--- 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: 26 number: 12 published: 1923-10 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* 26, no. 12 (October 1923): 1159–1163.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera26012unse 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: improvementera26012unse start_page: 1159 end_page: 1163 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1923-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera26012unse publication_year: 1923 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 1923, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Passing Events The Irish Free State is now a member of the League of Nations. The country was unanimously recommended for admittance by the com- mittee on membership Sept. 10. The cornerstones of a Greek Cathedral were laid, Aug. 28, at Second West and Third South streets, Salt Lake City, by Mayor Neslen and Gover- nor Mabey, in the presence of about 500 persons. An eclipse of the sun was visible in Salt Lake City, Sept. 10. Seventy- seven hundredths of the surface of the sun was covered by the moon at 1:56 p. m. The entire eclipse lasted from 12:37 till 3:11. Frost and Snow were reported from the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Michigan, Sept. 13. No damage to the crops was feared, as the harvest was almost all finished in the regions visited by killing frost. The Swedish Mission report for six months ending June 30, 1923, shows a total of 85 baptisms in the 5 conferences of that mission, 38 ordinances and 15 blessings; also that there are 16 missionaries working in the home mission. The first carload of Utah iron ore, for use in the steel industry, left the state, Sept. 25. The shipments of the Columbia Steel Corporation from its property at Iron Springs, Iron County, began at that date, according to an announcement made. The United States and Mexico resumed full diplomatic relations, Aug. 31. The government of President Obregon is now fully recognized by the United States. The event was celebrated at El Paso, Texas. A delegation went from there to Juarez, Mexico, to exchange felicitations. The elections in Ireland, Aug.27, resulted in a complete victory for the Free State. The voting was quiet and orderly. President Cosgrave and other Free State officials left, Aug. 29, for Geneva, to confer with the proper parties on the entrance of the Free State into the League of Nations. Elder Robison Chas. Trimble, of Leamington, Utah, died, Aug. 27, in Pittsburgh, Pa., according to a report from President B. H. Roberts of the Eastern States mission. Elder Trimble had been in the field since Jan. 25, 1922. He was born in Fillmore, July 30, 1889. The body was brought home for burial. J. Leo Fairbanks resigned, Aug. 18, to become head of the art depart- ment of the Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis, Ore. The institution has an enrollment of 5000 students. He took over his new duties September 1. He has been an instructor and supervisor of art in the Salt Lake City schools since 1905. 1160 IMPROVEMENT ERA Seven U. S. Navy destroyers were wrecked, Sept. 8, on the rocks off Arguello light, 75 miles north of Santa Barbara, Cal. The Pacific mail liner Cuba was also wrecked on a reef off the southeast end of San Miguel island. Thirty-three enlisted men lost their lives. The passengers and crews of the Cuba were landed. Zion National Park, up' to August 15, had 4,883 visitors this season, more than the entire number last year. Yellowstone Park had 102,926 visitors, up to August 15, as against 98,223 in the entire season of 1922. The one day's record was broken on July 18, when 2,556 entered the Park, the highest day last year being 1,983. A revolution directed against the Spanish cabinet was reported from Barcelona, Sept. 13. That city has for many years been the center of the Carlist agitation and a separatist movement having for its object the sever- ance of Catalonia from the Madrid government. The present movement, however, does not seem to be directed against the king. General Primo Minister Rivera was called upon by the king to form a new cabinet. Senator Reed Smoot arrived home, Aug. 23. from an extended trip to Europe and a short visit in Washington. In published interviews he ex- pressed full confidence in the successor of Mr. Harding in the executive office of the country. In Europe) Mr. Smoot made a study of European conditions, and was frequently consulted by men prominent in government circles. He was extensively interviewed by the press. Baron Tomasuro Kato died, Aug. 24, at Tokio. He has been the prime minister of Japan since June 12, 1922. Premier Kato attained his emi- nence in the Russo-Japanese war. He entered the war as a captain and emerged as a rear admiral. Taking over the portfolio of the navy in 1915, Baron Kato became a strong partisan of the advancement of friendly relations between Japan and the United States. At the Washington arms conference, where he was a member of the Japanese delegation, he was credited with being one of the strongest proponents of the naval accord treaty. Viscount Uchida was appointed prime minister of