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Show The Salt Lake Tribune SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE Sunday, April 27, 1997 SEBiat siel eile PN eel a! square inches, perhaps eventually accumulating a square foot, no less. I entertained no thoughts of ever at age 10 when,thanks to Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, I actually became a landowner. For those readers under45, Sgt. Preston was a fearless Canadian to make way for a gigantic assembly hall as owners piace a higher priority on spiritual calisthenics. Melich started going to the Des Gym selling. It was mine andI could do with it as I pleased. (Planning & zoning commissions are not big issue Mountie who mushedhis dogsled through the frozen Yukon and over with 10-year-olds.) airwaves in pursuit of justice and radio ratings. His partner was “King,” the lead husky. It was spellbinding stuff, as only pre-TV radio drama could be. Preston and his slobbering sidekick kept sociopathic behavior to a minimum in the ational properties. Not oneof those acquisitions quite had the impactas did the stewardship of my square inch of Klondike, which I suspectI nolo. ng- in 1977 for back-injury therapy in the swimming pool. For months she did only the backstroke in the 25-yard competition pool. “But one day, after getting tired of lookingatceilingtiles, i flipped over During the intervening years, I have purchased several homes and recre- and that began a 20-year association have written thousandsof story leads back to Quaker Oats.) What undoubtedly began as a 100foot-by-100-foot chunk of less-thanscenic and probably worked-out If memory serves, the early ‘50s, late-afternoon radio showwas sponsored by Quaker Oats, which at one ground (which I now realize was divisible into 1.4 million square-inch par-2 cels) became a source ofpride,inspi iration, and boundless imagination to meand thousands of youngsters. Countries have fallen and risen again, wars have been waged and point made an astoundingoffertoits young audience. It seemed too good to be true. It was the chanceto be a landowner, and not just of any land. This would berealestate in the gold-laced Klondike area of the Yukon. The deed, on which my name was inscribed, was dated, signed, legal and thoroughly incomprehensible. Fortwocereal box tops, I would re- that less-than-vast tract as I read this rounding the transformation of Salt Lake City’s Deseret Gym s ite toa higher calling. Feature Writer Nancy Melich and PhotographerTrent Nelso: n teamed to give a stirring eulogy to the 87-year- morning’s story about the feelings sur- old LDS Church-owned institution, squelched, immigration waves have come and goneoverthe issue of land andthe rights thought to go with it. ceive, lock, stuck and barrel, one square inch of Yukon land. Talk about neighborhoodstatus. I was reminded, perhaps strangely so, of my early stewardship role on I hadgreat plans for that square 50 “MILES 100 MesonMe WINTER S| NEBRASKA Eruption \ NEBRASKA Fillerton3# g\Gieseoy” *Cairo [ Central «I Gants K “MILES. i e Editor’s Note: To commemorate the Re-Enactment Trek 150th anniversary of the Mormon Trail, The Salt Lake Tribuneis offering this day-by-day account of the Mor- Day 6 monpioneers’ original trek from Win- Visitors — including school children from Kansas City, Kansas — swelled the size of the Mormon Trail Wagon ter Quarters, Neb., to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Tribune history writer Harold Schindler,usingdiaries, letters, journals and reminiscences that have cometo light this century, has fleshed out thefollowing narrative. Train re-enactment party to about 550 on Saturday as it coveredthe 17 miles between Schuyler to Columbus, Neb. April 27, 1847 And once again townspeo- It was the intention of the camp ple lined the streets of Columbus, greeting the train with cheers and American flags, according to Tom Whitaker of Midway, Utah, who today to move out briskly after said the wagon train set a re- up a trace of the horses lost yester- cord for getting off early Saturday morning. The party was only 15 minutes late, hitting thetrail at 7:15 a.m. The problem, Whitaker explained, is gaining speed in harnessing the teams. The crewsget up at 4:30 a.m., but have yetto set outon the