Show GREAT IS DIXIE extracts from salt lake tribune article entitled dixie and its resources who would not livo in dixie if t w cro not so inaccessible was the almost comment made by visitors who attended tho fruit festival held at st george on september 9 and 10 it is one thing to talk about a neglected and unappreciated climate alio fertility of its soil and other natural resources as well as its grand mountain scenery such stones are generally listened to if only out of courtesy to the speaker but to lure people into a place and show them the real goods that the country can produce 13 quito a different proposition and leaves a more lasting impression it was the latter step that was taken by the commercial club of st george when it decided to hold the fruit festival tho primary motive of the people of st george was to place some of the products of washington county on exhibition and invite people from kotlier sections of the state to come and see it and thus force recognition of didies greatness the prompters of the scheme were only partially successful the fruit exhibit was made in the most attractive manner but it 13 to bo regretted that not so many people took advantage of the low rates that were offered by tho salt lalo road and the stage line from modena as alie merits of tho occasion descried describing what the governor and his pirty would hive been had flioy come tho article s in part they would hio entered into a quaint town almost hidden in mountains with many picturesque dwellings and such a variety of trees and vegetables as would make them balico that they had been suddenly transferred into a tropical region in addition to all this they would have seen a display of the finest fruits that was eer made in tho m states in dixie as well as in other of utah all roads led to st george after the first disappointment of being denied tho opportunity of entertaining so many distinguished people from salt lalo was over tho festival waa entered into with all the enthusiasm and gaiety that the people of daie arc capable of the temple city wis in gala attire every hotel and rooming house was crowded to its utmost capacity cata city and many visitors found it difficult to obtain quarters nor were tho people registered at the hotels the only visitors in alio metropolis tro polis of the dixie country in this section of tho state tho old custom of dropping in on ones friends and acquaintances is still in vogue there was hardly a homo in st george where there wis not a family or two from tho country or the outlying settlements visiting in addition the streets were lined with covered wagons by people who took provisions and cooking utensils with them and perhaps enjoyed the cele bration quite as much if not more than those who occupied the best rooms at tw hotels As for those who entertained friends gratis while they may have had a little more work to attend to than they would otherwise have had they feel well repaid some time during the next six months those who did the entertaining in st george during the fruit festival will take trips up the nver or in some directions where they will be tamed with the same spirit and hospitality as they entertained visitors at their own holca neither is the extra work imposed by visitors such a burden as might appear to one not acquainted with the customs of the people for the instead of reclining in easy chairs w hilo the hostess is preparing dinner roll up their sleeves and assist in whatever work there is to do in many cases aliey even bring provisions with them BO eliat no extra expense is incurred hostess and guest as well aa alie other members of the family ie one with the other to do the most work so long as there is anything to do but as soon as it is over enter as heartily into the spirit of the celebration as if a bevy of porters was constantly at their beck and call in consequence everybody is happy no one has occasion to complain about being over charged for his hotel quarters nor are any porters and flunkies flun kies pointing fingers of scorn at departing guests and measuring them up according to the size of the tips not so many years ago the camp fires and canvas covered wagons were familiar objects even in the city of salt lake and no doubt there are people living there today ohp lament the rood days when there were no railroads and other hateful things such fault finders are cordially invited to come to dixie and bee how aliey ako the change in dixie nature has been generous for leaving out railroads and other modern improvements everything that the human heart can crave is found in abundance whatever good there may have been in the old and primitive way of living the people of dixie would gladly sacrifice all in return for what they would gain from up to date methods many of them have been in salt lake los angeles as in some of the smaller cities along alie railroads and the old way of doing bilings no longer satisfies them since the time when the salt lake route was extended through to los angeles the people of dixie have been without mail for five consecutive days and if it had not been for the telephone another modern invasion would have been entirely cut of from the outside world in view of this isolation there should be no wonder that the natural resources of dixie have only been scratched whenever a new mining property is discovered only the high values that will bear the expense of transportation are taken out and alie balance allowed to remain in the ground it has