--- 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: 22 number: 4 published: 1919-02 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* 22, no. 4 (February 1919): 364–368.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2204unse 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: improvementera2204unse start_page: 364 end_page: 368 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2204unse publication_year: 1919 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 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Passing Events Spanish influenza continued to take heavy toll in deaths from the people during January. Many of the schools, churches, and other public gathering places, were closed again during the month, after being opened for about seven or ten days in the early part of the month. The first Sunday of January, being fast day in the Church was thoroughly enjoyed by the people, at their Sunday schools in the morning, ward fast meetings at 2 p. m., and M. I. A. joint meetings, in the evening. It was the first day of public worship since October 6, 1918. I inli County, according to official statement in the Provo Post, shipped 423 cars of peaches, which netted the growers $375,000, and 250 carloads of apples, which brought $315,000, according to statistics just completed. Four canneries in the county packed 6,500 tons of tomatoes, netting the growers $97,500. Besides these products, large crops of corn, cucumbers, cabbage, peas, and string beans, were produced. The total apple production in the Uinted States for 1918 is estimated to have increased 13 per cent. In Utah the total product was 489,000 boxes as compared with 552,000 in 1917; in Idaho, the falling off was even greater. Utah takes second place in sugar production for 1918, according to the estimate of the Bureau of Crops of the United States Department of Agriculture. For the first time in its history, Utah takes second place in the production of beet sugar. Its estimated production in 1918 is 118,000 short tons, as compared with Michigan's 117,600, California's 109,300. Colorado maintains the lead with a production for the season of 1918, of 182,700 tons. Michigan and California each surpassed Utah in the acreage planted, but the yield per acre was not so large in those states. The production of beet sugar in the whole country is estimated at 740,100 short tons. Farm production in the United States for the calendar year, 1918, including grains, live stock, and dairy products, is estimated by the Department of Agriculture at $24,700,000,000, compared with $21,325,000,000 last >ear. This is practically a farm production sufficient to pay our war bills. This country owes an immense debt to its soldiers, which it can never return; but also, a debt is due to the farmers, who have stood behind the plow and the harrow and forced from the earth a record-breaking crop after losing from 25 to 50 percent of their labor supply, and in the face of seed shortage, implement shortage, and epidemics of disease, Utah, Idaho and other western states in the Rocky Mountains have done their full share in this wonderful work. The Thirteenth Session of the Utah State Legislature met in the state Lake City, Monday, Jan. 13, 1919. The Senate organized by capitol, Salt choosing Hon. James W. Funk, of Richmond, president, with Adam L. Peterson, Huntsville, secretary, and the House, by choosing Hon. Charles C. Richards, Salt Lake City, speaker, and Lieut. Hugo B. Anderson, chief clerk. In- three days from the opening the legislature had ratified the national PASSING EVENTS 365 nation-wide prohibition amendment; accepted an invitation to attend the military review of the 145th F. A. at Logan, on Jan. 18; adopted a joint resolution favoring a league of nations and indorsing President Woodrow Wilson in personally attending the world peace conference. Besides, standing committees were named, a number of bills were introduced, and both branches of the legislature began active work. Bishop Edwin Spencer Sheets of the Thirty-third ward, Salt Lake City, died from acute pneumonia, following a brief attack of influenza, on Jan. 9, 1919. He was born at the old Church farm in the present Forest Dale, Jan. 23, 1875. He was the son of the late Bishop Elijah F. and Emma Spencer Sheets. His early life was spent in this city, where he attended the public schools, later the state university, and he graduated from the University of Chicago law school, in 1908. On July 2, 1896, he left for a mission to the central states, where for 21 months he labored in southern Illinois and for nine months in Minnesota, returning home on Dec. 21, 1898. On Dec. 27, 1899, he was married in the Salt Lake temple to Miss Alice Taylor, who with two children survive him. A short character sketch will appear of him in the March number of the Era by Elder W. A. Morton. — Successful Feeding of Livestock. Livestock can be fed successfully even in war times. The high cost of feeding stuffs makes the use of wellbalanced rations vital. Any mistakes are almost sure to eat up the profits, and profits the farmer must have or else stop feeding. But this is not all: ordinary feeds can often be replaced by some equally ordinary but hitherto unused and much cheaper product. Moreover all animals cannot with profit be fed the same rations. These and other equally important and timely problems are dealt with in Dr. W. E. Carroll's Feeding Farm Animals, just issued. Dr. Carroll is an authority on animal nutrition. The United States Army has recognized this and taken him from the station, temporarily to supervise the feeding of cavalry horses in one of our National Army Cantonments. About two weeks before he left to report for service he turned in this circular for publication. It is fresh, wellwritten, and to the point. It is now ready for distribution. Persons interested may secure copies by writing to the Utah Experiment Station, Logan, Utah. Merely asking for circular No. 32 will bring a copy by return mail. Senator Thomas Kearns, mining magnate, capitalist, and railroad builder, died at Salt Lake City, October 