--- 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: 29 number: 2 published: 1925-12 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* 29, no. 2 (December 1925): 211–216." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2902unse 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: improvementera2902unse start_page: 211 end_page: 216 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1925-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2902unse 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 The pari-mutuel section of the Redd horse racing act of 19Z5 is un- constitutional, according to a. decision of Judge L. B. Wight in the Third judicial district, Oct. 26, 1925. His honor held that horse racing in Utah is a mixed game of skill and chance and therefore illegal. An anti-cancer serum is said to have been discovered by Dr. Thomas Lumsden of the Lister Institute of Preventive medicine. The serum is ob- tained from horses, and it is said to have cured animals. It remains to be seen whether it will be equally effective in human beings. A Syrian republic has been proclaimed, with Bakri, the chief of the Syrian rebels as president, according to a dispatch from Cairo to the Paris Liberte, Nov. 5, 1925. American destroyers have been dispatched from Alexandria to Beirut, in order to "protect American interests" and to aid American refugees, if necessary. Charles E. Dinwoody, of the Idaho Falls presidency, died at his home in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Oct. 25, 1925, of pneumonia. He was born in Salt Lake City, Feb. 28, 1876, the son of the late James Dinwoody and Sarah Dinwoody. For 27 years he has been prominent in the building up of Idaho Falls, both materially and spiritually. "The United States of Europe" is the conception of French business men, and an international conference will be called in the near future to lay the economic foundation of such a Union. Louis Loucheur, who proposes the conference, thinks the customs barriers between the different countries should be broken down, because "high tariff competition is as dangerous to peace as competition in armaments." Paul Painleve is the new French premier, and also finance minister of the new cabinet. He succeeded in forming a ministry, which was completed at 5 o'clock a. m., Oct. 29, 1925, after an all night's vigil and effort. It is believed in Washington that the new ministry will come to an agreement with the United States concerning the war debt. Former Premier Herriot refused to accept a place under Painleve. "Autogyro" is the name of a new type of flying machine, which is said to have made a successful flight at the Farnborough airdrome, England, Oct. 19, piloted by Captain Frank F. Courtney. The inventor is Senor Juan die la Cierva. The plane rises and sets vertically, and can, therefore, take off from and land on the deck of a ship. The experiment was witnessed by Sir Samuel Hoar and a number of air ministry officials. The coffin containing the mummy of Tutankhamen was uncovered Nov. 5 by Howard Carter, the American Egyptologist. The actual coffin of the king was covered with gold ornamentation of marvelous workmanship, but was partly concealed by a black, glutinous layer, apparently from the funeral libations. Carter intends to take the mummy out of the coffin, after which it will be wrapped up again to await the decision of the Egyptian government as to its disposal. "Bart of Kane County and Other Stories" is the name of a collection of short stories bv Harrison R. Merrill, a well known Utah writer. Besides a number of stories that have appeared from time to time in the Era, the volume will contain several new ones. All of these stories have western settings and a western flavor. Since the Era stories, especially, are stories of purpose, the volume will no doubt be welcomed by people who have sons HI IMPROVEMENT ERA and daughters, and by those who would like to send a missionary a helpful Christmas gift. The book will be ready by December 15. William M. Roylance, former mayor of Provo, Utah, died there at his home, Oct. 15, 1925, 60 years old. He was born in Springville, March 31, 1865. Mr. Roylance has the credit of having started the movement of shipping fruit out of Utah, which, from a small beginning, has grown to immense proportions. He has been active in politics, having served in the legislature, in the Springville city council, and as mayor of Provo. In 1885 he married Laura Turner. The widow, two sons, Martin W. and Wm. C. Roylance, and two daughters, Mrs. Abe W. Turner and Mrs. Frank K. Dunn survive him; also four brothers and two sisters. The Permanent Court of International justice began its extraordinary session, October 26, at the Hague. The world court was asked by the Council of the League of Nations to decide two points: First, whether in settling the conflict over the Mosul the Council plays the role of arbitrator under the Lausanne treaty or the role of mediator under the covenant of the League of Nations; and, second, whether the Council must necessarily be unanimous in reaching a decision, or, in other words, whether Great Britain, as a member of the Council, is entitled to vote on the question. The Turkish government