Show the old settler my dear san Jua ners in central europe there is a little country which has for a long time and does now maintain not only its independence but its dignified neutrality in the midst of desolating war and commotion that little country has h as maintained m its business integrity and its economic poise while its neighbors have been convulsed with humiliating obligations ligat ions which they can not meet that little country is not quite five times the size of san juan county utah more than a fourth of it is absolutely unproductive tt it has no sea coast and andruch much of its arable land is ti tilted I 1 ted at a steep pitch it has nearly five million people with a lesser numerical weight to stand against its numerous enemies A lesser number could have subsisted on the fertile soil of its narrow valleys and fallen tor for lack of strength into the hands of their grasping neighbors the liberty loving swiss people have clung to the rising generations erat ions that they might be strong to maintain their country and their freedom this has necessitated the discovery or development of many industries other than the of the soil they have developed a purpose breed of cattle the brown swiss good for milk good for beef good as a draft animal they developed a superior strain of goats they built up a lace making industry a industry and many arts and crafts which could be carried on in their own homes at any and all hours and then they advertised to all the world the beauty of their bleak desolate mountains their dangerous regions of flood and avalanche and a ponderous multitude of tourists come with their money every year making Switzer lands worthless areas her most profitable asset the strength the splendor the honor and wealth of switzerland has been made bythe resource fullness of its people A people not so sturdy and so self sup porting would never have made it what it is it is always the people who make the country many regions more highly favored than the country around the alps have failed to achieve what has been done in the little mountain republic our san juan is and will be just what we make it no more no less if san juan produces no seers to envisage the meaning and extent of its splendid possibilities it will dwindle and deteriorate eight hundred years ago this corner of utah had a much greater population than it has today and that nume numerous tous population maintained itself by the most crude and primitive methods with our improved facilities ci cili litie ties devices of operation and advanced understanding it if we faildo fail to make this a rich and populous region then we have missed the great opportunity which the creator has placed before us albert R lyman |