Passing Events

Benjamin Alvord, a 93-year-old Utah Pioneer of 1842, passed away at Roy. He has resided in North Ogden for many years, being one of the early settlers there. The Utah Experiment Station, Logan, Utah, has issued Circular No. 65, treating the beet leafhopper, or white fly, as it is commonly called. This circular, in a clear and concise manner, describes the conditions under which the white fly operates, as well as suggested method of control. Free for the asking. The anti-syndicalist law is constitutional, according to an opinion ren- dered, without dissent, by the U. S. Supreme Court, May 16, 1927. The court specially held that the syndicalism laws of California and Kansas are valid, and that the constitutional guarantee of free speech does not per- mit the advocacy of the doctrines of a revolutionary system. Peter Voikoff, soviet minister to Poland, was murdered, June 7, 1927, by a Russian student in Warsaw. The murdered diplomat is said to have been the Russian official who signed the warrant for the murder of Czar Nicholas and his family. The crime has caused consternation in Poland, because the relations between Russia and Poland have been strained for some time. Two American marines, Captain Richard Bell Buchanan, and a private, Marvin Jackson, were killed in Nicaragua, May 16, in a clash with liberal soldiers. According to the reports the marines were attacked by a band of guerillas at LaPaz Centra, near Leon- and returned the fire with the result that 14 Nicaraguans were killed, in addition to the two Americans. The band then fled in all directions. Maintaining Potato Yields by Hill Selection is the title of Bulletin No 200, dealing on how home-grown potato seed can be maintained in Utah. It is shown that rigorous hill selection deserves much more widespread use than it has had in growing certified seed potato stocks. Any good farmer can apply this effective method. For free copy, write to Publications Division, Utab Experiment Station, Logan, Utah. In Some Observations on Winter Injury in Utah Peach Orchards, De- cember, 1924 (Station Bulletin No. 202), the Utah Experiment Station, Logan, Utah, describes the various types of injury and the manner of af- fecting trees in Utah, the subject being discussed by T. H. Abell, Assistant Horticulturist. Copies of this publication may be secured without charge upon request to the Publications Division, Utah Experiment Station, Logan, Utah. The 16th of May, 1927, was the' hottest on record in Salt Lake City, according to the weather bureau. The thermometer rose to 92 degrees on the top of the Boston building. The highest May temperature on record here is 93 degrees, but that was one year ago on the last day of May. Only a week ago, when a blizzard was raging in near-by states, Utah was threatened with frost in various parts of the state. The transition from cold to hot has been as abrupt as it is welcome. All relations between Great Britain and Soviet Russia have been broken off, according to an announcement by Premier Baldwin in the House of Commons, May 24, 1927. The premier, in his statement gave proofs of subversive activities and a deliberate abuse of diplomatic privileges by Soviet agents. Information has also been sent from London to Washington, con- cerning facts supposed to be of interest to the United States. The state

842 IMPROVEMENT ERA department declined to comment on its nature, but it was understood that it concerned activities in this country of secret agents of Soviet Russia. Fossil bone implements have been found, it is reported in a dispatch dated Omaha, May 23, on the Harold Cook ranch, near Agate, Neb., and are now in the possession of Dr. Henry Fairfield Osborn, president of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The implements, it is said, are made of the bones of extinct animals — horses, camels, deer, ele- phants and mastodons of the Pliocene age that have turned into stone. They are described by Dr. Osborn as symmetrical in shape, and are said to have been identified as skin dressers for cleaning animal hides, pointed , awl-like instruments, evidently used in sewing, neck ornaments made of strung bones and a kind of comb that seems to be a tattooing implement. Funeral services for Patriarch William Gustavus Miles were held in the Stake Tabernacle, St. George, Utah, May 15, 1927, conducted by Gordon Mathis of the South ward bishopric. The speakers were George Brooks, David H. Morris, President J. K. Nicholes, George E. Miles and Bishop James McArthur. Patriarch Miles was born in Salt Lake City, September 13, 1851, the son of Samuel and Hannah Colburn Miles. He has lived in Dixie since the early sixties. On May 25, 1874, he married Miss Paralee A. Church. To them were born nine sons and two daughters, of whom six — two daughters and four boys — are still living. He also leaves 1 9 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Harry William Matthews, member of the Salt Lake County fire de- partment, passed away at a local hospital, May 5, 1927. He was born in Devonshire, England, Jan. 2, 1864, and came to Salt Lake City 44 years ago. From the time of the organization of the county fire department up to the time of his death, he was a member of that organization. He has been a member of the high councils in Granite stake and Cottonwood stake, and the last seven years he has been working in the Temple. