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Show Women Stay The "Woodman's Ax" In Fight To Save Historical Tree Mrs. Katharine Larson Wednesday morning, Eugene Wadsworth, mayor of Hurricane and John Atkin, city marshal, gave permission to W.P.A. workers to cut down a cottonwood tree located on the irrigation ditch that is south of David Hirschi's home. The ditch is to be curbed and guttered. As it is the policy of those in charge of the W.P.A. project to take out all trees on the proposed curb and guttering line, this tree was to suffer the same fate as others along the way. "If other trees had fallen why not this one?" argued city officials. of-ficials. Although Wilson J. Imlay, who is surveyor for the project says it does not obstruct the rock work. Three neighbor women, who know the history of the cotton-wood, cotton-wood, stayed the "woodman's axe" and have temporiarly saved the tree. Relates History In 1907 when Hurricane bench was mostly virgin soil and lots and farms were still unfenced, Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo Dalton and their young family came to make their home on the lot where now reside Mr. and Mrs. David Hirschi. The glaring heat of this desert (Continued on page six) Women Stay The "Woodman's Ax" In Fight To Save Historical Tree (Continued from first page) land was unbroken by tree or shrub. Pioneer women and child-xen child-xen longed for the ' tree filled yards of their abandoned homes in Rockville and Virgin. Mrs. Dalton and her children were delighted when they first noticed that a tiny cottonwood tree had sprung up pri the water lateral that pass- J ed by their new home. Under her direction the two older boys built a. barricade around the young, green shoot to protect its five tender leaves from the cows that roamed over the unfenced property pro-perty and finally to make sure that this tree would grow Mrs. Dalton securely fastened screen wire over the top of the frame work the boys had made. As the tree grew, grateful children from far and near played play-ed under its shelter, farmers returning re-turning from the fields stopped to quench their thirst from the damp burlap covered drinking barrel held by the three sturdy limbs that had grown from the low, though ever increasing, trunk. Tree 80 Feet High Todav. it is estimated by John Atkin. 'that the tree is 80 feet high, its trunk 14 feet in circumference circum-ference and the spread of its mighty branches 100 feet. There is not a oign of dead wood any where in it. It stands alone, beautiful in its symmetry. A landmark. land-mark. The first tree to cast comforting com-forting shade on Hurricane flat. But the city fathers have signed iU doom. It is declared a nuisance. A part of the ton of leaves it sheds each fall are carried by the nor'h wind across the road upon the property of surrounding neighbors. Why are the city officials adamant ada-mant about the felling of this -ree when the State and Church tire directing every' effort toward the planting of trees as a beauti-ficanon beauti-ficanon of rural communities and Tis an attraction to the sun-parch-el tourist. Again does this make sense? The city of Hurricane un-d-sr the direction of Dr. D. W. Gibson has launched an attack up-r,n up-r,n the S'at.? Road Commission for imis to plant trees along highway high-way 15. from the bridge over G uild s Wash west of Hurricane. 'hrough town to LaVerkin v.h.-ro the Southern Utah Power ';: !:n" intersects the highw-iy. Troe Planting If more attention were devoted t) planting trees in Hurricane, ar.d less to cutting them down, the city would lo more attractive :rA the citizens less sun-baked, riser's the three matrons. Annie Hirschi. Grace Staheli and Katharine Kath-arine Larson, who have set their Kinds to the preservation of a o'ttmwwl trrv, nurtured thirty y ago by a pioneer woman. |
