--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 19 number: 4 published: 1916-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, \"Passing Events,\" *Improvement Era* 19, no. 4 (February 1916): 377–384." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1904unse 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: improvementera1904unse start_page: 377 end_page: 384 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1904unse publication_year: 1916 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 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Passing Events Passing Events The national .presidential conventions will be held—the Repub-lican, at Chicago, June 7; the Democratic, at St. Louis, June 14, 1916. A new president of the republic of Switzerland was recently electedby the Swiss national assembly. His name is Camille Decoppet. Thevice president named was Edmond Schulthess. Utah stands fourth in sugar production in the United States. Thoseahead in their order of precedence are California, Colorado and Mich-igan. A new factory has been decided on for Box Elder. Utah spends 88.1% of her state taxes for educational purposes;and 64% of all the state revenues—regular toxes, licenses, inheritancetaxes, and other miscellaneous income. These facts are given out bythe state auditor. The Jex family held a reunion in Spanish Fork on January 1, 1916,in honor of the nineteenth anniversary of the birthday of GrandmaJex. The reunion was attended by nearly four hundred relatives andfriends of the family. C. W. Shores, a resident of Denver, was appointed chief of policeby Mayor Ferry Jan. 17, and confirmed by the commission. He suc-ceeds B. F. Grant, who for several years past has given Salt Lake Citythe cleanest police protection that it has had for many years. William Waldorf Astor, a former well-known American of greatwealth was made a baron of England, on the first of January, presum-ably in return for contributions to the war fund. Two others who wereraised to the peerage were Lord Charles Beresford, and Sir ThomasShanghucssy the president of the Canadian Pacific railway. British conscription has been decided upon by parliament. Themeasure provides for a limited conscription. The bill was introducedJanuary 5, making military service obligatory on unmarried men andwidowers without children, between the ages of eighteen and forty-one. The provisions of the bill do not apply to Ireland. It has beenannounced that the Derby recruits number 2,829,263 men. Mcntenegro sued Austrio-Hungary for peace on the 17th of Janu-ary, and her request has been granted on the condition of uncondi-tional laying down of arms as the basis for an opening of peace nego-tiations. The little country had all its lines of retreat for its littlearmies cut off except into Albania where hostile tribesmen would haveto be faced. The soldiers of the little nation fought valiantly but invain, so it now appears. Lieut. Mervin S. Bennion, U. S. N., was promoted early in Janu-ary to a lieutenancy in the Navy. He is a graduate of the Latter-daySaints University, class of 1908. His appointment to Annapolis wasreceived the same year. He is a son of Israel and Janette Bennion ofVernon, Tooele County, and a nephew of Dean Milton Bennion of the 378 IMPROVEMENT ERA University of Utah. His brother, Lieut. Howard Bennion, U. S. A.,was assigned to an engineering corps and is stationed in the Philip-pines. The total assessed valuation, in Utah, is $228,096,737, for 1915,an increase of about seven million dollars over the assessment of ayear ago, according to a statement issued on the 2nd of Novemberby Lincoln G. Kelly, state auditor. This includes the assessed valu-ation of all kinds of property in each'of the twenty-eight counties ofthe state. George M. Scott, the first Liberal party mayor of Salt Lake City,elected in March, 1890, died November 19, at San Mateo, California.Ten years ago he left Salt Lake City for Santa Barbara on account ofill health. He came to Salt Lake in 1869. He was born in New Yorkin 1835, and went to California, in 1852, by way of Panama. Comingto Utah in 1869, he established the firm of Scott-Dunham HardwareCompany. Elections for a new parliament in Greece were held December 19.Eew if any of the followers of former premier Venizelos took partin the voting. A large majority of members of parliament