trail at the 7 a.m. deadline. Thetrain has stopped until Monday morning — to get much needed rest and showers. And some healing time for several injuries. A horse, tied to one of the wagons, was gashed in the foot Saturday whenit got too close to one of the wheels. Stitches have closed the wound, Whitaker breakfast and make for the main branch of the Platte River. Porter Rockwell and William Clayton had left early with the thought of picking day, but after following a set of tracks into the tall brush for some distance, they turned back because they had gone unarmed and were now convinced the missing animals had not strayed, but had beenstolen. Once the camp broke and started west, Rockwell and three others — Tom Brown, Joseph Mathews and John Eldredge — took the backtrail after the thieves. Brigham Young, Heber C. Kim- ball, Wilford Woodruff and some other hunters were out ahead of the wagons, About mid-morning, the company reached a valley of lush green grass, but no wood or water. graze andrest before continuing. ride, two antelope wandered into the valley and were spotted by Woodruff, John Brown and Roswell Ste- by Monday morning vens. balked at drinking Nebraska water — which musttaste different than Rocky Mountain water. Today, Johnstun said, pio- neer re-enacters will attend church in the morning and then stroll through a variety of festivals the Columbus community has planned The arrival of the wagon train has been big news in 7 thea fae Prparg uoting vanes train sales” and a local radio station will broadcast all weekend long from the race track wher . train is enae Xs ane “oe ‘4 th ee co on eee peagy Officials in the westem f I" Mexican state of Jalisco tried to calm nervousresidents after the Colima Volcano began rumbling and spewing small clouds of ash. The activity only lasted for a few hours, and is not expected to be followed by violent eruption in the nearfuture. Colima Volcano is a sometimes vigorously active mountainthatlast erupted in July 1994. That eruption partially destroyed a lava dome at the summitand deposited a new layer of ash on the volcano’s southern slopes. changingcity. ‘The Deseret Gym’s doors will close Thursday. Mayit rest in peace. DyEile sees one. “Manyof my friends and family who grew up in Salt Lake City speak of childhood memoriesgoing there to Editor eee =)acidAiea AO. GAR 100 percent of the wine crop in the southernmost vineyards of the Cotes du Rhone and the Coteaux du Tricastin regions in southeastern France. The freak arctic chill was not predicted, and growers were unprepared to protect their crops against temperatures as cold as 19 degrees Fahrenheit in some places. The worst freeze in decades was even more damaging because early spring warmth had caused the vines to flower three weeks earlier than normal. Vostok,(Russia) Antarctica C2987 Chronicle Features Record Floods Parts of the Great Plains and i Prairies [POM acor their worst flooding in morethan 500 years. The Red River has swamped communities from the Dakotas to Manitoba, forcing tens of thousands ofresidents from their homes. A sudden thaw in early April released a huge amount of water stored in a heavy French Frost snowpack and frozen groundwater. A sudden spring frost and This caused the river to spread up (kal freeze has wiped outup to to 50 miles outside its banks. Just as the hunters were ready to Brown gotoffthefirst shot. Woodruff and Stevens also hitit, but the antelope stood firm. Not until one of the hunters approached and stuck the animal with a knife did it bound forward andrun a short distance be- Probably just a wolf,” said Tom Brown. No sooner had the words escaped his lips, than 15 Pawnees, naked save for breechcloths, burst from the grass. Each was armed with a rifle, bow and morethan a dozen arrows. Ambush!” Rockwell shouted. He hel id his ground as the Indians turned and eyed the four riders warily. Rockwell motioned them They dressed outthe kill and took it back to the pioneer company which had made camp on Prairie back with the muzzle ofhis rifle. “Baceo, bacco,” one repeated, handoutstretched. “No tobacco,’ Rockwell said. Creek near the good grass, “Back off” fore dropping. Ps 2 UV Damage stormJimmy formed to the west of Guam, and cyclone lan strengthUltraviolet light shining ened nearFiji, through