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Minnie Palmer Matthews and the following children: Ivy, Vera, Violet, all of Salt Lake; C. E. Matthews of Midvale, Leo and Sidney L. of Salt Lake and Elmer of Garfield; five grandchildren; one sister and six brothers. A new stake was organized in Los Angeles, during the meetings held there on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22, 1927, Eld*rs David O. McKay and Stephen L. Richards, of the Council of the Twelve, were present: also President Joseph W. McMurrin of the California mission. The officers of the Hollywood stake are: George W. McCune, president; Dr. G. F. Harding, first counselor; second counselor not selected. James Thomas was set apart as stake patriarch. The Los Angeles stake officers are: Leo J. Muir, president; Everard L. McMurrin, first counselor; Fred S. Hatch, second counselor. The new $250,000 auditorium for Los Angeles will be built as soon as plans are drawn up, and will be used by both of the southern California stakes. Another successful flight across the Atlantic was finished June 6, 1927, when the Bellanca plane, Columbia, with Clarence D. Chamberlin and Charles P. Levine, the pilot and the owner, landed at Eisleben, in Germany, about 110 miles southeast of Berlin. The fliers hopped off at the Roosevelt field, New York, June 4, at 6:05 a. m., eastern daylight time. They passed Cape Race, N. F., at 6:20 p. m., the same day, and were sighted near Lands End, England, June 5, at 3:20 p. m. At 7 p. m., the same day, they passed Boulogne sur Mer, France, heading for Cologne, Germany, According to Mr. Chamberlin, the aviators ran into a heavy snow storm and tried to dodge it by zig-zagging. Both compasses got out of order, and the pilot lost his bearings. That is how he missed Berlin. According to one report, these fliers made 4,278 miles in 44 hours, breaking all previous records. Reports on the flood situation in the Mississippi valley, dated Nev^ Orleans, May 23, 1927, were to the effect that floodwaters, almost twenty

PASSING EVENTS 843 miles wide, was beginning to reach Grand Lake in their movement to the Gulf of Mexico. The floodwaters were approximately 100 miles from New Orleans on the west side of the Atchafalaya river and the Bayou des Glaises breaks, through which they were rushing, are about 170 miles northwest of New Orleans and on the opposite side of the Mississippi river. Immediately before the flood, fleets of trucks were speeding over roads soon to be sub- merged, removing families. Cowboys on cattle ponies from western Louisiana and Texas ranches sped here and there, rounding up cattle and herding them to safety on high ground. The population of refugee concentration camps was growing. More than a thousand had reached the camp at Lafayette during the day, and it was estimated that at the present rate of growth the camp would have 20,000 persons by the end of the week. The town of Kelly, Wyo., was swept by flood, May 18, 1927, from the "Slide" dam in the Gros Ventre river. Eight persons perished. This was about noon. Two hours later the flood reached Wilson, overflowed the banks of the river to a distance of a mile and a half. No lives were lost here, because the people had been warned, and sought safety on higher ground. The flood came from a natural dam formed about two years ago when slides, loosened by earthquakes, swept down the sides of and across the Gros Ventre valley about four miles above Kelly and formed a natural dam in the river. The dam has held until the present. Soon after it was formed it was examined by a number of engineers, officials of the United States, Idaho and Wyoming governments, who believed that, on account of the targe rocks and other 'debris in its makeup, it would not be a source of serious danger. A lake formed behind it and at times since the water has overtopped the dam, though for a large part of the time the seepage through the dam was sufficient to carry off the inflow. The champion high school orator of the United States is Miss Dorothy Carlson, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Carlson, 464 Hawthorne Ave., Salt Lake City. The prize was awarded by five justices of the United States Supreme Court, at Washington, D. O, May 27, 1927. Her theme was, "What the Constitution Should Mean to an American Citizen." The follow- ing incident is told. After the winner had been announced, the audience began to pour on to the stage. Mrs. Carlson, mother of the winner, who had watched the contest from the box of Senator Smoot, edged her way through the crowd to the side of her daughter; Senator Smoot was close behind, and. as he reached Miss