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Show j W Hsrschi Active i i Pioneering Southern !j fah; Church, Civic Leader IBy Mabel Jarvls are pretty much alike, remarkable pioneer men and 1 of Utah's Dixie. Tell them 'want their life story and they '.assure you they have done real interest, just tried I m their part from day to day. V : 1 k . ; . JVBD HIRSCHI This is the vital spirit of their upbringing, a sort of pioneer culture cul-ture the thought that their individual in-dividual contributions are of minor consequence. Rockville used to be a part of Kane County, borrowed, as history his-tory infers, for political purposes, when the boom population of Silver Sil-ver Reef threatened a menacing vote, and for many logical reasons the loan was never returned, which gives us permission to claim David Hirschi as a pioneer of Washington County. But like the others he assures us he has really done nothing of merit, just tried to keep busy helping with what there was to do from day to day. David Hirschi was born in Rockville, Rock-ville, December 13th, 1870, the son (Continued on page six) David Hirschi, Cattleman, Banker, Church and Political Leader Has Active Life (Continued from first page) of Gottlieb and Mary Ann Rupp Hirschi Mormon converts from Switzerland. Like many of those early converts they left good homes, prosperity and comforts in the "old country", coming to America soon after joining the Church, that they might enjoy unmolested, un-molested, a fuller practice of their beliefs and assist in the reclamation reclama-tion and upbuilding of Utah, the Mormon commonwealth. j Arrive In Dixie When they first came to Dixie they settled in Santa Clara, but due to chills and fevers, Mr. Hirschi says his parents moved to Rockville. After settling in Rockville the Hirschi's were not many years in accumulating a fair sized herd of cattle and were croppping their; land to advantage. It was when he was fifteen and busy one morning in the hay field that David Hirschi was overwhelmed over-whelmed with the desire on which he built the program of his life, the desire to own land and to possess in his own name the good things of the earth. Father Hirschi was impressed with the need and value of education edu-cation and after David finished the grade work given in the town school at Rockville, he was allowed allow-ed to come to St. George and attend at-tend the Stake Academy in the basement of the Tabernacle, Nephi M. Savage and John T. Woodbury Sr. being the Instructors. Education In receiving this advanced education, edu-cation, David Hirschi had no thought of becoming a teacher himself, him-self, but in the fall of 1892 the Grafton Trustees called upon him I and persuaded him to teach at Gi'afton. He made a rush trip I to St. George, took the required ; examination and passed sufficient-1 sufficient-1 ly well in the required subjects 1 to give him confidence for the ' undertaking. Then for ten successive succes-sive years he followed this profes-sion, profes-sion, beginnning at a salary of $10.00 per month and collecting his own wages from the patrons, much of which he must take in produce. It was during this first year of teaching that he made his start in the cattle business, taking a few calves from various patrons who were unable to pay cash for their children's tuition, and buying others as he could get the money or arrange trades. He taught until the spring of 1902 when he was called on a mission to Switzerland, the native country of his parents, returning in 1904 in time to teach the last half of that school year at Rockville for Rosena S. Jarvis, who wished to be released. It was in the very early months of 1892 when David Hirschi, then just a young man, was appointed as one of a committee of five to meet at Toquerville, where the first organization of the Hurricane Canal Company occurred. Thus he became a subscriber to this promising pro-mising project, stayed by it till the water was out onto the flat. Then, as the Rio Virgin continued to rob the settlers of Rockville of their farm land, and the sheep took the forage he turned to Dry farming. Keeping up with the times he learned of the early experiments ex-periments in dry farming in counties north and saw hopes of a similiar project on what is known as the Big Plain, south-from south-from Rockville and vicinity, and became the pioneer of dry farming jin this section. It was he who raised the first thirteen bushels of grain on a one acre test plot, excellent grain, but he could not induce the thresher to go that far, tramped it out with the use of horses. Cattle Round-ups The annual cattle roundups were for many years events which gave him great satisfaction; the close contact with his fellowmen, and the realization that this productive business was growing in this section sec-tion and making possible the providing pro-viding of greater comforts for the inhabitants. He was one of those on the round-up told of by David Spilsbury, when they rescued the snow-blockaded cattle and horses from the Kolob country. Here they faced seventy-two hours of "the wildest blizzard I have ever konwn," quotes Mr. Hirschi. "We took down a rail fence and made racks on which to carry out the weaker animals, and as I remember remem-ber none of them died, though it was pitiful to see how horses and cattle had eaten every bit of brush available, then chewed off each others tails in their awful hunger. Some of them were the wildest cattle and horses on the range, but in that deep snow, we could soon get astride the meanest cattle and ride them to the outlet we had made through the drifts." Watches Bank David Hirschi was one of the first investors in the Bank of St. George established in 1906, soon after he became a director, which position he held until 1917 when the State Bank of Hurricane was organized with him as president. Prior to the establishment of the Bank of St. George, Gottlieb Hirschi and his sons, as well as others of this southern section sec-tion deposited their surplus savings sav-ings with the privately owned Schetler Bank of Salt Lake City. The joint Hirschi interests amounted amount-ed to more than ten thousand dollars dol-lars and it had become the habit of this member of the family to watch the newspapers closely as to market and banking reports. Thus he detected a risk