18, 1918, from a stroke of apoplexy. His death occurred six months and two days after that of David Keith, his business associate for nearly 30 years. He was born in Oxford county, upper Canada, April 11, 1862, and was the son of Thomas and Margaret Maher Kearns, who came to Canada from Ireland. When Thomas was eight years old, his parents moved to north Nebraska, where he assisted his father in farming and stock-raising. He later branched out for himself, went to the Black Hills during the first mining excitement, and returned again to Nebraska. He later went to Arizona. In the early part of 1883, he came to Utah, and his final successful efforts in Park City, delving for hidden treasures, is history well known. He became very wealthy from mining, and arose from extreme poverty to a high place of finance. He had but little chance for education, but advanced from a daily laborer to an honorable membership in the United States Senate, to which he was chosen by the Utah Legislature, in 1901. The Federal constitutional prohibition amendment submitted by Congress to the states in December, 1917, has received the necessary vote of 366 IMPROVEMENT ERA three-fourths of the legislatures of the states to make it effective. Utah was the 35th state to adopt the amendment, which was done on January 15, 1919, followed by Nebraska the next day, making the 36th state and which com- — pletes the legislative process of the United States in voting itself dry and which is the greatest and most far-reaching moral legislation in the history of the world. Mississippi was the first to ratify the amendment, taking action, Jan. 8, 1918. Then followed Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Dakota, Maryland, Montana, Arizona, Delaware, Texas, South Dakota, Massachusetts, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Idaho, Maine, West Virginia, Washington, California, Indiana, Arkansas, Illinois, North Carolina, Kansas, Alabama, Iowa, Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah and Nebraska. Total, 36. Since then several other states have fallen into line. Our M. I. A. slogan: We stand for state and nation-wide prohibition will shortly be fulfilled. — French Boys, Prisoners of Germans, Return to Homes. Held prisoners by the German invaders, and compelled under threat of severe punishment to labor unceasingly for four years to the rear of the enemy lines, these Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. French lads, released under the terms of the armistice, return to their homes in France. Their belongings, piled high on a wagon, which they commandeered, has been pulled for miles, but the load is light and the years of misery forgotten for they are returning home. — French Army of Occupation Entering Colmar in Alsace. These pictures show the entry of General de Castelnau at the head of the French army of occupation entering Colmar, in Alsace, in the hands of the French for the first time since 1870. General Castelnau, wearing the uniform he wore in 1870, made his solemn entry into the city on November 22, 1918, amid cries of "Long Live France," "Long Live Alsace," and "Long Live the Republic." Arches of triumph spanned the streets while the national flag flew from every window and housetop. The inhabitants who remained in the city turned out, dressed PASSING EVENTS 367 Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. in their native Alsatian costumes. A deputation of city officials and Mayor Lohmann greeted the troops and in an address made by the latter, he declared that the reception given to the French troops, proved that the hearts of Alsace were left in France in spite of long separation. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. The upper picture shows Mayor Lehmann greeting General Castelnau, while the lower photo shows the French troops entering the city. General Castelnau is at the left on horseback reviewing his troops. 368 IMPROVEMENT ERA Colonel Theodore Roosevelt died at Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, Jan. 6, 1919. He was the twenty-sixth president of the United States, Harvard graduate, New York assemblyman, Western ranchman, governor of New York, assistant secretary of the navy, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Rough Riders in the Spanish war, vice-president and later president of the United States, explorer, hunter in the Rockies, politician and statesman, for thirty-five years prominent in the public affairs of city, state, and nation, and above all, the bearer of the torch of true Americanism wherever he was, in whatever he did, first, last and all the time. The whole country mourned for him. Both houses of Congress adjourned in his honor; President Wilson announced his death by official wire from Paris, paying tribute to his memory, directing that flags of the White House and departmental buildings be displayed at half-mast for thirty days, and that suitable naval and military honors be rendered on the day of the funeral. He was born in New York, October 27, 1858. His hunting trips and explorations in Africa and Brazil and his earnest and eager support of the Allied cause during the great war are familiar recent history. Roosevelt On heights Olympian he stood Shooting his arrows at wrong; Keen his perception and sight, Fearless and brave in his might, Standing for God and the right, Facing a wondering throng. An archer colossal was he, Skillfully bending his bow; His quiver of excellent mold; His arrows finer than gold, Winged with a confidence bold, Tyranny quailed at his throw. In armor of honesty clad, He asked favors of none; To greed he would not descend, The spoiler he would not defend, Mammon his knees could not bend Columbia's glorious son. Go, follow his eagle-like flight Greater than Roman or Greek This archer sent by His grace, A star to 'lumine the race, A comet blazing through space To mark you a loftier peak. Cold is the hand of the Archer, Listless his quiver and bow; But his arrows, straight to the mark Flash diamond-tipped through the dark, Tinging with glory the Ark Where the altars of liberty glow. Ruth May Fox.