--- 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: 3 published: 1929-01 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. 3 (January 1929): 262–265." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3203unse 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: improvementera3203unse start_page: 262 end_page: 265 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3203unse publication_year: 1929 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 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Passing Events Pioneer passes away. John Wick- ersham Woolley, pioneer of 1848, died at his home in Centerville, Utah, early Thursday morning, Dec. 13, 1928. Mr. Woolley first saw Salt Lake valley in 1848 when he was sixteen years of age. He made eight trips across the plains, acting as guide and captain. Many of the maps used by the emi- grants were made by Mr. Woolley. He was born in Westchester township, Pennsylvania, on December 31, 1831. He was one of the first policemen in Salt Lake. He held various positions in the Church. Joseph Hyrum Moesser, who ar- rived in Salt Lake valley in 1847, died at a hospital in Salt Lake City, Dec. 10, 1928. He was born October 11, 1836, in Beaver county, Pennsylvania. He is survived by the following chil- dren: Edwin F. Moesser, Frank D. Moesser, Mrs. Martha Todd, Mrs. Maud I. Warr and Mrs. Belle M. Mac- kay of Granger; forty-three grandchil- dren and forty-two great-grandchil- dren; a sister, Mrs. Emma Gardner, of Payson. Plot against Hoover. A statement published at Buenos Aires, Dec. 11, 1928, was to the effect that an anar- chist plot to assassinate Mr. Herbert Hoover, by means of a bomb placed on the railroad track, had been dis- covered and frustrated. Fifteen hun- dred special guards were immediately employed to insure his safety during his stay in the Argentine republic. The Pan-American conference on arbitration and conciliation convened Dec. 10, 1928, in Washington, D. C, pursuant to a resolution adopted at the last Pan-American congress. All American republics, except Argentina, were represented. President Coolidge greeted the delegates and was enthu- EVENTS siastically applauded. Secretary Kellogg was made permanent chairman of the conference. One of the first actions taken was to appoint a committee "charged with the duty of advising the conference with respect to the concili- atory action which, if necessary, it might render, cooperating with the in- strumentalities now employed in the friendly solution of the problem" be- tween Bolivia and Paraguay. The members of this committee are, Dr. Maurtua, Ambassador Ferrara, Dr. Manuel Foster of Chile, Ambassador Gurgel Do Amoral of Brazil and Charles Evans Hughes. The Bolivian and Paraguayan ministers to Wash- ington also would serve on the com- mittee. The Council of the League of Na- tions convened Dec. 10, at Lugano. Switzerland. Great interest was mani- fested among the delegates regarding the nature of the step which the United States may take in connection with its reported intention to reopen negotiations concerning entrance into the world court. Among the ques- tions before the Council is the repar- ation problem and the removal of allied troops from German territory. Archbishop "enthroned." Dr. Cos- mo Gordon Lang, archbishop of Can- terbury and primate of the Anglican church, was "enthroned" Dec. 4, 1928. in what is described as one of the most colorful ecclesiastical ceremonials England has seen in many years. The high-vaulted choir of ancient Canter- bury cathedral, with its historic "St. Augustine's chair" standing alone in front of the high altar before which Thomas a Becket was murdered in 1 1 70, was the scene of this extraor- dinary pageant. Bishop William J. Tuddenham, for PASSING EVENTS 263 many years prominent in Church and business circles, died in his home in Salt Lake City, Dec. 5, 1928, at the age of eighty years. Born in England May 27, 1848, Mr. Tuddenham em- braced the Gospel early in life and came to the United States, crossing the plains to Utah by ox team in 1864. He at once entered the contracting busi- ness and built some of the first smelters in Utah. He aided in the construction of smelters in Pueblo, Colorado. He supervised the construction of a num- ber of large buildings in Salt Lake City and elsewhere. Among the build- ings constructed by him are the Hotel Utah, L. D. S. hospital, Deseret gym- nasium, Deseret Bank building and a number of public school buildings. Mr. Tuddenham was- counselor to the; late Bishop Marcellus S. Woolley of the Twenty-first ward and succeeded George H. Wallace in the bishopric, serving until 1925. Surviving Mr. Tuddenham are his widow, Mrs. Mary A. Read Tuddenham, three sons, Wil- liam J., Jr., Joseph R. and John C. Tuddenham and a daughter, Mrs. J. E. Langford, Jr., of Cedarhurst, L. I.; 14 grandchildren and two great-grand- children. The seventieth congress re-assembled Dec. 3. 