Carlson, he leaned over, placed one arm around her, and in truly romantic fashion planted a long, fervent kiss squarely on the lips of the champion. A high school boy, standing close by, asked: "Is that Senator Smoot?" Assured that it was, he said: "Now I know what they mean by senatorial courtesy." Each of the seven contestants gets a trip to Europe. Miss Carlson arrived home June 4, and was given a public recep- tion of welcome in the State Capitol, where Governor Geo. H. Dern presided. A drinking fountain, erected as a memorial to 'the pioneer mothers of Utah, was unveiled, June 6, 1927, at the Mary Fielding Smith home- stead, 27th Street and Highland Drive, Salt Lake City. The monument was designed by Gilbert Riswold and paid for by contributions of Primary children in Granite stake. With President Nephi L. Morris of Salt Lake stake delivering the address of the day, a program was held which included pageantry and talks by Mrs. Josephine M. Goff, president of the Granite stake Primary; President Heber J. Grant, and Governor George H. Dern. Yvonne James, granddaughter of Hyrum Jensen, unveiled the memorial, with a "trail builder" from each of the nine wards taking part. The ladies' chorus, composed of Primary workers of Granite stake, under direction of Mary Cornwall, rendered a song dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Smith. Among the honored guests present were President C. W. Nibley, President Frank Y. Taylor, President May Anderson of the general board, Primary Association; Clarissa Williams, general board, Relief Society; Martha Tingey, Ruth May Fox, Mrs. Fannie Woodruff, Bishop David A. Smith, Patriarch

844 IMPROVEMENT ERA Hyrum G. Smith, the Smith family and the Harris branch of the Smith family, from Provo, numbering more than fifty, as well as a number of pioneers here and from Idaho and other parts of Utah. Karl Marselius Widtsoe, son of Dr. and Mrs. John A. Widtsoe, passed away at Preston, Idaho, May 28, 1927, as the result of a cold which de- veloped into pneumonia. He was born in Logan, November 27, 1902, and reared on College hill, where his father was president of the Utah Agricultural college. He received his education in the public schools, the L. D. S. high school and the University of Utah. Mr. Widtsoe interrupted his college course to take a mission to Europe, leaving Salt Lake in June. 1922, and going to Great Britain, where he was appointed to the Hull conference. For a season he acted as clerk, and then for another year he was president of the conference. On his release from the mission in 1925, he traveled on the continent of Europe and visited Egypt and the Holy Land. His traveling missionary companion was Fielding Smith, youngest son of the late President Joseph F. Smith. The young men flew over Paris in one of the earliest passenger planes. Reaching home, Mr. Widtsoe was called as a missionary on the Temple block by Professor Levi Edgar Young and this missionary work was carried on while he was completing his college course at the university. A year ago he was appointed to take charge of the L. D. S. seminary work at the Preston high school. The funeral services were held, May 31, at the University ward chapel, where city and state officials, educators, Church authorities and friends paid their tribute of love and respect to the departed youth. The speakers were President Heber J. Grant, Elder David O. McKay, and Hyrum D. Jensen of the Oneida stake presidency. Bishop Frank Pingree conducted the services. Dr. Adam S. Bennion pronounced the benediction, and Elder Orval W. Adams dedicated the grave. The magnificent monument to the Mormon Battalion, erected on the state Capitol grounds, was dedicated, May 30, 1927, in the presence of an immense throng. Probably 20,000 people surrounded the platform and the monument, and listened to the impressive exercises. The ceremonies began with the rendition of "America" by a military band. Major Wesley E. King, in an introductory address, told the interesting story of the monument. President B. H. Roberts gave an exhaustive and eloquent review of the history of the Battalion; and Governor Geo. H. Dern made a speech of acceptance of the monument on behalf of the state. President Charles W. Nibley offered the dedicatory prayer. The unveiling, at the close of President Roberts' ad- dress, was done by Janet Thurman, great-great-granddaughter of Brigham Young, and great-granddaughter of Thomas Karren of the battalion; Marjorie Clawson, great-granddaughter of Sergeant Nathaniel V. Jones of the battalion; Orpha Brown, great-granddaughter of Captain James Brown of the Pueblo detachment of the battalion; Paul P. Eardley and Gene P. Eardley, grandsons of Robert Pixton of the battalion; Layton Lloyd, great- grandson of Christopher Layton and Nathaniel V. Jones, both of the battalion, and Gilbert and Irving Riswold, sons of the sculptor of the monument. On the platform at the front steps to the Capitol were numerous officials, civil and ecclesiastical. Among these were President