Show The Herald Journal Cache Sunday September 4 AJ 5 1988-P- agp LooIung Back SmmoncIs The mountain maples I remember one of Alastair Cooke’s episodes on the production of “America” where he discussed the fall colors of the trees in New England Part of his discussion was an involved explanation of the freezing of the ground that cut off moisture to the trees ana caused the leaves to change from green to their autumn reds and golds and yellows At the time I thought "How interesting” and promptly filed that bit of information away with all the other little bits of information that I find interesting but will never again use Until this year It is early September and the maples are already changing color I think Alastair Cooke knew of what he spoke The season has been so dry that the color has started on the mountains In the lower reaches of the canyons on the east side and on the foothills above Dayton and Clifton the maples are showing the reds and golds that we have come to associate with early October Today the maples provide a seasonal backdrop to the life that is lived in the valley but there was a time when the maples provided a resource of considerable importance to the pioneer settlers of Cache Their 'presence was noted by the mountain men Both Peter Skene Ogden of the Hudson Bay Company and Warren Angus Ferris of the American Fur Company commented in their diaries on the presence of maples in northern Utah But it remained for Orson Pratt with the first pioneer company into the Salt Lake Valley to spot them as a possible resource On July 28 1847 he noted in his diary that the mountains around the newly settled Salt Lake City were dotted with “sugar maple ash oak fir and pine” Pratt from his experience in the East saw the maples as a source of sugar It was as a source of sugar that the maples were used In the early spring of 1859 a man by the name of Fisher tried to walk into Cache Valley over late spring snow drifts in order to be at Maughan’s Fort in time for the sugaring season — when the nights were freezing ana the days warm and the sap began to flow Merlin R Hovey recorded the story in his early history of Cache County in 1924: grain were covered with heavy growth of maples On the way over the storm was so severe that the little old man froze his feet and they were in a terrible condition The settlers gave him what assistance they could but it was soon evident that he would lose his feet He lived with the Gardners One foot came off at the ankle and another leg at the knee He suffered untold misery for nearly two months when he died and was buried not far from the cabins" Other early Cache diaries and accounts show that maples were used in local manufacturing George Barber of Smithfield records making harrow teeth out BBC of maple logged in Smithfield Canyon In Clarkston and Trenton the legs for the benches in the first schoolhouses were made of mountain maple and in Smithfield maple was burned for charcoal in kilns built at the mouth of the canyons Probably the greatest use was for firewood Until there was no coal burned in Cache Valley All heating and cooking was done over wood stoves and there is no comparison in the heat value between the hard maples and the soft pine fir and quaking aspen The pioneer use of maple for fuel continued in some areas of the valley well into the 20th century As late ' as 1903 1 can find record of wagons from Trenton going into High Creek Canyon to be filled with winter wood that had been logged The destruction of the trees must have been enormous amounting in some areas to g almost And the lower slopes of the mountains surrounding the valley have been cleared for dry farm fields The valley must have presented a very different appearance 120 years ago with maple forests extending down to the flats on all sides But Fishersill-fate- d attempt to tap the valley’s maples for sugar was certainly not the last The Riggs Family of Wells ville and Mount Sterling are known to have tapped maples for sugar until at least 1919 And since so many of the early settlers of the valley were from New England Ohio and Pennsylvania where sugaring was a way of life every spring it is likely that others also harvested maple syrup from the trees that are today so dry they are turning color without the benefit of the frosts 1873 clear-cuttin- “In January 1859 a party was equipped to go to Brigham City for supplies When they arrived at Brigham City a terrific storm came and they had great difficulty in getting back to Cache Valley with their loads They were accompanied back by a little old man by the name of