Passing Events

2SHftSs :

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^-^gMMfcyil^,:- ^ll||l||| |||||||||||||||||||; ||

PASSING EVENTS

Villa is said to have captured the important city and railway junction of Torreon, December 24, and on the 26th he was said to have taken San Luis Potosi.

Hon. Brigham H. Roberts was named, on January 2, as a member of the slateboard of equalization, in place of Hardin Bennion who was elected secretary of state.

Farm land banks, authorized by the rural credits act, will be established at Springfield, Massachusetts; Baltimore; Columbia, South Carolina: Louisville; New Orleans; Houston, Texas; St. Paul; Omaha; Wichita, Kansas; Spokane, Washington; Berkley, California. I

The nation's crops, in 1916, according to the Department of Agriculture, Washington, amounted to nine billion dollars in round numbers, an increase of nearly two and a quarter billions over the value of 1915, and nearly three billions over the average of the years 1910 to 1914. ' I

Turkey has declared itself an ally on equal terms with Germany, and Austria-Hungary, and for that reason insists on being recognized as a perfectly independent and sovereign state, no longer bound by the treaties of Paris and Berlin bv which the great powers of Europe exercised a supervisory relation over Turkey.

A shipping board of five men was appointed, on December 22, by President Wilson. This board is to organize a government shipping corporation authorized by Congress. The members are William Denman, lawyer, San Francisco; Bernard N. Baker, Baltimore, president of the Atlantic Transport Line; John A. Donald, New York, experienced shipping man; John B. White, Kansas City, lumberman and exporter; Theodore Brent, New Orleans, former railway official.

The Utah state legislature met at the state capitol, in Salt Lake City on Monday, January 8. The legislative assembly will have some very im- — portant legislation to consider during the session including the public utilbills, and ities, prohibition, employers' liability and workmen's compensation many other legislative enactments that have been promised. The legislature was organized with Hon. J. W. Funk of Cache, president of the Senate, and J. F. Tolton, of Beaver, speaker of the House.

King Charles IV of Hungary is the title of the new emperor of Austria who was crowned at Budapest on December 30. The premier of Hungary, Count Stephen Tisza, placed the crown on his head at a ceremony which is looking described as brilliant. The policy of the new king is said to be towards a closer connection of Austria with the German empire as a way affairs of the against the constantly increasing influence of Hungary in the monarchy. Hence reports are current of political dissensions between the

kingdoms of the dual monarchy.

376 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Hamilton Wright Mabie, for the past thirty-seven years a member of the editorial staff of The Outlook, and for thirty-two years associate editor, died in Summit, New Jersey, Sunday morning, December 31. He was the author of many books among the best known of them being American Ideals, Parables of Life, My Study Fire. The chief editor in giving a notice of Mr. Mabie's death says: "The Outlook does not drape in black its announcement of the death of Hamilton Wright Mabie. His vivid and victorious faith in immortality would make singularly incongruous any such symbol."

Utah's new governor, Hon. Simon Bamberger, was inaugurated on Monday, January 1, 1917. He was joined at the Newhouse Hotel by Governor William Spry and state officers elect, and by the respective staffs. At 10:30 in the morning a parade was formed at Fourth South and Main streets, the governor-elect being escorted by the Utah Battery and accompanied by an automobile parade through the streets to the new capitol where at noon the announcement of the election returns was made and Chief Justice j. E. Frick administered the oath of office to the governor-elect. After the oath of office had been administered there was a firing of seventeen guns as a salute to the governor. Following the salute Governor Bamberger delivered his inaugural address, a masterpiece of clearness and simplicity, to the large congregation of people who had gathered. The state officers and district judges then took the oath of office.

The people of Denmark, men and women balloting, by a vote of 283,000 to 157,000 accepted the offer of $25,000,000 by the United States for the Danish West Indies. On December 21 the Landsthing of Denmark agreed to the sale of the three Danish West Indian islands to the United States, and the king signed the bill authorizing the sale on the 22nd. The conservative and the pro-German part of the population opposed the measure; while the liberals, radicals and socialists favored it, deeming that the Islands were only an expense to Denmark, and that it is wrong to hold the Islanders against their will. No further action is now necessary upon this question, except for the Congress of the United States to appropriate the money, and the Islanders to vote for the annexation. They have already expressed a desire to come under the American Flag. It is proposed by Congress to name the purchased land "The Dewey Islands," in honor of Admiral Dewey.

Utah expended for public schools, in 1914, according to a recent annual report of the United States Commissioner of Education, $10.07 per capita, ranking the highest among the states of the Union on a per capita basis. Idaho expended $9.66 per capita of population; North Dakota, $9.62; Mont?na, $9.50; Arizona, $8.93; Washington, $8.89. Mississippi spent $1.48; South Carolina, $1.83; Alabama, $1.97; Georgia, $1.98. For the year 1914 the whole country expended $555,077,146 for public schools. In 1916, 23,- 500,000 persons attended schools of some kind in the United States. "This means," says the report, "that approximately 24% of the inhabitants of the United States are attending school, compared with 19% in Great Britain, 17% in France, 20% in Germany and a little over 4% in Russia." The United States, however, does not appear as favorable when the daily attendance is taken as a basis for comparison rather than enrollment. Of the 706,000 teachers in the United States 169,000 were men and 537,000 women. "Vocational education," says the report, "is advancing slowly but steadily in a way that seems the best possible guarantee of permanence."

