THE MORMON LAND SYSTEM IN UTAH. 



THE SPEECH OF THE HON. GEORGE Q. CANNON AS TEMPORARY CHAIR- 

 MAN OF THE THIRD NATIONAL IRRIGATION CONGRESS. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Irrigation Congress : 



I might say truthfully that this is somewhat unex- 

 pected to me. I received notice last night on my arrival 

 after midnight at the hotel from the chairman of the 

 National Committee that it was contemplated to put 

 my name in nomination as a temporary chairman of 

 this National Irrigation Congress. I almost hope, and 

 if it had not been for my pride in the territory from 

 which I came, that some other name might have been 

 substituted for mine, for in the midst of men like 

 these we have gathered here to-day I submit that I 

 feel a sense of modesty, and 

 would rather sit and listen 

 than take a prominent part 

 in the proceedings of this 

 congress. Nevertheless, it 

 is probably due to Utah, in 

 view of the attitude which 

 she has occupied for the last 

 forty-seven years on this 

 great and important ques- 

 tion, that she should occupy 

 some prominent position in 

 this congress. 



Forty-seven years ago I 

 crossed the plains in com- 

 pany with companions who 

 were then seeking homes in 

 the Far West. I did not 

 occupy so prominent a po- 

 sition in the community as 

 has been represented, be- 

 cause I was but a youth 20 

 years old, but I was then, 

 as I am now, deeply inter- 

 ested in the future of this 

 Western country. I felt 

 that there was a great future 

 for it, and then to me, as 

 with all those who traveled 



at that time, it was so different to know the old 

 conditions under which we lived that it seemed like a 

 new world. We entered Salt Lake valley, that is, I 

 and the party I accompanied, about eight weeks after 

 the pioneers headed by Brigham Young had entered 

 the valley. That band consisted of 142 men and 

 three women. We came forward and traveled with 

 women and children in large numbers, there being 

 some 2,000 all told in the different companies. 



188 



HON. GEORGE Q. CANNON, 

 Of Utah, Temporary Chairman Irrigation Congress. 



THE LUXURY OF POTATOES. 



The pioneers had already planted a few seeds and 

 made some attempt at irrigation, but as they landed 

 the latter part of July (the 24th it was) it was very 

 difficult to do anything except to preserve the seed. 

 That seed was carefully cared for and husbanded, 

 and from that seed the seed potatoes (that was the 

 first vegetable introduced into Utah) sprung. But it 

 was not until 1849 that any of us, unless it was through 

 curiosity, tasted potatoes. We preserved the seed so 

 carefully that we did not dare to taste potatoes. In 

 1848, after planting our 

 crops, we found that we 

 were in such a situation that 

 food must be raised, and as 

 we did not have the scientif- 

 ic friends that we have with 

 us now to do it in a scientific 

 mariner, we went at it as best 

 we could, and took out 

 water by the simplest means 

 in our reach, and we were 

 successful in raising at least 

 a part of a crop. After our 

 grain had been sown and 

 our fields looked promising, 

 black crickets came down 

 by the millions and devoured 

 our crops. I have seen fields 

 of wheat look as promising 

 as they could in the morn- 

 ing and by evening they 

 would be as bare as a man's 

 hand devoured by these 

 crickets. 



For a time it seemed that 

 everything planted would be 

 torn up, and we were in 

 such a position as you can 

 well imagine. California 



was on our west, 800 miles distant; to the east was 

 no settlement nearer than Des Moines, Iowa, and a 

 few settlements perhaps in upper Missouri, so that 

 we were entirely dependent upon all we brought 

 in our wagons, and we had to deal it with the 

 utmost care. Food was weighed out by the ounce and 

 limited to every individual that no one should eat 

 more than his share of the pieces that were divided 

 for the week's supply. 



