--- 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: 32 number: 2 published: 1928-12 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* 32, no. 2 (December 1928): 173–176." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera322unse 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: improvementera322unse start_page: 173 end_page: 176 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1928-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera322unse publication_year: 1928 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 1928, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Passing Events Patriarch Datus Horace Ensign died Nov. 14, 1928, in his home in Ogden, 75 years of age. He was born in Og- den, July 23, 1853, the son of Datus and Elizabeth Jane Stewart Ensign. Elder Ensign has been prominent both in ecclesiastical and business activities. For eight years he was counselor to Bishop M. F. Brown and was bishop of the ward until 1923, when he be- came patriarch. He is survived by his widow and the following children: Mrs. Mae Bramwell, Horace S. Ensign, Mrs. Lawrence Ritchie, Mrs. James M. Harbertson, George C. Ensign, Mrs. Harold L. Brown, Mrs. L. C. Wil- liamson and Allan Ensign. Twenty- nine grandchildren, two sisters, Mrs. Lydia Herrick and Mrs. Elizabeth Wardlaw, and one brother, E. A. En- sign, also survive. Called Home. Word was received from Washington, Nov. 7, 1928, that Mrs. Alpha May Smoot, beloved wife of Senator Reed Smoot, had passed away in their home in Washington on the date mentioned. The death was not unexpected. For some time she was in a weak condition, owing to heart disease and paralysis. Toward the end she lapsed into a state of semi- consciousness, with only infrequent in- tervals during which she would seem- ingly recognize those at her bedside, though she could not speak to them. Paralysis was almost complete before she lapsed into her last sleep. Mrs. Smoot was essentially a home woman, but she was also active in social affairs. She entertained U. S. presidents, from Roosevelt to Coolidge, but her home was always open to friends. She was also interested in politics, and Senator Smoot says much of his success is due to her wisdom and influence. Mrs. Smoot was the daughter of Horace S. Eldredge, Salt Lake pioneer, and Chloe A. Redfield Eldredge. She was born EVENTS in Salt Lake sixty-two years ago and was reared here, receiving her education at the University of Deseret. Mrs. Smoot is survived by three sons and three daughters. The sons are Har- old R. Smoot and Ernest W. Smoot of Washington, D. C, and Harlow E. Smoot of Provo. The daughters are Mrs. A. F. Cardon, who has been with her mother during the latter's recent illness and is now in Washing- ton; Mrs. Grover Rebentisch of Port- land, Ore., and Mrs. Carlyle Nibley of Long Beach, Calif. Funeral services were held in the Provo Tabernacle, Nov. 11, 1928, where thousands of loving friends gathered to pay their respects to the departed one and the bereaved family. Among those in at- tendance were President Heber J. Grant, President Anthony W. Ivins, President Charles W. Nibley, Apostle George Albert Smith, Senator and Mrs. Wm. H. King, Congressmen E. O. Leatherwood and D. B. Colton, and Governor George H. Dern. The speakers were President Heber J. Grant. President Anthony W. Ivins and Dr. George H. Brimhall. The grave was dedicated by President Charles W. Nibley. Welcome in Utah. Mr. Herbert Hoover, Republican candidate for the Presidency, passed through Salt Lake City on Sunday, Nov. 4, on his way to the Pacific coast. Crowds wel- comed him on all the railroad stations in Utah, especially in Provo, Salt Lake City and Ogden. It being Sunday, no political speeches were made. A daring Right. Commander H. C. MacDonald, an English aviator, took off from Harbor Grace, New Foundland, Oct. 17, 1928, at 11:51 a. m., Eastern standard time, in his tiny Gypsy Moth de Haviland plane, in order to cross the Atlantic to Eng- land. The aviator is said to be a 174 IMPROVEMENT ERA novice at piloting. His plane has a wing spread of only 25 feet and a weight of 800 pounds. The plane was last seen 600 miles east of New Foundland. There was no indication of any difficulty then. This was at 11 p. m., Oct. 17. A hundred years old. Mrs. Almira Elizabeth Greeno, Murray, is not only 100 years old, but she is also hale and hearty and enjoys life. Her 100th anniversary was celebrated Oct. 27, and the entire town was interested in the event. The birthday child wore a dress of silver grey and lavender silk, a gift from a ladies' aid society, with an orchid corsage, sent by a grand- daughter in Kansas, and she occupied a rocking chair presented by a neigh- borhood club. Mayor Isaac Lester, with a suitable speech, presented Mrs. Greeno with 100 silver dollars, given by the townspeople of Murray. From the same source came the three-tier birthday cake with its hundred candles. A program was given by the Murray high school orchestra, under the direc- tion of W. F. Robinson, and dance tunes popular in the youth of Mrs. Greeno were played by Mr. Buxton, accompanied by his daughter, Mrs. Annie Camp. A committee composed of representatives of each church, club, fraternal order and society of Murray has worked for a month perfecting plans for the birthday party, unique in the annals of Murray. Mrs. Greeno lives at the home of her granddaughter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Rowell, 145 East Forty-fifth South street. She was born October 28, 1828. at Ogdensburg, N. Y. She has seen twenty-five presidential elections. Called Home. Mrs. Almira Eliza- beth Greeno, Murray, Utah, who re- cently celebrated the 100th anniversary of her birth, among friends and neigh- bors, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 1 1 . 