But Thou hast given One Perfect Plan, Surest salvation through God to man; Led by the precepts of strength above Thus let me serve Thee, O God of Love! Myriad voices opposing claim Clamoring might in Thy holy name; Reason advancing doth heed them not, Safe in Thy Spirit and Gospel-taught. Wisdom and beauty, law and love, How can I praise Thee, O God above! Free from the fetters of doubt's dark snare, Humbly I offer my grateful prayer, Knowing the truth from Thy chosen Seer; Faith's living promise now shineth clear; Ever and ever my song of love, Riseth in happiness, God above! Minnie Iverson. HONOLULU, H. T. T he Edwin Natural F.Rinr.F: Span, 174 feet; height, 104 feet Chapter V — Baneehlizhen The market steers of San Juan county were generally driven to some distant point in the state of Colorado. The Rojer outfit nearly always sold with the J. B. pool, and the two herds made it a point to join at Fish Creek or Rincone. If the Pagahrit bunch were late, it might not overtake the others, and even if it did, it would be foot-sore and tired with a long drive still ahead. So, for the sake of a rest, and to be in plenty of time, Fred Rojer made it a point to bring his steers to the pool herd no less than three days before the appointed date for starting eastward. This interval, often seven or eight days long, was usually worn wearily out by Ben, on day-herd. Sometimes he herded alone, and the days dragged their dilatory length with merciless indifference over his fretful head. Sometimes he had company, and his contact with this day-herd brought him a medley of acquaintances, for the J. B. outfit purged its force of riders by leaving to graze with the steers the cow-boy too "cranky" or conceited, or quick with his gun, to be a safe or pleasant companion for the boys "on the circle." The fall after young Rojer turned thirteen, he came tattered and torn with the Pagahrit outfit down Comb Wash, and joined the J. B. round-up at Rincone, the junction of Comb Wash and the San Juan river. At that place a huge shelf, covered with sand-hills, used to serve as a pasture. One end of it could be closed by hanging a tarpaulin over a rope stretched across a dugway, but the other end required a man and horse to watch it. On to this shelf the whole motley herd of spots and horns were turned, and when the bawling, discordant chorus had died away, and the cloud of dust had followed it ; when the gang of