| Show CHAIRMAN CANNONS CANNON'S SPEECH Readers of the NEWS have been kept informed by the dispatches of the proceedings of the Denver Danver Ir Irrigation riga riga- tion Congress which met on Monday September and has hal not yet at this writing definitely adjourned As stated in the telegrams Hon George GeorgeQ GeorgeQ Q Cannon of or this thin Territory was elected ejected temporary chairman or ot the convention and the Denver DenTer Republican Republican can oan of the Just to hand hanel gl Rives gives big bIB speech in full foil That rha paper says say of the day days day's proceedings proceeding The day was wa opened in organisation Elwood Mead of Wyoming was chos chosen n permanent pre president after George Georg Q d Can Cannon Don a Mormon leader leader of Uta Utah as temporary ob chairman J had gracefully led the Congress through the mazes of preliminaries Mr Cannon one of f the Presidency of the Mormon Church was wu elected tem tem- chairman by acclamation He presided gracefully and many witty 1 remarks into the discus discus- discussions discussions Before proceeding further to the business of the Concrete Ire Mt Mr Can Cau- Cannon Cannon non delivered the following e Ladi Ladies e and nd Gentlemen of tike te IrrIgation tion Convention I might a say truth truthfully fully t that at this is IB somewhat unexpected to 0 me sae I re re- received re received notice last JIM Ja night flight on an my arrival al after atter midnight at the hotel hoLe from Irom the chairman of t tbs b national committee that it was aI contemplated to to- put pot my name in no not nomination as a temporary chairman of this National Irrigation Congress I almost hoped aD and It if It had bad hadnot not beep been for tor my pride in la the Territory i I came me that some other name might be De substituted for for or mite mi e for in 10 the ibe the midst of men I like o the we have gathered here toda today I submit that I feel teel a sense of ot modesty and would rather sit aU and take a prom prom- prominent part in ID the the pro proceedings dt g ot of this congress coDire Nevertheless It t fl is probably due to Utah In view of the attU attitude de which she has a occupied for the last lui 47 years yr on OD thi this this Ir great t ana and important question that ahe ace Iho should ld o occupy some prominent position In III this thia congress Forty even years jean ago age t t Y pro crossed crossed d the be CO company lp with companions 1 who were then seeking Becking borne bomel homes In the Far West I did not occupy BO so prominent prominent nent a ft position In the community a as hM has been represented because I was wal but a youth 20 years old but I 1 wa was then as I am now deeply interested In the future of this western country I felt that there was a great fu- fu future future fu future ture for tor it and then to me as with all those who traveled at that time it was wasso so 80 different to know the old conditions under which we lived that it seemed like Uke a new world We enter entered d Salt Lake L valley that tb t Ie is the party tuat I accompanied about eIght weeks after the Pioneers headed by Brigham Young entered the valley That band consisted of men and three women We came forward and traveled with women and children in large numbers there being some 2000 all told in the different companies The Pioneers h had d already planted a afew afew few tew seeds seede and made made som some attempts at Irrigation but as they landed the latter part of July the it was wa it was very difficult to do anything except preserve the see seed That seed was carefully cared oared for tor and husbanded and from that seed the Ibe seed potatoes that was the first vegetable introduced Into Utah sprung But it was not until 1849 that any of ot ua us unless it was through curiosity tasted potatoes W We preserved the seed so 0 carefully that we did not dare to taste tate potatoes potatoe In 1848 after atter planting our crops we found that we were in such Buch a situation that food tood must be raised aid as we did not have the scientific friends we have with u us now to do o it in a scientific manner we went at it as bythe best beat we could and took out out water by the simplest means In our re reach ob and we were successful in raising railing at least a apart apart apart part of a crop After our oar grain had bad been sown lown and our oar fields looked prom prom- ising promising black crickets came down by the millions and our crops I Ibave have bave seen aeeD fields of wheat look as prom prom- ising promising as so they could in the morning and aDd aDdIn andin andin In the evening they Ibey would be bare as a amans amans aman's mans devoured band hand devoured by these them crick crick- crickets crick eto ets etl For a time Ume it seemed that everything planted would wold be torn up and aDd we were In such a position as you can cao wen well Imagine California was wa on our west miles mlle distant to the eI east wa was no settlement nearer than Des Del Moio Iowa Iowa sad and a few settlements elemente perhaps in ID upper Missouri so that bat we were entirely entire entire- entirely ly Iy dependent upon all aU we brought in our Wagons and we had bad to deal It with the utmost care oars Food wa was weighed out oat by the ounce and limited to every Individual u that no DO one ODe should bould eat more than their share bare o of the pieces that were divided for the week weeks week's supply I was wu a young man then growing and I never worked so 0 hard as 81 we had to do then and I was continually hu bu o n- n gr gry during that winter it n seemed to tome tome tome me that tbt I was wa hungry to the end of o otoes butI toes and fingers I was WAI an orphan but 6 I bad an aunt and she he said ald on o omy n my birthday George we will have all we can oan eat today asit aa It I is your birthday You invite your young friends to come In and partake e with us UI I looked forward to the he an- an anticipation an anticipation of ot having a good lood quare e meal on that morning I mention this because it U is II an interesting point 10 t o