1928, two weeks after the anniversary. Funeral services were held on the 13 th of Nov., and the remains were laid at rest in the Murray cemetery. Howard Knowlton Coray died Oct. 28, at his home in Salt Lake City, fol- lowing a stroke a few days previous. He was born in Iowa, April 10, 1842, the son of Howard and Martha Knowlton Coray, and came with them to Utah, from Nauvoo, when he was only eight years old. Inl872hemar- ried Mary E. Lusk, and engaged in ranching in San Luis Valley, Colo. In 1 892 he returned to Salt Lake City and was for many years employed by the Deseret News. Of late years he has been doing temple work. He is sur- vived by his daughter, Miss Edna Coray, and the following brothers: William H., of Leota, Utah; Sidney A., of Payson; George Q. and Louis L., of Salt Lake City, and a sister, Mrs. T. B. Lewis, of Brooklyn, New York. The Final Call. Miss Josephine Spencer, a daughter of Daniel and Emi- ly T. Spencer, passed away at Nor- walk, Cal., October 28, 1928, after a lingering illness. She was born in Salt Lake City, April 30, 1861. The last six years she has lived in California. Miss Spencer was one of Utah's gifted writers, whose poems and short stories were widely read. For some years she was the society editor of the Deseret News, and lately, a member of the staff of the Pasadena Star. Home Again. The dirigible Graf Zeppelin left Naval Air Station, Lake- hurst, N. J., at 1:54 a. m., Oct. 29, 1928, for the return trip to Germany. She had 24 passengers and a crew of 40 men. Seven of the passengers had signed on at the point of departure for a trip across, at $3,000 apiece. The rest came over from Germany with the dirigible. About 6 o'clock in the morning, a 17-year-old boy, an Amer- ican, was discovered as a stow-away. He was treated very kindly by the Commander. The ship landed safely at Friederichshafen, Nov. 1, at 7:06 a. m., (1 :06 a. m. New York time) . The trip between Lakehurst and Fried- erichshafen was made in 68 hours and 52 minutes. PASSING EVENTS 175 Engineers' Convention. The first annual convention of the Western As- sociation of State Engineers convened at the State capitol, October 29, 1928, for a three-days' session. Representa- tives of thirteen states were in attend- ance. George W. Malone, state en- gineer of Nevada and temporary presi- dent of the association, outlined the purpose of the organization briefly at the beginning of the convention, and let it be understood that sectional fights were not to be discussed at the meet- ings. Views of an Indian. An Indian, Chief Buffalo Long Lance, gave a lec- ture before the Bonneville club, at Ho- tel Utah, Oct. 22, 1928, on which occasion President Anthony W. Ivins acted as toastmaster. The lecturer maintained that the Constitution of the United States was patterned after the Iroquois League, the oldest democ- racy, he said, on earth. He further held that Indians have lived here "hun- dreds of thousands of years" and they certainly did not come from Asia. Con- cerning the Iroquois League, the reader is referred to A Constitutional League of Peace in the Stone Age of America, by J. N. B. Hewitt, Smithsonian Re- port for 1918, pp. 527-45. Quoted in Introduction to the Study of the Book of Mormon, pp. 271-5. A Church that Stands for Peace. The 49th triannual convention of the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States, closed its two-weeks' session in Washington, Oct. 25, 1928. A pastoral letter was issued, in which the declaration was made that "the most momentous task which faces the world today is the warfare against war." The members throughout the country are therefore called upon to support all worthy movements for peace. The letter also says there ought to be greater unity among Catholic and Protestant churches. Charles B. Whittear, Peterson, Utah, passed away, Oct. 10, 1928, according to a notice to the Era, dated Oct. 15. The cause of death is given as appendicitis. He was born at Peter- son, June 24, 1894; married Mary Giles in the Temple, June 27, 1917; two sons, Charles Eugene and Wm. Gerald, 10 years and 7 years, respect- ively, are the fruits of the union. An L. D. S. Missionary lost at sea. Elder David H. Huish, of Douglas. Ariz., and Keith W. Burt, of Cardston, Alberta, Canada, were among the ill- fated passengers on the steamship, Ves- tris. which sank, Nov. 12. 