the largest hole ever measured in the Dolphin Rescue ozone layer around Antarctica is causing DNA damage in a species oficefish, according to biologists from Northeastem University of Boston. Researchers Kirk Malloy and William Detrich found a surprising numberoflesions in the eggs and larvae of icefish around the Antarctic Peninsula. They plan to study to seeif the UV damage interferes with the fish's development and survival next year. In March,it Bee Loss was discovered that the ozone The honeybee population depletion was also harming singlecross Bosnia has been celled marine plants in the same nearly wiped out by unsearegion. sonable snow which blanketed the country. The insects hadjust come out of hibernation when the heavi- Tropical Storms The season'sfirst typhoon, est late-season snowstorm of this Isa, lashed some remote century struck earlier this month. It is likely that many crops will fail southem islands of Japan because therewill be no bees to pol- before losing force over the cooler waters of the North Pacific. Tropical linate them. Reports from South Africa a saythat a groupof dolphins saved a woman from drowning after she panicked in the surf while snorkeling off Garvies Beach, near Durban.Doris Svorinic was being tossed around by high waves on a reef a few hundred feet offshore. “The sea was murky and | was very scared. Then the dolphins swam up to me and nudged me all the wayto the breakers,” Svorinic told reporters. Natal Sharks Board chief scientist and dolphin expert Vic Peddermors said that, while there are occasional reports of dolphins rescuingpeople,“lam skepticalthey have sympathy for humans.” ‘Additional Sources: U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center at Guam, ABC News, Fiji Weather Bureau, U.S. EarthquakeInformation Center and the United Nations World Meteo- ological Organization. ny, Rockwell reported the incident to Young. “They weren't Sioux, and it’s sure they got our two missing horses,”” * * * A squall blew up with much thun- der and lightning, but little rain. Nevertheless, one hunter put his weapon into John Brown's wagon out of the drizzle. Brown tossed his coatover the gun; but when Be went to retrieveit, a pocket caught on the hammerof the musket and the weaponfired. ‘Theball tore through somecloth- rh 40%, ty * * * Washington Week Utahns in Congress (EEE ing bags, setting them afire, passed brought it into camp for the oil Slowly the four Mormons turned away from the Indians, but before through the rear of the wagon close by two or three men and smashed into the foreleg of Lewis Barney's nearestlike the English hare of any] they had gone 50 yards the Pawnees opened fire. Rockwell and Brown mare as he was leading her past the wagon. Mathews shot the animal to The Senate voted 74-26 to noted, reined in attack, sharplythen and spurred wheeledforto face the putThat heroutof her misery ‘ made four of the company's Sweety to prchion procesctor 0" transleror stockpiling, his parMeanwhile, Rockwell and trail to a point about two miles from the pioHe saw ago. days two of neer camp ward. ‘The other two, Mathews and E)dredge, did the same. Seeing the angry whites charging Rories Jost in as saatiy days. bess The wagon fire was put out with little damage. But the accident brought a sharp warning from ‘Caer bed they possess. The resolution atttying US a Young about the careless handling interpretation of the Luke Johnsonshota large rattlesnake and “{Roswell) Stevens killed a hare, the have seen in this country,” Clayton ty followed the horses’ what he thought was something mov- ing in high grass nearby and, nudg- down on them, the Pawnees sprinted for the river andvanished in the high ing his horse forward, he eased his grass and brush rifle up Returning to the pioneer compa- Dhe Halt Lake Tribune SUBSCRIPTION RATES tars CS . Established April [5 181 Published daily and Sunday Corporation 143 South Main St Kearns-Tribune by the Salt Lake City, Utab 04111. Periodicals postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Carrier Detivery (4: #eek perio) By Mall 4-week period) $5.76 $14.00 Dally Daily/Sunday (Utah. Ida, Wyo). wu 99.60 Daily and Sunday Daly Only (Utah 10 $12.00 Sundays Only & Thankapiving Sunday Only(Uta Member Audit Bureaw of Cireulathons