Show au honored one missed the celebration of pioneer day in lake city last tuesday was marked by some features and called up some reflections which deserve more than a passing notice seven of those who made tho eventful journey forty one years ago were on the stand and one of these mrs clara D young is the only lady living of the three who accompanied their husbands on that weary march bishop atwood of the thirteenth ward of salt lake city gave the location of tho exact spot where the plow first turned up the soil of the valley and described it as below the corner of first east and second south streets or speaking more familiarly about a block and a half south of the city hall mr C R savage exhibited a worn and tattered old american flag carried by the pioneers across the plains and unfurled forty one years ago on ensign peak above tho city by president woodruff said mr savage other flags had been carried through this part of the country but this is the first american flag over firmly planted in a country which the united states did not control As is well known utah was then a part of mexico these were enjoyable features of the celebration as were also the addresses of the pioneers and others and the musical services of tho day one circumstance however throw a baade of sadness over many who were present and is worthy of sober thought in presenting before the vast audience tho first plow which broke the sod of fruitful vales a worn and rusty piece of steel mr savage read the following letter C R savage esq salt lake city it may interest some of conr people to have a few items regarding the plow now in the museum with which 1 broke the first soil in utah I 1 had it made new by brother hoge just before I 1 left nauvoo in 1846 and when I 1 reached garden grovo I 1 used it to plow tho land there for two weeks thus it became a pioneer plow ai that place and when I 1 moved to st george I 1 used this same plow to break the first land in that place so you see it has never failed to bo the pioneer plow wherever it has been taken yours truly VM this letter was written from the utah penitentiary where the venerable plowman the veteran pioneer is serving out a term of imprisonment for living with his wives if we are correctly informed mr carter married his last wife before the passage of oven tho anti polygamy law of 1862 and he is now eighty years of ago atis honored part in the opening days of our history causes the recollection of these facts te become appropriate the feeling throughout three hundred smiling towns where gardens fields and orchards have taken the place of arid tracts of sagebrush will be peculiarly sad when it is remembered that ho whose honest hand performed the first act of agriculture reposes behind prison bars the circumstance is so striking that it is no wonder there were mournful eyes in the Tabe maclo when the brief and interesting letter was read we but echo tho inquiry of many liberal minded outsiders when we ask where would have been the harm in allowing the aged veteran to mingle on that day of days with his fellows of 1847 he cannot be expected to live past many more pioneer days and each time those whom he can greet as associates will be fewer might not tho old mans heart have been gladdened by his having the privilege of showing be fore the thousands of children the rusty old fashioned plow which was so cheered we think it might and without lessening tho dignity and authority of the united states government ern ment either it is too late now of course but there was a splendid opportunity to show magnanimity and to remove by one little humane act tho only cloud upon the sunshine of a perfect day standard |