Japan, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Baron Kato. The scrapping of old war vessels began, Aug. 27, in two Pacific coast shipyards, in accordance with the agreement entered into with Great Britain, France, and Japan, in President Harding's armament congress at Washington. Seven "ships of the line," six of them outworn in service, and the seventh, the greatest of all, still less than half completed on the launching ways, were fairly overrun by "stripping crews," who commenced work by removing small ordnance and other works that "may come in handy" later. When the stripping is completed the hulls will either be disposed of to private owners for destruction or will be cut up and junked by the government. A terrific earthquake was reported from Japan, Sept. 1. Tokio and Yokohama were devastated by the shocks and a fire that broke out almost immediately. In Tokio thousands of buildings were brought to the ground, and within a short time they were consumed in a roaring furnace of flames. The city of Yokohama was also severely shaken and was soon ablaze. A tidal wave also set in and by it many ships were wrecked. The loss of life is very heavy. Seven hundred persons were reported killed when the twelve- story tower at Asakusa fell. Sengu and Fucagawa were reported totally destroyed with appalling loss of life. Later reports stated that 300,000 lives PASSING EVENTS 1161 were lost, and that Nagoya, once known as the Chicago of Japan, and many other cities were almost totally destroyed. There are twenty-one missionaries from Utah in Japan. They are all safe. A conference had been called for the latter part of August, at a place 800 miles from Tokio, and the destruc- tion came while the elders were absent on account of the conference. Over $5,000,000 had been collected in the United States up to Sept. 15, for the relief of the sufferers. A unique Harding memorial was dedicated, September 12, near Cedar City, Utah, when a golden rail was placed on the railroad track, on the spot where the presidential car stopped last June, when President Harding visited Zion National Park. A large crowd witnessed the ceremonies. Presi- dent Anthony W. Ivins offered the invocation. Senator Reed Smoot was the first speaker. President Heber J. Grant followed with a beautiful tribute to the worth of the late President. After the address of Senator Smoot, the chief feature of the ceremony was carried out — the placing of the golden rail in the track. The section of track was drawn to the place on a small wagon, on which rode a little girl, by four little boys dressed in white. Governor Mabey drove one spike for the state of Utah; R. H. Rutledge, district forrester, drove one for the forest service; David Bullock of Cedar City, drove one for the city, and D. S. Spencer, general passenger agent for the Union Pacific, drove one for the railroad. The spikes with which the rail was laid were hand wrought and made of iron smelted from the iron deposits of Iron county. W . H. Seegmiller, Richfield, Utah, died there, Sept. 1, as the result of an injury he received Aug. 20, when trying to leave a moving truck. The deceased was born in Baden, Ontario, Canada, in 1843. He came to the United States when 18 years of age and started for California by mule and ox-team. He became a convert to the L. D. S. faith at Florence, Neb., and when he reached Salt Lake City he abandoned the idea of going to Cal- ifornia. Mr. Seegmiller was called by Brigham Young to go to Moapa valley, Nev., where he assisted in the growing of cotton. He returned to Salt Lake City in 1871 and the following year came to Sevier valley to assist Joseph W. Young in its settlement. Since then he had been associated with every movement for the upbuilding of his country. He held various high ecclesiastical positions until 1888, when he became stake president, which office he held until 1910, when he was released. He was a member of the territorial legislature in 1888 and 1890 and speaker of the house in 1892. He held various county offices and was at one time superintendent of schools. He served as city councilman and as mayor of Richfield. The island of Corfu was occupied Aug. 31, by Italian troops after & bombardment, during which a school house caught fire and several Greeks were killed. The island is a Greek possession in the Ionian Sea. Martial law was declared throughout Greece. The trouble arose when, on Aug. 28, five Italians were killed on Greek soil, near Janina, Albania. Italy promptly demanded that the Greek government apologize and humbly salute the Italian flag and then pay fifty million lire. The Greek government replied that it could not comply with all these demands and appealed to the League of Nations for an investigation. Italy then seized the Greek island, and, later, some nearby islands. Italy and Greece being members of the League of Nations, the latter country appealed to the council of the League, but Mussolini refused to recognize the jurisdiction of that organization. The question was then taken up by the council of ambassadors. On Sept. 12 it was announced that Greece had agreed to salute the Italian squadron on Sept. 19. On Sept. 15 it was reported that the Greco-Italian incident was 1162 IMPROVEMENT ERA virtually closed. Italy, at the time, had also agreed to resume negotiations with the Jugo-Slav government on the Fiume question. The Timpanogos highway was opened up to Aspen Grove on the 22nd of August. This is the first link to be completed of the Alpine scenic high- way which will eventually connect Parleys Canyon and Provo Canyon. This link was completed during the last year at a cost of $30,000. The trip from Salt Lake is a little less than one hundred miles through American Fork Canyon, over the divide at an altitude of 9,000 feet. A trip can be arranged -y- 4 ^B Hnl j -SUB - ■ | | • , * A 1 ■ "WS^K'r ' -"^. 