1928, for its final labors. The opening ceremonies were brief. With- in an hour the house adjourned for the day, and the senate session lasted only fifteen minutes. The message of Pres- ident Coolidge to congress was read on Dec. 4. It was, as usual, a lengthy doc- ument. The president re-affirms his po- sition on the questions of the day, and deals specially with farm relief, taxa- tion, economy, naval construction, waterways, Boulder canyon, Muscle Shoals and restriction of immigration. Ezra Meeker passes away. With the death of Ezra Meeker in Seattle. Washington, Dec. 3, 1928. a long and remarkable career is ended. He was born at Huntsville, Ohio. Dec. 29, 1 830, and in 1851 struck out for Iowa to homestead a farm. In 1852, he and his young wife joined a wagon caravan for California and Oregon. He settled first at Portland, then moved to a place south of Tacoma, and then to Puyallup. Four years he spent in England as an agent of the hop growers. Meeker retraced the Oregon Trail with an oxteam in 1906 and four years ago flew over the route in an airplane piloted by Lieutenant Oak- ley G. Kelley. His last years were spent in obtaining recognition of the heroism of the Oregon Trail pioneers by inducing communities along the route to erect suitable markers. Few men have lived to see the development of the communications of a country from oxteam to pony express, railroad and flying machines. Still fewer have lived to try all these means of trans- portation. Meeker was one of these few. Earthquake in Chile. The south- ern part of Chile was visited by a destructive earthquake Dec. 1, 1928. in which a hundred lives were lost and at least $12,000,000 worth of dam- age done to property. The city of Talca was almost entirely wiped out of existence. Other places affected were Chilian. Curico, Pelezuen and Santa Cruz. Santiago and Valparaiso were only slightly damaged, but sev- eral persons perished in the rush of the people to safety, when the earth trem- ors first were felt. The government, from the fragmentary reports reaching the capital, was having great difficulty in determining the exact number of casualties, but the most conservative estimate was more than 100 killed with some ranging as high as 1 80. The number of injured was placed variously at from 300 to 500. The death toll and property damage continued to grow says a later report. On Dec. 3, the known deaths numbered 218; the seriously injured 257: the slightly in- jured, more than 2000, and the home- less, in the neighborhood of 20,000. Sabbath desecration. R. H. Martin. D. D,. of Pittsburgh, in a sermon here, 264 IMPROVEMENT ERA Dec. 2, 1928, declared that there are few places in America where so little regard is shown the Sabbath as at Washington, D. C. The influence of the Sabbath breaking in the Nation's capital, the speaker said, is world-wide. The speaker further stated that there are 83,000,000 living in the United States who patronize commercialized Sunday movies, while, at the same time, much unnecessary labor and business are carried on every Sunday. A devastating typhoon struck the central Philippine islands, Nov. 22-24, 1928, with the result that hundreds of people perished, and thousands be- came homeless. The typhoon was de- scribed by Governor General Stimson as comparable in force with the one which recently wrought havoc in Porto Rico. Communication was dis- rupted, but reports that trickled in prior to today stated that the Islands of Luzon, Samar, Romblon, Tablas, Masbite, Mindoro, Cebu and Panay had suffered severely. The town of Legaspi, in southern Luzon, and the vicinity had 7000 homeless, but yester- day had so far recovered as to decline the relief brought by the cruiser Mil- waukee. New President in Mexico. The pro- visional president of Mexico, Emilio Portes Gil, took the reigns of govern- ment in Mexico, Nov. 30, 1928, to serve one year until the election of a regular president. In his address to the 20,000 people present he pledged his administration to a continuance of the policies of President Plutarco Elias Calles, whom he succeeded. He made special mention of his hope of continu- ing a mutual understanding with the United States. Golden Wedding Anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Murdock, promi nent residents of Heber City, Utah, celebrated their golden wedding anni- versary, Nov. 29, 1928. at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Sylvester Broadbent, 446 South Twelfth East St., Salt Lake City. Mr. Murdock was born in Salt Lake, August 11, 1858, the son of Nymphus C. and Sarah Barney Murdock. The family went to Wasatch county to make their home in 1871. Mr. Murdock is now a member of the Utah Water Storage commission and is president of the Bank of Heber City, the Provo Reser- voir