--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Unknown collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 28 number: 10 published: 1925-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Unknown, “Passing Events,” *Improvement Era 28, no. 10 (August 1925)*: 1011–1014." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera28010unse 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: improvementera28010unse start_page: 1011 end_page: 1014 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1925-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera28010unse publication_year: 1925 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 1925, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Passing Events PASSING EVENTS 1011 Senator Edwin Fremont Ladd. of North Dakota, died at Baltimore, June 22. He was a native of Maine and a citizen of North Dakota. He was born December 13, 1859. At the university he made chemistry his chief study, and his knowledge of this subject enabled him to labor success- fully with chemical and food problems. His alliance with Senator La Folette of Wisconsin and his connection with the farm bloc made him an important member of the La Folette crowd. Charles M. Fillmore, General Secretary of the National Headquarters of the No-Tobacco League of America, informs the Era that a great nation- wide campaign is to be inaugurated in the high schools in September. The League is now raising a special fund of $25,500 to make the campaign nation- wide. A series of four sets of prizes to high schools, one for essays, one for orations, one for cartoons, and one for a student organization, will be given for the most successful campaign in i:s school for the elimination of tobacco using among the pupils. Edward Laird, 73, died in Salt Lake City, June 9, 1925, at his residence, 840 21st South Street. He was born February 12, 1852 in Scotland, the son of James and Mary Ramey Laird. He crossed the plains with his parents ai: the age of four in Captain Willey's handcart company. T'ney looted at Mountain Dell in Parley's Canyon where he spent most of his life. . He was interested in various business enterprises and also in the sheep business. He served in the bishopric of Mountain Dell for many years. He married Valeria Ann Flint, January 15, 1872. Surviving are his widow, one sister, three sons, five daughters, and also fifty-two grandchildren and three great- grandchildren. The international conference at Geneva on traffic in arms adjourned on the 17th of June. Eighteen countries expressed a desire for cooperation by signing the arms traffic convention. Twenty-seven subscribed to the protocol outlawing the use of bacteria and poison gas in wartime. The American delegates signed both documents. The arms convention will come into force as soon as fourteen states ratify it. The gas protocol becomes binding on each country that ratifies it, but only towards those that also register their ratification. The chief usefulness of the arms control agreement is that it gives publicity to international transactons in the sale and purchase of a certain class of arms and war materials. Captain Roald Amundsen and his companions on the trip towards the North pole arrived in Oslo July 5, where they were given a demonstrative reception by the people and the king. Three open carriages drew the party to the royal castle, Captain Amundsen and Lieutenant Ellsworth riding in the first carriage. King Haakon received the members of the expedition, decorat- ing them all. Ellsworth seemed to be popular with the great crowds, his name being shouted any time any of the party were seen at the hotel windows. The king pinned a gold medal on Amundsen and decorated the others with the insignia of the Order of St. Olav. Members of the expedition dined with the king at the royal palace at 6 o'clock this evening. The World revolution is making rapid strides, according to a statement credited to Gregory Zinoviev, the head of the Third Internationale. In proof of the assertion he mentions: (1.) The revolutionary uprisings in China, which have already reached the stage of a general strike. (2.) The war in Morocco, which is beginning to arouse even the working men. (3.) The growing unemployment in England, the tremendoui demonstrations of the unemployed, and. under the influence of the British Communist party, a demand for an extraordinary labor congress. (4.) The tremendous financial crisis in Germany. (5.) The financial and economic crisis in France, "a country which Was victorious in the imperialistic war." (6.) A bumper harvest and the rapid growth of economic conditions in soviet Russia. 