with the Schetler Bank, but found it difficult dif-ficult to convince other depositers. Eventually, however, he was sent to represent interests amounting to more than fifty thousand dollars, dol-lars, and thus gained a unique experience in Banking. Arriving in Salt Lake City he found his worst fears confirmed. The bank had failed and there seemed little hope for the investors. Reviewing the situation thoroughly, he decided on a possible solution, and made his terms with Schelter. He was amazed next morning to see what he supposed to be personal business busi-ness flaunted on the front page of daily papers. Bold headlines stated "David Hirschi, offers B. H. Schetler fifty thousand dollars dol-lars for his Brigham street home." and he was confused with the rush of reporters and inquirers. But his plan had carried, car-ried, and turning the Schetler residence resi-dence into cash he was able to save to the people he represented about fifty-one per cent of their otherwise complete loss. Once he obtained the bank's concession to his offer, he was able to get a compromise through the U. S. Court, and stayed right on the job till he had the best possible settlement, but it had meant days and nights of constant work, with scarcely time for food or sleep, until he was completely exhausted. Though he never received a cent of compensation from those he represented, except that his own family estate paid his railroad fare, David Hirschi often meets people today who remember him from that incident. "And", he declares, "in that experience, I learned some of the rules of banking bank-ing that are not in the books, but above all, I learned that banking requires honesty, discretion, and cautious investing, and have tried to apply this knowledge in my own operations." Married In 1890 He was married October 3, 1890, to Mary M. Petty, daughter of Al-varetta Al-varetta Duzett and Joseph Petty, a Rockville born girl. Her father was born at Loop Fort, Nebraska in 1848 as his parents journeyed to Utah and after his marriage moved to Rockville in 1868. She has long known the routine of duties of a Bishop's wife and has done her full part in uphoulding her husband hus-band in his temporal, business, civic and religious duties. Their home was from 1906 to 1921, open hostelry for Church visitors, and she has learned the need of doing two people's work at home and still make time to attend all religious re-ligious services and be an active worker in various organizations, her special interest being the Relief Re-lief Society. Fourteen Children To this marriage fourteen children child-ren have been born, the following still are living: Claud, Milo, Mrs. Anona Kleinman, Mrs. Jennie Bal- lard and Ora Hirschi, all of Hurricane; Hur-ricane; Heber Hirschi, Rockville; Susie Taylor, New Harmony; Hugh Hirschi, Cedar City; and Kenneth Hirschi, St. George. They have besides thirty-four grand children and one great grandchild. Mrs. Hirschi is still a young appearing ap-pearing woman, and until ill health struck him a year or two ago, David Hirschi was always working at top speed, both for himself and the public. They moved mov-ed to Hurricane in 1921 and have resided there since that date. Briefly summed up, David Hirschi has devoted his life to farming, stock-raising and banking, bank-ing, and shows the following record re-cord of positions held: Director, Bank of St. George from 1909 to 1917; President State Bank of Hurricane 1917 to date; Director Southern Utah Power company. Religious positons: Superintendent Rockville Sunday school; Bishop of Rockville ward from 1906 to 1921; High Counselor of Zion Park stake from organization to date. Political offices : Washington County Tax assessor, 1918-1920; Member Washington County School board 1916-1922; Utah State Senator, 1923 to 1927; Representative Re-presentative to the state Legisla ture, 192S to 1932; Member of (Legislative Tax commission, 1931 to 1932; President of Town Board of Hurricane. And each of these positions have meant active interest in-terest in the community and county and general affairs of State and Church, and he has never shirked any responsibility connected with these, offices and callings. Political Offices Serving in both Senate and House of representatives of the State, his interest has been in behalf be-half of the laboring classes. As chairman of the sifting committee in the Senate he had opportunity to review measures extensively and worked for those laws that would extend greater privileges to this class. "I believe in fighting for the right to live. In this interest I wrote the bill repealing the wide tire law. Why? Because I knew, as the motorists association for whom the wide tire law was made must have known, that the days of the wagon were practically over, and I was in sympathy with the farmer who was being compelled to buy new wagons, or fit his old one with wide tires to serve such a brief period. And. in spite of criticism, time has proved I was right. The wagon has gone from the highway, and the wide tire law is amended." "Wherever opportunity has been given me, "continued this son of pioneers, "I have done my utmost in the interests of Tax adjustments. adjust-ments. I helped to frame the State Income Tax measure and regret that measure does not yet function as was originally planned and intended. The way has been long and hard, but I believe ultimately ulti-mately justice in taxation will be given the property owner; and income, in-come, not real estate and improvements, improve-ments, will furnish the major source of tax receipts for industrial and civic upkeep of State and Nation." In answer to the inquiry, if he had a hobby, he replied. "If I have a hobby, then I would say it is "THRIFT". I have seen so much woe, so much suffering resulting from careless methods of planning and living, from the lack of application of this simple principle, that I would rather be known and remembered for my effort to promote thrift in families, communities, States and Nations, than any other honor man might bestow." This week the opening 0f , gigantic bridge spanning thf e Virgin to eliminate the danl ha Hurricane-La Verkin curv1 the realization of a owL which this man has' long voted, and gives him great hi ness. We rejoice with hL PPl" trust he may live long the consumation of other iT a |