company, the Utah Lake Irriga- tion company and the Wasatch Live- stock & Loan Company. For the past twenty-two years he has been president of the Wasatch stake of the Church. Mrs. Murdock was born August 11,1 860, at Provo, the daugh- ter of William and Jemima Wright. She has been active the greater part of her life in L. D. S. Church affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Murdock were married November 28, 1878, in the old En- dowment house at Salt Lake. They were then residents of Wasatch county, making their home at Heber. Something to be thankful for. The Rocky Mountain region — Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado and New Mexico — were covered with a heavy blanket of snow, Nov. 29. Some cities in Colorado and Wyo- ming had from one foot to two feet of snow. The flakes, which fell con- tinuously for thirty-two hours, were hailed as manna in the farm belt of the mountain states. Livestock was not injured; automobile accidents were singularly few and transportation and communication systems were only slightly affected. Hoover in Honduras. President- elect Herbert Hoover was welcomed at Amapala, Honduras, Nov. 26, 1928, by a delegation from the capital, Tegucigalpa, headed by the president- elect of Honduras, M. Don Vincente Mejia Colindres. He expressed pro- found regret at the inability of the Honduran president, Miguel Paz Bara- hona, to be present personally and ex- pressed his conviction that the trip of Mr. Hoover would be "most effective in cementing relations between the United States and Latin-America." PASSING EVENTS 265 The battleship Maryland, which had brought Mr. Hoover from San Pedro, Cal., after a week's cruise down the west coast, was sighted off this port at 8:15 a. m., Nov. 26. The great warship anchored at 9 a. m., east of Menguerra island, Honduras, in the Gulf of Fonseca, seven miles west of Amapala. Mutual respect among countries was described later in the day by Herbert Hoover, in the second speech of his good- will trip, to repre- sentatives of the republic of Salvador, as the "foundation of all sound inter- national relations." Farm Freedom The happiest people are those who live close to nature, and where can one live closer to nature than on a farm? In order to develop, humans must have freedom and live simply. The freedom of life on the farm cannot be over-estimated. The city dweller employs all his time earning money in order to buy the same luxuries that his wealthy neighbor has. Most of his evenings are spent in crowded theatres or in over-heated rooms at various social functions, for he must entertain and be entertained. He has no time to enjoy the chirp of the cricket; he does not know the delight to be derived from listening to the music of the wind in the tree tops. The peace and quiet of the farm can only be appreciated by spending a few nights in the city where the street cars wail; where trucks rattle and bang along the pavements; where midnight revellers shout. Most farm folks work hard during the daylight hours, but night brings its reward in quiet, unbroken, restful slumber. The days may seem long but a peaceful- ness permeates them that is utterly lacking in the bustle of the city. The average span of life for the dweller in the crowded marts is much shorter than for the farm individual. Time in the city speeds like the revolutions of an automobile engine. It becomes a tragedy when one stands apart and watches the velocity with which many city dwellers endeavor to make life one immense race-course. They put wheels under their feet to make daylight hours fly; they jazz away the nights that God made to heal the wounds left on the heart and soul by the hurts of the day. Mentally and physically they keep them- selves in a continuous whirl, seeming to give no thought to the fact that this old world is a fine place to live — a worth- while place, if one takes things quietly and calmly. The city with its sky-scrapers, its tree- bordered boulevards, its electric lights, its attractive shop windows, is a thing to be wondered at and admired, but how much more wonderful is the big golden moon rising over fields of corn and wheat? Nothing can be more beautiful than a stretch of meadow where sleek, contented cows graze, no scene can surpass rolling hills draped with the soft purple veils of evening, and never can city air equal the sweetness that comes with the odor of new-mown hay. The man- who owns a few acres of Mother Earth should realize that he is one of the fortunate few who have free- dom. The mother who rears her children surrounded by reverent hills should go to her rest every night with a thankful heart. Fresh air, wholesome food, freedom from nerve-racking noise, tiijed muscles that induce restful sleep, are a few of th: farm treasures that the combined wealth of the cities cannot buy. — D. C. Retsloff.