declined to be represented at the hearing. Damascus has been partly destroyed by shell and fire, according to a report from Haifa, in Palestine, Oct. 31, 1925. The French governor, General Sarrail. has tried the impossible task of subduing the Druses by military force, instead of governing them as a free people. And when he undertook to parade the dead bodies of 22 "agitators" in the street, in order to strike terror in the rebellious population, the indignation rose to such a height that the French decided to bomb the ancient city as a means of self-defense. But the French in Syria are now confronted with a general "rebellion," and the story of the destruction of Damascus has shocked the civilized world. France has again demonstrated her inability to govern a dependent people by undemocratic methods. An ultimatum was sent Oct. 21, by the Greek government to Bulgaria, demanding an indemnity of 2,000,000 francs, an apology and punishment of certain Bulgarian officers. Greek troops are said to have penetrated into Bulgarian territory and occupied Petrich. Bulgarians are said to have attacked a Greek post near Demihissar, Oct. 20, and a Greek captain with a white flag, it is charged, was killed. Hence the ultimatum. Two American de- stroyers are dispatched from Gibraltar to Alexandria, to be used, if necessary, in Syrian ports. Oct. 22, it was reported that military operations had ceased, and that the Council of the League of Nations, on the appeal of Bulgaria, would take the matter up on Oct. 26. Bulgarian accounts say that 25 Bulgar- ians have been killed and 15,000 made homeless, and that the Greeks have occupied 240 square miles of Bulgarian territory. Greece and Bulgaria were ordered to cease hostilities within twenty-four hours, Oct. 26, 1925, by the Council of the League of Nations, in extra session at Paris. At the same time the Council decided to dispatch officers to the scene of the trouble, to ascertain whether the order had been carried out. The representatives of the two belligerents assured the Council that their respective governments would abide by the decision, but the Greek delegate would communicate with his government before making any promises. Mr. Austen Chamberlain for Great Britain said it would be "an affront to civiliza- tion if, with all the machinery of the League at their disposal, and the Council ever ready with its good offices, frontier incidents like those between Greece and Bulgaria should lead to warlike operations instead of being submitted for peaceful adjustment to the Council." M. Briand. for Franc?, said: "Let it be carefully understood that this time limit runs from now. It will PASSING EVENTS 213 not suffice to retire to the special frontiers: there must be no shooting from the frontiers." Europe has now. in this way. through its most powerful spokesman, branded murder and land grabbing as a crime, even if a govern- ment is the responsible culprit. The government that continues war opera- tions in defiance of the decision of the Council is, according to Article 1 5 of the Covenant of the League, regarded as the enemy of all the members of the League, and they may cut all trade and financial relations, and prohibit all financial and even personal intercourse between the nationals of that govern- ment and those of the League. No power in our day can afford to place its subjects under such a ban. The Locarno Pact was accepted, Oct. 14. 1925, by the German cabinet, with the approval of Pres. Hindenburg. Chancellor Luther and Foreign Minister Stresemann were authorized to sign it in behalf of Germany. The pact, as approved by the conference, Oct. 15, provides that the frontiers of the nations concerned shall remain as fixed by the Versailles treaty, each nation pledges itself not to make war without submitting its dispute to arbitration, and agrees that the rights of the nations under the Versailles treaty shall not be prejudiced by the pact. By special treaties with Poland and Czecho-Slovakia, France guarantees the German-Polish and German- Czecho arbitration treaties, and these powers bind themselves to come to the aid of each other in case of unprovoked attacks. No less than seven different treaties were formulated and signed at Locarno. They will be in force when ratified by the respective governments, and when Germany becomes a member of the League of Nations. Whether your shadow weighs anything will be ascertained by a new machine constructed by Ralph C. Hartsough of Columbia University, ac- cording to a dispatch from New York, Oct. 23. The instrument, which weighs molecules, will be used to test the Einstein theory. That theory holds that light rays have weight and are curved by gravitation: that gravita- tional attraction has the same speed as light. Under the theory one and a third seconds would be required for the moon's pull to travel 240,000 miles to the earth. If the theory is correct, shadows on the machine are expected to show that the moon exerts its greatest pull one and a third seconds after the moon passes its zenith over any given spot on the earth's surface. If the Einstein theory is wrong the machine is expected to show the greatest pull at the exact instant the moon reaches the zenith. Faith healing