returnedare supporters of Gounaris, the premier who carried into effect KingConstantine's determination to keep the Greek nation neutral insteadof becoming an ally of the entente powers and Serbia. On the 18thof January the entente powers practically gave an ultimatum to Greece,and the country may have to enter the war any day. State-wide prohibition of the sale and manufacture of intoxicatingliquor became effective in six states, December 31, at midnight. Thestates are: Iowa, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas and SouthCarolina. The addition of these states brings the total of prohibitionstates in the Union up to nineteen. By these states becoming dry overthree thousand saloons and a large number of breweries and wholesaleliquor houses and distilleries were put out of business. The commerce of the United States has grown by leaps andjrmps. The Department of Commerce at Washington, D. C, recentlyreported the balance of trade in favor of the United States at nearlyfive hundred million dollars, or four dollars and thirty-five cents percapita. The merchandise entering and shipped from New York is overtwenty-eight million tons. Hamburg, the next largest shipping centerin the world, has twenty-six million tons, and London eighteen mil-lions. The largest ports of Russia, France and Italy combined istwenty-seven millions or one million less than New York. Congress rtassembled on the 3rd of January. Among the import-ant measures introduced, and there were hundreds of them, were therural credits bill, and a resolution for a contsitutional amendment en-acting national prohibition. Mr. Fletcher was opposed by the Repub-licans as ambassador to Mexico, this being the first step of the Repub-lican senators to attack the administration's Mexican policy in general.In the House, General Sherwood, of Ohio, led an attack on the admin-istration's proposed military and naval preparations. He declared thatthey were unnecessary. Senator Gore introduced a bill to forbid ves-sels from carrying passengers and contraband of war at the same time. Mrs. Mary Alice Woodruff McEwan, wife of William McEwan,died at their home, on Friday, January 14, 1916, of blood poisoning.She had been ill about four weeks. Sister McEwan was the motherof ten children, a woman of great faith and integrity, and was highly PASSING EVENTS 379 esteemed by a host of friends. She was a daughter of the late Presi-dent Wilford Woodruff and Emma Smith, and was born in Salt LakeCity, thirty-eight years ago. Nearly six hundred people attended herfuneral services, in the Richards ward on Sunday following. EldersGeorge A. Smith and Heber J. Grant; President Frank Y. Taylor,Bishops John M. Whitaker and J. A. Rockwood spoke on gospelthemes the hope of the resurrection, and gave eulogies of SisterMcEwan's character,vain. A memorial to Major John Wesley Powell, pioneer and celebratedscientist, who first explored the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, hasbeen erected by the Department of the Interior on the rim of theGrand Canyon, in Arizona. It is an altar, decorated in Indian imagery,supporting a bronze tablet resting upon a pyramidal base of rough-hewn stone. Fifteen steps lead from the west up to the altar floorfrom which the visitor may gaze into the very heart of the mile-deepcanyon. The memorial is located on Sentinel Point, the promontorysouth of the railway station. The structure is said to be worthy alikeof the rugged, forceful personality of the man, and of the titanic andunparalleled chasm which it overlooks. , The Fcrd Peace party was not received with as much warmth inthe capital of Denmark as in the capital of Sweden. The Danish gov-ernment declined to permit any public meetings to discuss the war,either to promote or to end it. The party went from Copenhagen toThe Hague through northern Germany, by permission of the Germangovernment which provided a special train. On January 2, Mr. Fordhimself returned to New York, still hopeful of the success of his plan.He announced that he was convinced, however, that it was not the mil-itarists or munitions manufacturers of Europe who were to blame forthe war, but that it was the people of Europe themselves. While thatmay be true, the fact remains that it is principally the militarists andmunition manufacturers who have trained the people to their belief. John