Heber J. Grant and his counselors, Anthony W. Ivins and Charles W. Nibley, members of the state supreme court, members of the Mormon Battalion commission and Col. W. B. McClaskey, commanding officer at Fort Douglas, official representative of the United States army. Mrs. Ellen Morley Thomas, a daughter of one of the members of the battalion, who was born in Pueblo, Mrs. Elizabeth I. Pul- sipher, widow of Sergeant Pulsipher of the battalion, and Mrs. Willard G. Smith, widow of one of the battalion members, also were on the platform. The program concluded with the rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." When Captain, now Colonel, Charles A. Lindbergh arrived in Paris, May 21, 1927, at 10:18 p. m., in his plane the Spirit of St. Louis, after a non-stop flight from New York, which had been accomplished in 33 hours and 30 min-

PASSING EVENTS 845 utes, a new chapter in the marvelous history of aviation had been written by a young American, hitherto practically unknown to the general public. He left the Roosevelt field on May 20, at 7:52 a. m. The following day, May 21, he was reported over Bayeux, France; at 5:21 p. m. (Eastern daylight time), at 10:19 p. m., French time, he landed safely at Le Bourget, field near Paris. The reception he received in Paris was as magnificent as his achievement. A crowd estimated at 40,000 received him at the field. He was, however, exhausted, and was glad to be taken away to the American embassy, where he could find rest. But all Paris was astir to honor the American aviator. Captain Lindbergh seemed to be perfectly oblivious to the magnitude of the feat he had accomplished. He thought of his mother in Detroit, and telephoned a message of love to her. He thought of the mother of Captain Nungesser, and visited her and told her not to give up hope that her boy would be found safe. In the meantime crowds were surging outside the embassy, eager to catch a glimpse of the young hero. On the flagstaff of the ministry of foreign affairs the government caused the American flag to be flung to the breeze, an honor that only the president of the United States could have expected, and everywhere on public buildings and private residences, the Stars and Stripes was waving its beautiful folds in welcome. The European press is unanimous in praising Captain Lind- bergh for his achievements. Among the congratulations he received was one from President Coolidge and the following message from King Gustav of Sweden: "The whole Swedish nation joins me most heartily in con- gratulating you on the feat you accomplished, with such success. " Captain Lindbergh is the son of the late Congressman Charles August Lindbergh and his wife, Evangeline Lodge Land, of Irish descent. Congresman Lindbergh was born in Sweden, Jan. 20, 185 9. but was brought to this country in 1860. He was educated here, practiced law, and was a member of congress from Minnesota, 1907-1 1. The now famous son is only 25 years old. He has had Several narrow escapes during his career as aviator, having had to jump no less than four times from flying machines and depend on parachutes for safe landing. He is a young man of clean morals, with a nervous system unimpaired by tobacco, tea, coffee and other poisons of any kind, and with a strong heart: he is, therefore, capable of thinking clearly and acting promptly. Like all who really amount to anything, he talks little, but does things, while others talk and plan. President Doumerguc pinned the insignia of the Legion of Honor on the breast of the aviator, when the latter paid the French president his respects. Captain, now Colonel, Lindbergh arrived in Washington, June 1 1 , on the U. S. S. Memphis, and was greeted by President Coolidge as "our ambassador without portfolio." He spoke a few words to 100,000 people gathered at the Washington monument, but these with cheers were heard in every part of the nation over radio service, including a great gathering in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, at a meeting of the M. I. A, Conference. Oh June 13, he arrived in New York, where he received the largest popular ovation ever held in that city. See article by B. H. Roberts in this number. Keep in Touch With Absent Priesthood Members During the summer season particularly, some of the members of each quorum of the Aaronic Priesthood are almost sure to be absent from home on account of employment or vacation. In order to promote the fraternal spirit among these members of the quorum, it would, therefore, be an excellent plan for the bishopric and supervisors at once to assign to certain members of each quorum the duty, or rather the privilege, of writing the absent members in behalf of the quorum, telling them any news about the activities, encouraging them to maintain the spirit of the Priesthood, and expressing the desire to hear of their feelings and efforts. Such a plan, carried through, is bound to awaken in the heart of every member increased appreciation of his position and fellowship in the quorum.