is to be investigated again. The archbishop of Canterbury, as reported from London Nov. 10, has appointed a committee of six doctors and six clergymen to investigate the possibilities of faith healing in connection with the regular church services. The committee, which is headed by the bishop of Southwark. is charged with a thorough search into the realm of psychic research — a field in which America has hitherto led the world- American churchmen being almost alone in the orthodox religious world's endeavors to penetrate the mysteries of autosuggestion. Even the highly controversial question of birth control figures in the program to be taken up by this pioneer committee. Other matters will be studied, including modern methods for the prevention of crime, the treating of insane persons, and the consideration of scientific psychology in connection with the so-called miraculous cures effected at revival meetings. Patrick H. Lannan, former publisher of the Salt Lake Tribune, died in Los Angeles, Nov. 6, 1925, after a prolonged illness, 85 years old. The deceased was born at Bummakham, South Ireland, March 12, 1839, and came to America with his parents when 8 years of age. Quite young he went to California. In San Francisco he learned the game of politics. From San Francisco he moved to Virginia City, Nev., where he opened a butcher shop and continued to play politics. In the late 70's he came to Salt Lake City, where he at once identified himself with the anti-"Mormon," so-called Liberal 214 IMPROVEMENT ERA party. With money furnished by wealthy men outside the State he bought a share in the Salt Lake Tribune, and became the manager of that sheet, with the late C. C. Goodwin as chief editor. He continued in that position until the fall of 1900, when, tired of the unfortunate policy for which the paper then stood, he sold out to Thomas Kearns and David Keith. Mrs. Christiana Dollinger Pyper, widow of Judge Alexander C. Pyper, passed away in her home in Salt Lake City, Oct. 21, at the age of 91 years. She was born in New York City, May 31, 1834, a daughter of Thomas J. and Eliza Rhodes Dollinger. After her father and mother joined the Church, the family moved to Nauvoo, where they were associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith and other leaders of the Church. Her father died in Nauvoo, and Mrs. Pyper was left with her brother and a sister. She witnessed the burning of the Nauvoo temple and after the death of her mother suffered many trials incident to the troublesome times there. Later she moved to Council Bluffs where she married Mr. Pyper. The couple went to Florence, Neb., where Mr. Pyper conducted a large outfitting establishment. The couple crossed the plains by wagon, arriving here in 185 9. Mr. Pyper became financial agent for President Brigham Young, superintendent of Z. C. M. I., then a retail grocery concern. He was police judge for many years and was also bishop of the Twelfth ward. Mrs. Pyper was for many years an active worker in the Relief Society and was president of that organization in Sugar House and also participated in other Church activities. She suffered a stroke last Sunday, Oct. 18, from which she never regained consciousness. She was the mother of 1 1 children, four of .'whom died. Surviving are five sons and two daughters: Robert A. Pyper, Ogden; George D., William D., Walter T., and Geneive A. Pyper, Salt Lake: Mrs. Kate D. Preston, Logan, and Alexander C. Pyper, San Diego, Calif.; also 17 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held at 1 p. m. Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Twelfth-Thirteenth ward chapel under the direction of Bishop Heber K. Aldous. William A. Needham passed away, Nov. 9, 1925, at the Dante hospital, San Francisco, after a brief illness, and thus closed the career of one of the prominent business men of Salt Lake City. As a buyer for Z. C. M. I. he left for San Francisco about three weeks ago. He was then enjoying his usual health. Soon afterwards word came that he had taken ill, and his wife, one son and a daughter, left immediately for the coast, and remained with him till the end. Mr. Needham was born in Salt Lake City, October 2, 185 8, the son of the late James and Alice (Warburton) Needham. He was educated in the public schools and entered the employ of the Z. C. M. I. Jaunary 1 , 1882. He was soon in charge of the silks and dress goods department of the big store and in 1891 was made manager of the entire dry goods depart- ment of the institution. In his capacity as buyer he has made more than four-score trips to New York and other large business centers. In 1920 he was promoted to a place on the directorate of the concern, a position that he filled with signal ability by reason of his long1 experience and understand- ing of business conditions. To further round out his public service, Mr. Needham was for a considerable period a director (without pay) of Zion's Building Society and likewise chairman of the retail trades committee of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. At the National Dry Goods association convention, held in New York about a year ago, he was awarded a silver medal for being the second oldest department store buyer in point of service in the United States. He leaves his widow, Elizabeth Brown Needham, the sons Irwin B., and Ray B., the daughters Mame and Hazel R. Needham and Mrs. Ray W. Harris; also seven grandchildren and these brothers and sisters: Thomas B. Needham. Logan: Mrs. E. L. Price, Mrs. B. Fulmer and A. B. Needham, all of Salt Lake. The Utah Inter-mountain Egg Laying contest has been conducted at the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, by Byron Alder, Poultrvman. be- PASSING EVENTS 215 Rank Entry No 1 16 2 7 3 12 4 14 5 3 6 20 7 6 8 10 9 1 10 18 ginning November 1. 