Oborn, a hand-cart veteran, and a son of Joseph and MariaStranding Oborn, died at Union, Utah, October 18, 1915. He wasborn in Somersetshire, England, November 17, 1843, and came to Utahin 1856, with Captain James G. Willey's hand-cart company, arrivinghere on the 9th of November, after suffering untold hardships incidentto that memorable journey. His father died at Green River on theway. He early worked in the Mill Creek canyon getting timber, andwas a carpenter on the Union Pacific railway when it was builtthrough Echo canyon. He also aided much in hauling the granitefor the Salt Lake Temple from Little Cottonwood canyon. He wasthe first postmaster south of Salt Lake City, in the county, and oneof the first merchants in Union. For thirty-eight years he was clerkof the ward. He was a man of sterling integrity. Bishop Rufus Chester Allen, born in New York, October 22, 1827,died in St. George, Washington county, Tuesday, December 7, 1915.He was baptized into the Church in 1837, and left Nauvoo for Utah inDaniel Spencer's company, in the winter of 1846-7. He became a mem-ber of the Mormon Battalion, and after its discharge in California, in1847, he came to Salt Lake, arriving in the fall of that year. For manyyears, he was a pioneer engaged in transporting emigrants, and inbuilding up the country north and south. In 1853 he settled in Ogden.He filled several missions, and was president of the south Indian mis-sion from 1854 to 1857. In 1862 he moved to Utah's Dixie, and latersettled at Kanarra. From 1886 to 1891 he labored in the St. George 380 IMPROVEMENT ERA temple, and later settled in St. George, where he resided up to hisdeath. He was an honorable, upright man, an exemplary citizen, de-voted to the Church, and died in full Faith of a glorious resurrection. The "Persia," a British passenger ship, with Americans on board,was sunk in the eastern Mediterranean by a submarine, December 30.It is thought that an Austrian U boat was responsible for the actionwhich was accomplished without warning. Nearly all the passengers,including two Americans, numbering over three hundred with thecrew, were lost. The two Americans were Charles Grant, who wassaved and arrived in Alexandria, and Robert MeNeeley, United Statesconsul to Aden, who was lost. The loss of life was greater than thatof the "Ancona," and was surpassed, since the beginning of the sub-marine campaign, only by the sinking of the "Lusitania," last spring.It would seem that Austria's apology for the "Ancona," was a tor-pedo for the "Persia." Elijah Nicholas Wilson, "Uncle Nick," who, in 1910, publishedlocally the volume entitled "Uncle Nick Among the Shoshones," diedin Wilson, Wyoming, in the Jackson Hole country, about December28. His book gives a graphic and thrilling account of his early-dayexperiences. It appears that he was born in 1842, in Illinois, andcame to Utah in 1850. With his father and mother he settled in Tooele,where from a young Indian companion he learned to speak the Sho-shone Indian language. When twelve years of age he ran away fromhome, being adopted by Chief Washakie. The boy lived for more thantwo years with the Indians, and his book gives an account of his ex-periences during that time, in Wyoming and Montana. At the close oftwo years Washakie was prevailed upon to let him return home, andWilson afterwards became a pony express driver, stage coach driverand a guide. The effort to establish order in Mexico, which had been proceed-ing satisfactorily up to that time, was halted somewhat as far as Amer-icans go by the murder, on January 10, of eighteen Americans nearTorreon, on the Mexican Northwestern railway by a band of ma-rauders, supporters of General Villa. The tragedy resulted in a strongnote from Secretary Lansing demanding that Chief Carranza protectAmericans in Mexico. The comoany of rescuing Americans whobrought the bodies of the eighteen murdered Americans to El Pasoreported that ten others had been murdered in the same vicinity, andthe feeling ran high in El Paso against the Mexicans. The Yaqui In-dians have withdrawn from the region, where they were causing greatdestruction and settlers in that region are said to have returned totheir farms. The "Mormon" colonists were in constant danger, but de-cided to remain. Many Americans were fleeing from Mexico. Presi-dent Wilson announced on the 15th that he saw