Dally & Sunday (Ovinde of Region) $25.50 ‘The Salt Lake Tribune at the above uddrens not speak to on the streets of an ever- long enough to allow their animals to was run over by the wheel of a handcart when he also stepped too close Saturday. He's bruised, but will be fine One team ofhorses, accord- whom they otherwise probably would There was plenty of buffalo signs though, and the pioneers lingered said. A 14-year-old boy's foot ing to John Johnstun, has ty center, with its unpretentiousattitude and unmatchedathletic facilities.” Photographer Nelson doesn’t have the sameinstitutional tugs as Melich, but he recognizes a landmark when he earth@calon.com Pawnees Stole Horses, Then Fired J g @ MORMON PIONEERS April 27, 1847 Samos Paul e Dannebr annebrog ° 10 all, the Des Gym has been a communi- Sy htipu/wwslip.nevearthenv/ On Porter Rockwell, Search Party COLORADO while moving through the chlorine. “T also have jogged on the 10-lapsto-the-mile track, lifted weights alongside football players, talked politics as I climbed uphill on a stationary bike and walked the equivalent of the MormonTrail on the treadmill. Most of Weallowed more space than usual for this touching package, about 244 pages worth starting on the front of the Sundaysection, Page J-1, because the Des Gym was... well. . . different for as many as 2,000 faithful who have used it daily. As Melich puts it: The Deseret Gym provided an opportunity for patrons to improve their bodies while shedding misconceptions about people Earthquakes The strongest temblor so Eg far this year struck deep beneath the South Pacific, generating a tsunami that swept onto the south-facing beaches of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Several houses were damaged by the tidal wave. Earthquakes rocked Trinidad and Tobagofor a third consecutive week. Several buildings were damaged andthree people wereinjured by the mostrecentshaking. Earth movements werealso felt in Sumatra, central and southern Japan, southern and northwestern Iran, central Chile, Guam and two points in south-central Alaska. satriaxe UTAH cry the way we remember things in our EARTHWEEK: A DIARY OF THE PLANET OM eR ested be sate st2) a el Q is Reporter Nancy Melich and Photographer Trent Nelson documented the Deseret Gym’s last days. Nelson did it a bit differently from our normal photojournalistic presenta- tions. He shot in black and white. “Stripping out the color takes you right to the heart of an image. Instead of colors, you see shapes, design and content. Black and white is closer to Iam rekindling.” ping and,for thefirst time, understood the highs that athletes often mention. Overthe years, I mentally that if I did not develop the parcel by the end of the month, it would revert last turn of the century. closing, I knew it would be important to document the gym and the people who use it before they disappeared.” minds, and memories are what I hope with the gym. I remember the morning I swam three miles without stop- er own. (Surely buried in the deed’s fine-print legalese was a clause saying Klondike, an adventurous region of northwest Canada madeall the more so by the discovery of gold around the it was swim and play. When I heard which will be torn down this summer inch. I considered buying up adjacent Real estate first caught myinterest _of loaded weapons. Distance traveled this day: 16 a Donec «5 29 Republicans Dents Republicans that the mendes all chemical weapons destroy nations Se eee Suse 28 — |, ochuding ea gasin conan mitary miles. CIRCULATION NUMBERS NEWSROOM NUMBERS or same-day mised delivery replacement on weekdays and Saturdays, | Business News WAitor call before 10 a.m. Sundays eall before 1 pam. For carrier and home Editorial Writers etivery information, new subscriptions, restarting vubscriptions, can. Peatures/DayBreak. cellations and billing information, call Wenday through Friday. 4 asm. Le News Desks 1 pm, Saterday, 4 an, to 10 am, Sunday 4 a.m. to | pm. Newspaper w E4 237-2000 Salt Lake, south Davis countios ‘All other areas 1-800-062-0076 Photography 231-2005 237-2011 237-2019 237-2075 257-2045 237-2018 237-2005 mms Reader Advocate 237-2008 Recreation 237-204 Rolly & Wells 207-2045 State Desk 27-3070 Sports (ne seores) Sores (Vbe/min) 1-900-806-1561 Trib Stare oaparra2 |