know that I did eat all I could coald but I oI Iwas was WAi hungry ten Ceo minutes afterwards The stomach cb having become con con- by having so 10 small all an ao amount I of food the system was wal starved and aad it required d more than Ihan one meal to satisfy I nature I When spring came the thistles be- be began began be began gan to grow up Our Oar fields produced a great many thistles I have bave gone out j with the boy boys in midday when the Gorses bad had come in and pulled the thistle tops tOPI for tor greE greens no nl It is a fact tact that the distention of ot the stomach caused by eating these thistles allayed the hunger bunger we felt and with the milk from rom the cows we so soon son o grew fat These crickets devoured most of our OUI crops I 1 had no responsibility upon me mes but I have often otten thought of the feel feelings feel feel- feelings ings of the men mea that had families under these circumstances but there was unbounded courage Every man felt It he would stay there no matter what the const consequences might be Tous To Tous Tous us who lived in Utah about that time It seemed there was a visitation of 01 Providence to save us Sea Bea gulls came cameby cameby cameby by hundreds and by thousands and before be- be before tore fore the crops were entirely destroyed these gulls devoured the insects so 80 that our fields were entirely freed from them Whenever I see lee a boy pointing a gun gu a 0 at a gull I feel that I aught to knock his bis gun up tip The bird has bae be- be become become be become come sacred to me m I ba have ve gone along I alongI ditches in the morning and have seen Been lumps of ot these crickets vomited up by byI I these gulls so that they could beg begin I n again killing kUling them The drying of this country at that time was something dreadful it seemed as though the land was dead I I remember seeing it illustrated in the case oae of a grave that hat was wal dug I was there at the time It I is now DOW in a part ot of the town covered by inhabitants it seems the ground had bad not been die tor for ages We dug a ditch and so eo dry wa was it that when we turner the water ater in some of ot you gentlemen have bave perhaps visited Salt Lake City and seen leen where the great co operative oo-operative tore store stands and there a ditch was waa dug to convey the water to the fort fore which w was about half balt a mile and it took two day days for tor it to run that distance the ground was waa so 10 thirsty Now great Ireat results have bave loan I can say today that Utah I is proud to have the Ibe opportunity of participating In a congress of this Ibis character We feel teel the questions to be brought before this congress are of ot the greatest Importance DO not only to this of ot America butto to the entire Union Ever Every man in bl this entire Republic ought to be Interested In this question will be die discussed cussed I hope so 10 freely freel and aDd profitably In our congress It is II a matter maUer which affects not anI only the West Welt the East and In 10 fact it may be said laid to te affect humanity and everything should be done dODe in Is our OUI deliberation to reach the united motion action so 80 that what what- whatever whatever whatever ever we resolve olve upon will be accept accept- acceptable acceptable able to the whole people and aDd members of Congress I am glad that these thele deliberations take this wide course COUlle I would like Uke to see every person who takes tak an interest In irrigation whether they Jive live in the arid regions or the watered heaven reo re- regions regions gions and I hope bope every man will ex- ex ex express prow press pr himself with the utmost freedom that there here ma may be a unit unity of ot sentiment and a unity ut of notion uon We in Utah have baYe proved prayed that the small Iman holdings are the beet best for the people Oar Our pioneers be Whets they Went ent into that country arranged In the first place that men at the bead of a household should re receive lve a city lot lot The Tite city was wal divided into blocks of ten teD scree aorEl containing eight lots loll of one and anda anda a quarter acres each I remember ap- ap applying ap applying plying for a lot and was told toM that I Iwas Iwas Iwas was not a married man and could not have bave the land Outside the city the first lots were five acre lots later ten ten- ten acre acre lots and later twenty-acre twenty lots late Mechanics were expected to have ten acres Those who were engaged in business s drew ten acres if It their families were large enough It was not a law but was suggested Laws were then made that no DO man should manipulate land so that every man In the com com- community community should have a sufficient quantity to supply his bis wants and aud to enable him to raJ raise e what he be wanted manipulation but could have bave nothing for tion We bad had to set our faces against I the manipulation manipulation of land and the lation of ot water We dread every every- thing everything large companies coming in and making canals and taxing our people tor f or the water We do not think that ts is necessary We have bave proved that water can be taken out aud and that it can be used by the poor man by a pro proper r combination of efforts by being unit united d We have bave proved this and also that hat large tracts of land are not Dot necessary ary for the public good Therefore I think I express the feeling of at our people and the satisfaction of ot our people in Utah But I 1 make this statement in proof Our conditions condition are different than those surrounding California Colorado A Ari Ari- Arizona Arizona zona Montana etc I 1 do not wish In making malung this remark to be understood that we oppose other measures I only wish to say lay that it ba has been proven to tous us UI to be attended with the bel best results Ladies and gentlemen of ot this Irrigation Irrigation gation gatlon Congress I thank you OU for tor the honor bonor you have bave done Utah in selecting me as al the temporary chairman of ot this congress |