no reason to inter-vene in Mexico on account of the latest offense by the Villaists. Jesse William Lewis, a pioneer of Payson, one of the originalfounders of the school now known as the Bigham Young University,died at his home in Payson, January 1. He built the first brick housein Utah county, and promoted many other enterprises in the centralpart of Utah; was a mining man, railroad constructor, former ownerof the townsite of Thistle, and identified with a score of noteworthyenterprises in the upbuilding of the State and the Church. BornOctober 27, 1836, at Decatur, Indiana, he and his wife, Mary A. Fuller,to whom he was married at Des Moines, Iowa, came west in 1858, re-maining a time in Calorado, and then coming to Salt Lake, settlinglater in Provo. Mr. Lewis crossed and recrossed the plains many PASSING EVENTS 381 times, freighting for ten years, his wife often accompanying him. Hewas an intimate friend of Jim Bridger, and Samuel C. Clemens(Mark Twain) crossed the plains with him. At one time he carriedon his journey twenty thousand dollars in his vest, coat and cap. Hewas a business associate, in early days, of Brigham Young, George A.Smith, and Walker brothers. Necrology. Among the promnient people who have passed awayrecently are: Mrs. S. A. Merrill, widow of the late Apostle Merrill, died atRichmond, Cache county, October 16, 1915, age eighty-one years. Caroline P. Van Cott, widow of the late John Van Cott, died inSalt Lake City, October 10, 1915. She was born January 20, 1840. Judge A. N. Cherry, former judge of the district court of SaltLake county, died November 7, at Ocean Park, California, age seventy-one. Ada R. Smith, widow of Joseph Smith, president of the Re-organized Church of Latter-day Saints, died at Independence, Mo.,October 20. Patriarch Henry C. Jacobs died at Ogden October 14, 1915. Hewas born in Iowa, March 22, ,1846, and was a faithful worker in theChurch. John Lowry, a member of the Nauvoo Legion and pioneer of1847, died at Springville, Utah, November 7, 1915. He was born inMissouri January 11, 1829. Patriarch De La Mare, of Tooele, ninety-four years of age, diedOctober 16, 1915, in Tooele. He was an early pioneer and a native ofthe Isle of Jersey, where he was baptized in 1849, by William C. Dun-bar. He came to this country in 1850 bringing with him in companywith President John Taylor, the first sugar machinery ever brought tothe United States. The Great War.—The most interesting spot on the war map duringJanuary was the frontier between Besarabia and Bukovina. Russiawas here conducting a very determined offensive. From the frag-mentary reports that come from the front, it is learned that largeforces were engaged, and that several very lively battles were foughtat different points along the three hundred mile line between Pintzand Czernowitz. The Germans have held this line since last September,but they were being subjected to energetic attacks from the Russiansat various points. Roughly the line follows the course of two rivers,the Styr running north, and the Strypa running south. The Russianshave crossed both these rivers and were directing their attack on thecapitol of Bukovina. The Russians are said to have one million fivehundred thousand men on this line, the northern section of which isin a swamp valley of the Pripet river. The Austrian war office estimatedthe Russian loss in the operations up to January 7 as fifty thousandmen. On the 7th of January Germany agreed to settle the "Frye" and"Luistania" cases and to ameliorate the submarine warfare. On the9th of January the British abandoned Gallipoli altogether, and on thesame date the great battleship "King Edward VII" was sunk by amine. During the early part of January alarming rumors were cur-rent in the newspapers and telegrams concerning the kaiser's condi-tion. It appears that according to reports he was suffering fromcancer of the larynx, a disease similar to that of which his father died.On the 15th it was announced that Great Britain will soon blockadeGermany, placing a ban on all traffic with the central powers. In re-turn Germany is to adopt a policy of reprisal. Any one desiring volumes 1 (<> XJ I of tlie Contributor for any Church worksthat they may wish to exchange should address E. Crane Watson, LibrarianCedar City Free Public Library, Cedar City, Utah. "We thank the publishers of the IMPROVEMENT Era for sending the mag-azine to us. It is one of our best friends in the mission field. We anxiouslyawait its coming each month, and enjoy its excellent topics and instructions."