1012 IMPROVEMENT ERA Zinoviev declares that the bolshevization of the world is not merely a theory, declaring: "Great events are unrolling before our eyes. China will vividly show the European proletariat what tremendous reserves we have in the east." A conference on the Chinese trouble will be called shortly by the United States in order to obtain a unified policy in China and safeguard that country's interests. That is the announcement made from Swampscott, Mass., July 12, after a conference between President Coolidge and Secretary of State Kellog. The conference will be conducted under a pact subscribed to by the following nine powers, the United States, Great Britian, France, China, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium. The object will be to provide a revenue for the country, to agree on a judicial policy 1« substitution for the present system by which the foreign powers hold their own courts in China, and to effect a change from the present leasing system by which foreigners gain control of the business industries of China. Joseph Warren Wadsworth, 94 years of age, died in his home at Hooper, June 24. He appeared to be in good health for his age, and was conversing with his wife, when seized with apoplexy. Death came almost instantly. Mr. Wadsworth was born in Lincolnsville, Me., December 16, 1831. the son of Adiah and Eliza Hardy Wadsworth. He joined the Church in Maine arid came to Utah with a hand-cart company in 1851. He was mar- ried in 1855. A former wife died in Ogden in 1889. Mr. Wadsworth lived first in Salt Lake, and also resided in Farmington, Uintdh and Morgan counties, going to Hooper in 1880, where he has since resided. A large posterity survives Mr. Wadsworth, including seven sons, eight daughters. 120 grand children, 175 great-grandchildren and two great- great-grand chil- dren. Earthquake shocks destroyed the business center of Santa Barbara, Cal., June 29, causing a loss of possibly $30,000,000 and some lives. Among the buildings ruined is the Arlington hotel, which was considered as strong as a fortress; it is declared a total loss. Great damage was done all along Main street. The ground, says an eye witness, rolled "like a slight wave hitting a canoe." The first shock seems to have struck the city at 6:45 a. m., but the quakes continued throughout the day, and a violent shock was reported at 1:22 a. m., June 30. Slight shocks were felt at 6:45 p. m., June 29, at Salinas, Santa Cruz and Watsonville, 50 to 80 miles south of San Francisco, and 150 to 180 miles north of Santa Barbara. President Joseph W. McMurrin, president of the California mission, reports that there are no members of the Church among the killed and injured. Earthquakes have also occurred throughout Montana and Wyoming recently. On June 29, it was reported at Rock Springs, Wyo., that Kelly Wyo., four miles from the newly formed Gies Ventre lake, suffered a heavy temblor Saturday night, June 27, at the time the earthquake shook Montana, Idaho, Oregon and northwestern Wyoming. Another lake was formed it is said, above Gros Ventre lake by a slide of large proportions. The cornerstone for the American Falls dam was laid, July 13, at American Falls, Idaho, by Secretary of the Interior Work, in the presence of an immense throng. A message from President Coolidge was read by the Secretary, as an introduction to an address on the importance and significance of the project. Among the speakers on the occasion was a Bannock chief ,Tea Poknibo, who spoke in his language, expressing the loyalty of the Indians, and their willingness to cooperate in the building up of the country. The program commenced at 8 o'clock in the morning with an aerial bombardment of various types of sputter bombs, parachutes, smoke rockets and other things to attract the multitude of eyes upward. Outstanding in impressiveness and rivaling the cornerstone laying in significance was the historical pageant, pre- senting in tableaux the story of western progress, from the time of Lewis and PASSING EVENTS 1013 Clark to the present time of intensified modern patriotism. The pageant embodied eight episodes, designated as Lewis and Clark, fur trading, pony express, covered wagon, Fort Bridger treaty. Indian school, "Mormon" migra- tion and present day. Featured as a part of the pageant was a monster parade of floats and marching groups entered by various institutions and communities vitally interested in the American Falls development. Aerial stunts and daylight fire works continued at intervals throughout the after- noon with a night demonstration, which brought the day's activities to a close. The Scopes trial began at Dayton, Tenn., June 11. It involves the question of the constitutionality of the Tennessee anti-evolution school law, which makes it a misdemeanor for a school teacher to teach the children in Tennessee that man is descended from a lower order of animals, Mr. Scopes violated that law in order to have its constitutionality tested. Eminent counsel on both sides has taken up the case. The prosecution is represented bv Walter White, superintendent of Rhea county schools and official prose- cutor; A. T. Stewart, attorney general of the Eighteenth Tennessee judicial district; Wm. Jennings Bryan, Jr., Sue K. Hicks, J. G. McKenzie, Wallace G. Haggard, Herbert E. Hicks. The defense: Judge John R. Neal, chief of staff; Clarence Darrow, Dudley Field Malone, Arthur Garfield Hays. The judge is John L. Raulston. The case has been given more importance than the facts warrant, because it has been supposed that it