Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-04-05 | Page 6 | L. D. S. Honor Seagulls

L. L D. D S. S Honor Seagulls Salvation of Pioneers Pioneers' First Wheat Harvest Harvest Har- Har vest Portrayed in Monument I Editors Editor's note This is the fourth of a series of informal sketches on points of oC interest in the L. L D. D S. S temple grounds mecca this week for the thousands of oC church members attending the annual an nual conference Few sages ot of the west strike the responsive chord Inspired by the story ot of the saving of the pioneers by seagulls The beautiful monument to the birds In the temple grounds Is a symbol or of the regard early settlers carried in their hearts for the graceful grace grace- ful CuI white gulls The monument unveiled un veiled October I 1 1913 is the work of Mahonri Young lion grandson of 01 Brigham Brig Brig- Brigham ham Young and was erected in grateful remembrance of 01 the mercy or of God to the Mormon pioneers The bronze plaques at the base of 01 the column surmounted by two seagulls sea sen gulls graphically portray why no Utahn raises a hand to harm the birds The first bronze shows the begin of agrIculture here A sturdy pioneer Is guiding the plow through the virgin soil while his son urges the oxen to greater speed An Indian In In- dian looks on in amazement Despair has succeeded hope in the secOnd bronze Crickets are devouring devour devour- ing the young wheat but while the theman theman man sits with he head d bowed m myriad seagulls alight to gor gorge e on the crickets Joy and nd contentment fill the pioneers pio pio- in the third bronze depicting the harvest time Tolling men are arc cutting the wheat that is to assure them food tood in the coming months Back or of this monument lc is the stirring stir stir- ring story ol of the summer of 1848 when hundreds of acres of wheat were planted in Salt Lake valley The settlers had been here herc less than thana a year but prospects for tor n bounteous harvest were excellent The pioneers were planning to store part of at the grain ns as a supply for immigrants ex ex- petted to arrive shortly from the cast eMt Then In tate late May 1 came the crIckets hordes or of them sweeping over the fields md and le leaving no green thin thin untouched In vain ain men women and children attempted to stem the tide Devoutly th they y prayed and fasted unwilling to believe their long hazardous haz haz- journey into the west vest was to end so disastrously It W was lS then thousands thou thou- sands of seagulls appeared l from the west alighted on the fields and began to eat cat th the crickets cricket Part of the crop was saved and a l grateful people freed from the s spec c. c to ter of starvation decreed the birds were to be protected from harm Years have passed but the tradition now backed by law is as ac strong as ever