—Elders Avard Washburn and James Baron, Chattanooga, Tenn. "We welcome each month the coming of the Improvement Era, bringing tous much food for spiritual growth and a wonderful fund of splendid readingmatter. After we have read each number we pass it on to our friends whoenjoy its contents quite as much as the missionaries."—M. Luwry Allen,Evansville, Indiana. A stake president's endorsement.—A much appreciated, unsolicited testi-monial of the value of the contents of the Improvement Era comes from Presi-dent Adolph Merz, of the North Sanpete stake, Mt. Pleasant, Utah, as follows: "Dear Brethren : Will you have the kindness to send me an extra copy ofthe January number of the Era. 1 received my regular number, but considersome of the writings contained therein so extraordinary in value that I shouldhave another number for a specific purpose. "Wishing you every success in the New Year, I beg to remain, your brotherin the Gospel, Adolph Merz." Improvement Era, February, 1916 Two Dollars per Annum with Manual FreeEntered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter. Address, 20 Bishop's Building, Salt Lake City, Utah Joseph F. Smith, ) Editors Heber J. Grant, Business Manager Edward H. Anderson, j" ' Moroni Snow, Assistant Giant Cactus in the Gila Desert, Arizona Frontispiece In the Gila Desert Alfred Lambcurne 287 Fulfilled Prophecy B. H. Roberts 289 Artisans of the South-West. Illustrated William Evans 295 Procrastination. A Poem Enoch Jorgensen 299 What is "Mormonism?" Orson F. Whitney 300 The Cultivation of Moral Thoughtfulness Prof. Milton Bennion 302 Tasks. A Poem Grace Ingles Frost 303 Outlines for Scout Workers. Illustrated D. W. Parratt, B. S 304 Adele. A Story Alfred Lambourne 308 Is Man Immortal?—II Joseph F. Smith, Jr 314 Lincoln's Hour of Vision Dr. E. G. Gowans 322 "Faint Heart Ne'er Won Fair Lady." A Story.Ida Stewart Peay 327 My Plea. A Poem .... .T. C. Hoyt 336 Human Historv Not Explained by Evolution. .Robert C. Webb 337 Singers of the Little Songs. A Poem Maud Baggarley 343 Harvest Time in Peace and War Effie Stewart Dart 344 Speck's Faith. A Story H. R. Merrill 345 The Choice. A Poem Grace Ingles Frost 349 Traveling Over Forgotten Trails. Illustrated.Hon. Anthony W. Ivins... 350 "The Lights Go Out" George Sterling 357 Winter Evening at Home Waldo 358 Editors' Table—On the Use of Tobacco Prest. Joseph F. Smith 360 No More Cigarette Advertisements 361 Thoughts in Brief 362 Stories Wanted , 363 Messages from the Missions 363 Priesthood Quorums' Table 371 Mutual Work 372 Passinq- Events 377 There is aGreat Deal ofSatisfaction In knowing that your mail orderfor Books will have that samecareful attention that you wouldget if you called in person. Our aim is to give satisfactionto everybody who buys of us,and no sale is completed untilthe buyer is fully satisfied. That's why our business is in-creasing so fast. DESERET Sunday School Union BOOK STORE 44 East on South TempleSALT LAKE CITY IORWINO COl l-SALTlAKtCITyilUHi Joseph Smith As Scientist By Dr. John A. Widtsoe One of the best scientific exposi-tions of the teachings of theProphet Joseph Smith yet pub-lished. PRICES: Cloth Binding 75c Paper Binding 25c Send orders to MORONI SNOW, General Secretary,20-22 Bishop's Building, Salt Lake City. Telephone, Wasatch ssi Jos. Wm. Taylor Utah's Leading Undertakerand Licensed Embalmer Fine Funeral Chapel, Private Parlor,Show Rooms and Morgue OFFICE OPEN DAT AND NIGHT 21, 23 and 25 South West Temple StreetSALT LAKE CITY, UTAH athletic OrganizationsBoth Church and School willfind it greatly to their profit to consult us about their Season Js Requirements. Send ptstal for 150 page free catalog and for information about our special pricesto clubs. BROWNING BROS. CO., Ogden, Utah WHEN WRITING TO ADVERTISERS, PLEASE MENTION THE IMPROVEMENT ERA r Utah's Most PopularMusic House" :*\ Here are some of the thingswe will give away FREE Sewing MachineHall Chime ClockMotocycleGold Watch Kitchen CabinetMorris Chair l)u? ne.«*-BeeI>e Music Co. (I.E.) Please send me full particulars of yourFJREE Premium Plan. This places meunder absolutely no obligation. 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