will somehow decide the controversy on evolution. But such is not the case, although, naturally, in the testimony, much will be said on both sides. But the question of whether the theory of evolution is true or false is not before the jury in the Scopes case; the only question that body can decide is whether the defendant is, or is not, guilty of violation of the law. Later the Supreme Court may have to pass on the constitutionality of the law, but whatever the final outcome of the spectacular trial, the controversy on the theory of evolution will continue, until settled by other means or methods. Expert scientific testimony was ruled out July 17, by Judge Raulston in the case against John Thomas Scopes at Dayton, Tenn., on the ground that the only question before the Court is whether the defendant has, or has not, violated the anti-evolution law of the state. But that has been both proved and admitted, and no expert testimony is, therefore, needed. The jury, July 21, found defendant guilty, and the judge imposed a fine of $100. The case is to be appealed. A Corner Stone with a History. — This stone is located in the south- east corner of the new Kanab church. It is 36 by 33 inches in size. It was taken, according to President Heber J. Meeks, from the famous marble ledge in the Grand Canyon which was first described by Powell. This is the first stone taken out of the Powell quarry and made use of. In the rough, it weighed 1 100 pounds when laid down in Kanab. The builders of the Kanab ward meeting house quarried it and with great difficulty dragged it to where it was loaded on an improvised cart erected for the purpose. On this it was hauled twenty miles to where it could be loaded on a wagon and taken to Kanab some 83 miles away from the quarry. It was then polished by local people and as the work progressed, a remarkable picture appeared on the polished marble of the stone. At the base of the stone there appeared the red colors of the hills representing the flats near Fredonia. Above is a space of gray likened to the stretch of sage reaching to the Buckskin Moun- tains which are clearly figured on the stone with their covering of cedars. Above the cedars is the sky, and, the white clouds through which the moon shines. Above the clouds are specks of red in the polished marble represent- ing the stars. This really wonderful picture has engraved on its lower margin: "L. D. S. Chapel, 1924." The chapel is built of stone and brick and is modern in every respect, and will cost from twenty-four to twenty-six 1014 IMPROVEMENT ERA thousand dollars when finished. The seating capacity in the main hall is 500 with ample class rooms in the basement. The town clock has been placed in the tower and strikes the hours, re-echoing in the ruddy hills the time of day and night. Kanab celebrated the installation of electric light in its homes and streets, being lighted up for the first time on the evening of July 2, 1925, when the occasion was celebrated by a big public gathering, program and dance in the recreation hall. IMPROVEMENT ERA, AUGUST, 1925 Two Dollars per Annum Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter Heber J. Grant, / ~ ,. Melvin J. Ballard, Business Mgr. editors ■ Edward H. Anderson. ^ Moroni Snow, Assistant. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1 103, Act of October 3. 1917, authorized on July 2, 1918 CONTENTS Brigham Young Monument Decorated with M. I. A. Insignia Frontispiece Prepare. A Poem Andrew K. Smith 925 Growth — How a Living Testimony Endures Prest- Heber J. Grant 927 Joseph Smith — and the Great West — I /. K. Russell 932 The Chili Harvest. A Poem Joseph Longking Townsend- 940 The Heritage and Promise — Part III John Henry Evans 941 Worth Living For. A Poem Bertha A. Kleinman 943 We Are Here! With Portraits Junius F. Wells 944 Humility. A Poem -Nellie Skinner 953 Recollections B. Morris Young 954 Canada Calls the Tourist. Illustrated Frank C. Steele 95 7 Sunshine and Shadows. A Poem Lamont Johnson 960 Speaking of Telephones. A Story Fred McLaughlin 961 Ode to the Sun. A Poem . Claud S. Grow 965 His Shoes in the Parlor. A Story '.-Marguerite Cameron 966 New Zealanders Journey to the Hawaiian Temple. .Rulon H. Tingey 969 Once Too Often. A Story Glen Perrins 970 Boast Not -.Joseph S. Peery 97 1 A Land Choice Above All Other Lands. Patriotic Anthem Edwin F. Parry 972 The Way You View It. A Poem P-Jda R. Alldredge 975 How Hyrum Second Ward Built its Recreation Hall Melvin Lemon 976 The Singer. A Poem Frank McConkie 977 What They Say 978 Bits of Philosophy Nephi Jensen 980 The M. I. A. Slogan for 1925-26 —Elder Nicholas G. Morgan..— 981 What is a Testimony? Dr. George H. Brimhall 982 Steps in Securing and Mantaining a Testimony Elder Heber C. Iverson 986 Shall we Sell our Morals for Money? H. Grant Ivins 991 Eternal Day. A Poem Samuel B. Mitton 993 Messages from the Missions. Illustrated 994 Editor's Table — How to Obtain a Testimony 1000 Betting on Horse Races 1001 To What Do Our Words Portend? A Poem L. Lula Greene Richards 1002 Mutual Work 1003 After. A Poem Phineus Tempest 1009 Passing Events 1010