1924. and covering the full period of fifty-two weeks. There were twenty-four entries with ten pullets each. In a report of the contest, the production of each hen in each entry is given. It is the first Utah Inter-mountain egg laying contest and the result, rank, and owner of the ten laying pens for the contest for the fifty-two weeks, follows: Names and addresses of Owners Egg Record James Gage, Novato, California 2488 H. C. Sorenson, Kent, Washington 24 73 H. Grant Ivins, Murray, Utah 2464 Henacrcs, Prosser, Washington 245 0 Robert Gardner, Logan, Utah 2410 U. A. C. Experiment Station, Logan, Utah 2400 W. B. Turpin, Murray, Utah 2310 LeRoy Turpin, Murray, Utah 2307 E. M. Knight, Woods Cross, Utah 229 7 James Jensen, Franklin, Idaho 229 7 The pen of James Gage, Novato, California, finished in first place with a record of 2488 eggs, or an average of 248 8/10 for each pullet. Frederick Isaac Jones, first bishop, Monticello ward, San Juan stake, died, October 18, 1925. Bishop Jones filled a mission to settle in San Juan country in 1882 and has aided in the development of that country ever since. He was called to Monti- cello in 188 6 and appointed its first bishop, serving in that capacity for twenty-two years. He was or- ganizer and manager of the Monti- cello Co-op for twenty-five years; aided in the survey of the canal for the present water and light system; built the first flour mill and the first saw mill erected in that pait of the country. He was born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1851. He mar- ried Mary Mackleprang in 1880 and eleven children were born to them, seven of whom, and his wife, survive, also twenty-nine grandchil- dren. Elder Othello H. Hickman, Monticello, adds to these items, this paragraph: "Bishop Jones truly set a standard for all who come after him to reap the harvest he had sown and to uphold the ideals for which he and his co-laborers gave their lives, hopes and ambitions, to obtain. To us who remain, they have handed the torch of faith. Let us not falter in the great purposes of life." Ovid Bridge A span in the long highway, The creek smiles 'neath its high walls, It stretches its ribs of steel, And the swift traffic passes overhead, Like brawny sinews playing. Secure and eager as the wind. Its task is a mite well done, Thus from dawn till twilight For 'tis not great among bridges, It functions, as you and I, Only one among multitudes. A private in the ranks of service. Ezra J. Poulsen IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1925 Two Dollars per Annum Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter Heber J. Grant, | P ,. Melvin J. Ballard, Business Mgr. Edward H. Anderson. £ Moroni Snow, Assistant. Acceptance foe mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1 103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 2, 1918 CONTENTS President Brigham Young and the Twelve Apostles, 1853 Frontispiece December Snows. A Poem Joseph Longking Townsend 93 Brigham Young in Nauvoo Preston Nibley 95 The Return of Santa Claus. A Story Elsie Talmage Brandley 108 The Joy of Life. A Poem Nona H. Brown _118 Fall in Manhattan Fred L. Markham ^_1 19 The Pledge. A Poem Alvin Glen Hubbard 122 Some Ancient Mounds Adelaide Nelson & Bernice Bain 123 Slander. A Poem Ida R. Alldredge 124 The Soul of Christmas. A Poem James A. Anderson 126 Traversing Unexplored Gorges. Illustrated Edward H. Anderson 127 The Heart's Voice Says D. C. Retsloff 132 Christmas Comes to Waring Hill. A Story Mary Hale Woosley 133 Birthday Royal. A Poem Blanch Kendall McKey 144 The Boy who Called Wolf Glen Perrins 145 The Gifts of the Giver. A Poem Nona H. Brown 146 Postpone Your Funeral James H. Wallis—. 147 Citizenship and Religion Lamont Johnson 150 Culture — Music Charles Kent 1 5 1 In Tune with the Infinite Alvin Glen Hubbard 152 Importance of Temple Work and Tithing Joseph A. West *. 153 Autumn. A Poem Joseph J. Cannon 157 Joseph Smith and the Great West /. K. Russell 158 Hole in the Rock. Illustrations .. 165 The Old Historian's Office. Illustration 166 Banquet, Program and Reception 1 67 A Divine Light. A Poem 'Joseph William Reese 172 Messages from the Missions. Illustrated 173 Floats and Parade in Provo, Utah. Illustrations.— 185 America First , Bishop G. Ashton Oldham. _^ 1 86 The Home— VII-IX 187 Armistice Day — 1918 George Bargaehr 195 Night Serene. A Poem O. F. Ursenbach — 197 Editors' Table — The Sabbath Day 198 An Appeal for Cooperation in Recreation Presidency Y. M. M. I. A 199 The Morning. A Poem Samuel B. Mitton 201 Priesthood Quorums 20 2 Reflections Joseph Quinney, Jr 204 Mutual Work 205 Passing Events -— -— — T — — - r - — 2 1 1