Fisher Fisher was' a sugar maker and he desired to come early so he would be in the valley at the proper time for tapping the maple trees for their sap as he expected to make a good deal of maple sugar during the season "All the foothills where we now raise dry farm Soviet citizens endure long lines to view paintings Gerald Nadler Not all are flattering the new spur of the crucified Christ symbolizing suffering Mother Russia The canvas Is crowded “Glazunov is a real 20th century TranSiberian railroad 300 MOSCOW (UP I) — Eleven years ago of Russian some was with banned because it “Mystery” figures phenomenon — a hack and a person who Soviet authorities locked up painter Ilya showed expelled dissident writer Alexhistory from Rasputin to Dostoyevsky bends easily with the times” one and Czarevich Aleksei the slain heir to person wrote in brusque Russian terms Glazunov’s masterpiece “Mystery of ander Solzhenitsyn as a political prisonthe 20th Century” Now Raisa er The apocalyptic canvas also showed the Russian throne that lose much in English translation Gorbachev is a fan and tens of Christ behind barbed wire — a taboo "I could not tear my eyes from it” "It is not history it is politics” said t thousands line up for hours to see it subject in the officially atheistic Soviet one viewer said "Its effect was so another “Is that so long to wait to see such a Union at least under Brezhnev's Com- earthshaking” “Drawing a pile of faces isn’t quite 1977 was worth of not an exhibit is “Such munist hours said Five building orthodoxy long” history” said a third picture? But now the Soviet Union is officially this whole palace for” a former builder Claudia Efimova 49 at a Glazunov Reflecting Mikhail Gorbachev’s reshow held in a blaze of publicity rarely celebrating the 1000th anniversary of said forms the exhibit boasts it is and its proceeds are going to accorded any Soviet artist Christianity in Russia and newspapers “It should be hung for a year so is steep — 2 rubles Admission Glazunov 58 however is no ordinary openly praise Solzhenitsyn’s early charity can come and take a look not everyone " the And bad has been suddenly for a limited time” Claudia Efimova (8320) Reproductions of the twto works writing as “classics” painter At times he 10 Russian Glazunov from the of barred Soviet art showing religious naboy said “It is not just a picture It is the are available in color for rubles (816) cMiis work for 15 rubles and white in and At others he has been a tionalist is very much in vogue black history of our country” g (8240) Yegor K Ligachev No 2 man in the idento small portraitist of people like brochures buy ' Die late Indian leader Indira Gandhi and ruling politburo and the voice of Com- tifyVisitors “It is not art he has produced a each of the canvas’s 300 historical munist conservatives publicly praised actress Gina Lollobrigida Classical music fills the gallery product” one observer said His standing has risen and fallen with his new exhibit The first lady of the figures Glazunov is on hand every Wednesday hall where "Mystery” and “100 Centhe official view of Russian nationalism Soviet Union Raisa Gorbachev wrote a turies” like giant icons to give autographs and meet fans hang : When it was in favor so was Glazunov — fan note to Glazunov in 1981 An Never far from controversy he has IJie painted Leonid Brezhnev's 70th autographed picture of Raisa reportedly Consigned to a mere corner are repeatedly denied accusations he is a ‘birthday portrait When nationalism adorns his mantle depictions of 70 years of communist member of the extreme Russian nawas played down or he trod too hard on Sovetskaya Rossia newspaper said rule Glazunov's next giant collage he tionalist Pamyat organiza(official toes Glazunov’s work was 15000 people a day streamed into the says will be called "Seventy Years of tion He says a foreign journalist even Youth Palace to view Glazunov's banned Soviet Power” v labeled him a Stalinist In 1977 authorities closed a showing masterpiece and another equally huge "Thank you for the truth about of his masterpiece the "If you want to hear something high work “100 Centuries of Russia" Russia" one viewer wrote in the f'20-foto the millcnium celebration of comment book "Russia bows to you” stupid ask a foreigner what he thinks wide “Mystery of the 20th said another "All Who treasure Russia about Russia” Glazunov told Century" In deep disfavor cultural Russian Christianity Kultura newspaper Authorities sent him to paint workers f Bv building self-supporti- globe-trottin- anti-Semit- ic 1 de-diet- 10-fo- ot ot Sov-etska- uLL - - - |