1928, in the Atlantic, about 275 miles from Hampton Roads. Elder Huish was among the rescued passengers picked up by the S. S. American Shipper, Nov. 13, but he was separated from his companion, Elder Burt, when both were hurled into the water, and he fears the worst for his companion. The two elders were on their way to Buenos Aires, to join the missionary force there. According to survivors, the Vestris. on the night between Nov. 10 and 11, the first night out, en- countered a terrible storm. She was struck by gigantic waves, pounding her until she developed a leak. The next day she began to list. The storm continued with unabated fury. Most of the passengers were seasick. On Nov. 12, it was apparent that the ship was doomed, and all on board were ordered to leave it. Signals of distress were sent out. Lifebelts were donned. Life boats were launched. But the utmost confusion prevailed. Captain Carey perished with the ship. On Nov. 14, it was reported that 218 of the passengers and crew had been rescued, and that 1 1 0 still were miss- ing. Survivors tell of confusion and inefficiency, but also of deeds of brav- ery and heroism. Here is one of the latter color: "And there was Lionel Licorice, the little quartermaster, who hails from Barbados. Some said Lionel saved 20 lives. Anyway, he was in charge of boat number 14, and not only kept his precious cargo from the deep, but occasionally jumped into the 176 IMPROVEMENT ERA sea to save a helpless passenger buoyed up by a lifebelt. The youth with the candy name was quite unconcerned about it all when he came in on the American Shipper." Vernal' s New Meeting House. The stake conference was held here on Nov. 11, 1928, with Elder Melvin J. Ballard in attendance. Previous to the conference a meeting was held in the new chapel of the Vernal First ward. This chapel has been erected at the cost of $36,000. The construction was commenced April 6, 1928, and it is now ready for dedication. Armistice Day. The tenth anni- versary of Armistice was observed on Nov. 11, 1928, by the churches in Utah, as elsewhere, with appropriate services. On the day following, a pa rade of ex-service men, soldiers and war paraphernalia was witnessed in Salt Lake City by thousands of spec- tators, who lined the streets. Aero planes roared in the air, as the parade, with lively music, was reminding the people of the significance of the day. Gold for the Archbishop. A gift of $1,570,000 from 15,000 subscrib- ers was handed the Right Honorable Randall Thomas Davidson, retiring archbishop of Canterbury, in recogni- tion of his "long and conspicuous ser- vices to the church and nation," on the golden-wedding anniversary of the worthy bishop and his consort. The archbishop, upon his Retirement, be- came Baron Davidson of Lambeth. Mt. Etna Active. The village of Mascal, Sicily, was destroyed on Nov. 7. 1928, by a molten mass of lava that poured from the crater of Mt. Etna, and the village of Nunziata was threat- ened by a smaller flow. The damage done to property is estimated at $15,000,000, and nine human lives are known to be lost in the molten torrent. Walter J. Beatie, formerly bishop of the 17th ward, Salt Lake City, died Nov. 8, 1928, at his home in Salt Lake City, 78 years of age. He was well known in business circles, having been secretary-treasurer of the Bullion- Beck Mining Co., treasurer of the Z. C. M. I., state bank examiner and national bank examiner. He is sur- vived by his widow, Phoebe Young Beatie, daughter of Brigham Young, and the following children: Mrs. Charles S. Burton, Mrs. Edward P. Kimball, N. Ross Beatie, Salt Lake; and Walter Sidney Beatie, Los Angeles. The following brothers and sisters also survive: Hampden Sidney Beatie, Mrs. H. C. Whitney, Frank L. Beatie, Ed- ward Beatie, Mrs. J. H. Horlick, Mrs. John Walker, James M. Beatie and W. W. Beatie, Salt Lake; Mrs. B. G. Thatcher, Logan, and Mrs. H. E. Bartlett, San Diego. Seven grand- children and two great-grandchildren also survive. Healing by Faith Endorsed. A re- port read before the general convention of the Protestant Episcopal church in Washington, Oct. 22, 1928, declares that "Christian healing has passed be- yond the stage of experiment and its value cannot be questioned." Among the signers of the report were three physicians, Dr. Howard Johnson of San Francisco, Dr. Charles H. Mayo of Rochester, Minn., and Dr. W. Sin- clair Bowen of Washington, D. C. The report is the result of six years of study by a special commission, and the convention is asked to "thankfully recognize the deepening of the spiritual life of the church which has come through the growing recognition of the healing power of God." - Ward House Destroyed by Fire. The Alpine ward, Utah, Co., meeting house was burned to the ground on Sunday, Oct. 21, 1928; nothing but the stone and brick walls remaining. The loss is estimated at from $6,000 to $7,000. Part of the building destroyed was built of stone in 1872. About twenty- six years ago a brick addition was erected. The building contained an auditorium, amusement hall and up- stairs offices. The fire is attributed to sparks from one of the three stoves in the building.