been 60 alio mines of silver reef and with the dixie copper mines it is of the absence of modern means of transportation that the virgin river oil fields and the harmony and cedar coal beds aro not being developed ve and the mountains of iron ore near cedar city are left intact what dixie needs is a railroad and it will get one too for its people aro going after it in the right way for years it was the hope that the few mines that were opened up from time to time would bring about the desired end but business men and kotlier property owners have now readied the conclusion that it is agriculture and horticulture that v ill make business for a railroad in nearly ill the settlements the wine grape lias been pulled up and replaced by fruits that will be of real commercial value hundreds of acres of seedless raisin grapes peaches apricots figs and and almonds have been planted steps have also been taken to bring more of the desert land under cult nation by storing some of the surplus water that annually goes down the virgin river there his in fact been a remarkable awakening in the last two or years during which the city of st george alone has installed a water plant ice canning and electric lighting plants while with the aid of the state two modern bridges have been built across the virgin river much as the people of dixie desire a railroad however it is only a means to a desired end what they want most of all is modern cities and towns with paved streets porcelain bathtubs fine stores and theaters they are tired of the schooner but wish to ride in comfortable for table conveyances the Dixie ites continued on fifth page GREAT IS DIXIE continued from first paged have always been a pleasure loving people they love fine clothes and their fondness for the theater is illustrated lust rated by the fact that almost every settlement in washington county has its home dramatic company tho great drawback thus far has been the lack of money and it is hoped that with a railroad when the fruits and other products can bo shipped to the market this last iv ant will in a measure bo supplied tho fruit exhibits at the festival while not so large as soma that may have been seen at other gatherings TV as probably surpassed by any of them in quality it is said by dealers that fruit in order to be a favotto on the market must have the proper size color and flavor those who were at the dixie festival can testify that the washington county fruit is not deficient in any of these requisites separate exhibits were made by each of the numerous settlements of the county including the state experimental station near the village of washington it would be difficult to say which was best for all were excellent and could hardly have been improved upon the exhibit made by the new settlement of hurricane on the south aide of the virgin river however is worthy of special mention in that it has only been three years since the water was first conveyed to that ground during that short period the people have grown fruits of nearly all varieties and havo demonstrated what thrift and energy do when applied to dixie soil the most attract no displays were made of the many varieties of grapes perhaps because it was in the heart of the grape season the finest varieties of priches are already out of season while the come early in tho summer there were magnificent exhibits of figs plums strawberries second crop of the season apples almonds and english walnuts dispes of vegetables were also in evidence including tomatoes cantaloupes and watermelons water melons some of the latter being of such eiza that it was difficult for a man to carry one of them the fruit remained on exhibit from the mornine of september 9 until the evening of the following day during time it was admired by several thousand people admittance to tho exhibit was free something unusual for occasions of eliat character on the evening of september 10 the fruits were set on a series of tables under the large silkworm trees in the tabernacle grounds and tho festival proper lasted until close to midnight the feast was taken part in by from twelve to fifteen hundred people the occasion being entirely informal and free to whomever wished to partake the grounds were illuminated from the new lighting plant lights being distributed through the trees above the tables giving the bright colors of the fruit together with the egiy costumes of the dixie girls the appearance of fairy land the time w as enlivened with music from the st george and washington bands both of which are made up principally of girls there was also singing by the choruses form la verun santa clara and st george in dixie no festivities of any note would be complete without its carnival of sports including the roping contest and the bucking bronco riding contest the general supposition is that the cowboy and bronco rider disappear with the advent of the horticulturist and the agriculturist and for that reason it may bo considered a novelty to see the cowboy in his working nalia at a fruit festival there is however nothing paradoxical in this combination in dixie in southern utah where so largo a per cent of the land can bo used only for grazing purposes the cowboy seems to bo a permanent fixture and a display of his thrilling occupation will perhaps be a popular feature at the county fairs for years to come to show that some good work was done it need only bo said that frank pamm who won the first prize roped and tied a steer in forty seven seconds |