PASSING EVENTS 377

Colonel William F. Cody, (Buffalo Bill), died in Denver, Colo., January 10, 1917. His funeral services were held there on Sunday afternoon, January 14. He was a noted scout in the days of the early west and was known the world over. He received his publicity greatly, however, from the organization of the Wild West show which for a number of years he owned and controlled, and through which he entertained millions of people, both in the United States and across the Atlantic. He had a kind feeling for the people of Utah, and frequently appeared in this state where he had many personal friends, particularly among the old residents and leading men of the community. Junius F. Wells, organizer of the Y. M. M. I. A., was a personal friend of his, and on his last visit to Utah a year or two ago, Colonel Cody gave him two fine portraits one of which Mr. Wells gave to the Improvement Era, and copy of which is a herewith reproduced. He had a high regard for the pioneers of Utah and the feeling was reciprocated. At the World's Fair, In 1893, in Chicago, when the Tabernacle choir of 250 singers, the First Presidency, and many friends visited the Fair, he set aside an entire section of his Wild West show, exhibiting there at the time, for the entertainment of the large delegation from Utah. Col. W. F. Cody, (Buffalo Bill) This illustration is only one of the many that might be cited of the courtesies and friendships which he exhibited toward the people of this state on every occasion available. The friendship which he established for them in the early days lasted to the end. In his passing, the great scouts of the wild west of America have practically disappeared. He received his title "Buffalo Bill" from his skill in hunting buffalo, in early days, when, for months, he supplied daily from six to eight of these animals to the workmen who were then building the Kansas Pacific railway.

Eli Alexander Tracy, a pioneer and long resident of Huntsville, Utah, is dead, and his burial took place on the 5th of January. He was born in 1833 and was baptized in 1841 by the Prophet Joseph Smith. He was present at the laying of the corner stone of the Nauvoo Temple, and also when Oliver Cowdery, on his return to the Church, bore his testimony. He was a faithful member and worker in the Church, and without complaint, underwent the many hardships incident to the travel over the plains and pioneer life in Utah.

378 IMPROVEMENT ERA

The State Historical Society of Utah held its twentieth annual meeting on Monday, January 15, 1917, at the Commercial Cluh building, Salt Lake City. The following officers were elected: Andrew Jenson, president; Mrs. Simon Bamberger, vice-president; D. W. Parratt and Levi Edgar Young, secretaries; with the following members of the General Committee, Dr. John A. Widtsoe, O. H. Berg, Jerold R. Letcher, Enoch Jorgensen, Peter Gotfredsen, Joseph F. Merrill, Bishop J. S. Glass, and Mathonihah Thomas.

Joint peace notes of the allied governments, answering the peace suggestions from Berlin were given out at Paris, December 30. The joint reply solemnly protested against the German assertion that the Allied governments were responsible for the outbreak of the war, and also against the assumption that the Central powers were in any sense victorious. The note added that the mere suggestion of peace based on these fundamentally untrue propositions, and containing no hint of the terms proposed, was a sham offer of peace and in reality a war maneuver. Following these statements, the note went on to present the Allies' case against Germany, its aggression against Belgium, and declaring that peace could not be considered until reparation for violated rights was secured. Also the recognition of the right of small states to existence and freedom from molestation, and a settlement that could be regarded as a guarantee against disturbance of the world's peace by anything like the present war. President Wilson's peace note was strongly supported by the three Scandinavian nations, but the Spanish government sent a reply to Washington declining to take action at present in support of President Wilson's suggestion. In the meantime the war is proceeding with unprecedented cruelty, wherever the winter storms and snows will permit.

Admiral George Dewey, the Nation's Spanish war hero, and by priority g^ade the ranking naval officer of the world, died at his home in Washington, D. C, January 16, 1917. He was born in 1837, appointed to the Naval Academy, September, 1854, graduating four years later, and then took a Mediterranean cruise. On April 19, 1861, eight days after Fort Sumter was fired upon, he was commissioned lieutenant and assigned to the "Mississippi," which, under Farragut, took part in forcing the Mississippi river. He served through the Civil war in many heroic incidents, and was appointed and promoted from time to time to various offices until, on February 28, 1896, he received a commission as commodore. He was placed in command of the Asiatic squadron in January, 1898, and on the 1st of May that year fought the famous battle of Manilla, in which the forts were silenced and the Spanish fleet destroyed without the loss to himself of a man or a single ship. Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a sword of honor, and placed him on the active list as rear-admiral for life. In connection with General Merritt he attacked Manilla and took possession on August 13, 1898. On his arrival in New York, September 26, 1899, he was tendered a magnificent reception, and on the 3rd of the following month, the jeweled sword, ordered by Congress, was presented to him on the steps of the Capitol at Washington. Many honors have been shown him since. President Wilson in expressing his grief at the death of Admiral Dewey said, "The whole Nation will mourn the loss of its most distinguished naval officer, a man who has been as faithful, as intelligent, and as successful in the performance of his responsible duties in time of peace, as he was gallant and successful in time of war. It is just such men that give the service distinction, and the nation a just pride in those who serve it."