5- '• ' •* " '. -■:;: ■ - Right: Making the last bit of dugway at Aspen Grove on the new Timpano- gos scenic highway. Left: August 12, 1923. The first car, a Dodge, driven by DeWitt Valera, to go over the new scenic highway, connecting American Fork and Provo Canyons. so that Timpanogos cave can be visited and the Timpanogos climb made. The distance will require four and one-half hours' continuous driving. The fullest beauty of the American Fork Canyon, the North Fork Canyon, and Provo Canyon, is made possible to the motorist on this trip. The grandeur of the scenery is unparalleled. A celebration was held at Aspen Grove and consisted of a number of speeches and musical numbers. Quick mail service between San Francisco and New York, by the air route is aimed at. Air Mail Pilot Paul Scott reached Salt Lake Aug. 21, at 1:18 p. m., mountain time. He had left San Francisco at 5:50 a. m. Aug. 21, An- other plane left Hazelhurst field on long Island with mail for San Francisco, the same day, at 11:01 a. m. eastern standard time. Guided by powerful bea- con lights, the government planes rushed towards goals and passed each other somewhere in Nebraska. Their path was marked by a series of remarkable lights, ranging in tensity from 5000 to 500,000 candle power, and visible from three to 150 miles. Small beacon lights are only three miles PASSING EVENTS 1163 apart, and at distances of twenty-five miles are great searchlights, while the landing fields along the pathway of the speeding planes are also brilliant- ly lighted, and the. shops themselves are equipped with emergency search- lights for use in case of forced landings. On Aug. 22 the postmaster at Salt Lake City had on his desk two letters from New York, both stamped, "New York, N. Y. Aug. 21, 10: a.m.," and "Salt Lake City,Utah, Aug. 22, 1 p. m." They had arrived with the airplane from the east, the fastest mail ever received in Utah from the east coast. At 6:24 p. m., Aug. 22, Pilot Clair K. Vance brought more than 400 pounds of mail to Crissy field,San Francisco. It arrived 34 hours and 23 minutes after the first installment of it had left the field on Long Island. On Aug. 24, Pilot Wesby L. Smith completed the relay flight from San Francisco to Hempstead Field, N. Y., in 26 hours and 14 minutes. The record for the eight flights over the 2,680-mile course was as follows: Eastbound: Tuesday — Left San Francisco and reached Laramie: second plane left Cheyenne and traveled to New York. Laramie to Cheyenne not flown. Wednesday — Left San Francisco 5:26 a. m., and reached New York 12:22 p. m. Thursday. Time 27:56. Thursday — Left San Francisco 6 a. m. reached New York 11:14 a. m. Friday. Time, 26:14. Friday — Left San Francisco 5:28 a. m.; reached New York 11:17 a. m. Satfuirday. Time 25:49. Westbound: Tuesday — Left New York 11:01 a. m. ; reached San Francisco 6:24 p. m. Wednesday. Time, 34:23. Wednesday — Left New York 11:01 a. m.; reached San Francisco 1:45 p. m. Thursday. Time 29:44. Thursday — Left New York 10:58 a. m.; arrived San Francisco 1:34 p. m. Friday. Time, 29:38. Friday — Left New York 11:04 a. m.; reached San Francisco 1:44 p. m. Saturday. Time, 29:40. A Live Mutual in Nottingham Arthur B. Sims, president of the Nottingham branch of the Mutual Improvement Association, England, reports that they have had many new Saints and friends in their Mutual class. They found the lessons, "Doing Common Things in an Uncommon Way" interesting, and are now studying lessons on health from the Senior manual, but expect to take up the lessons on "Life's Visions and Purposes" as soon as the September Era reaches them. The Era is considered a splendid help in their work. The slogan for the years 1922-23 found much favorable comment among the young people. It was taken up with great energy in the Nottingham branch, where they have had many excellent street meetings during the last year. "Our late president, A. Walter Stevenson and the present president, Joseph Howard Valentine, have done splendid work among the people." M. I. A. in Ireland Prest. Peter L. Shepherd, M. I. A., Belfast, Ireland, reports that branch of the Church growing rapidly. "At a recent evening conference meeting there were 90 present, 45 of whom were investigators. The Mutual is taking a turn for the best, the people are crying for a prophet and a restored re- ligion, our message of revealed truth is striking home to them, and Ireland is prepared to receive the revealed word of the Lord."