years as President of the Brigham Young University, Provo, Benjamin Cluff has resigned, his resignation to take effect on the 23rd. It was accepted on the 15th, by the board of trustees, and Dr. George H. Brimhall was chosen acting president. Mr. Cluff will engage in the rubber business, in Mexico, as manager of the Utah-Mexico Rubber Co.

DEATH OF JOHN W. HESS.-A noted pioneer, a member of the Mormon Battalion, and a man of unflinching integrity, was President John W. Hess, of Davis Stake, who died in Farmington, on the morning of the 16th. He was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Foutz Hess, and was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1824. He was baptized into the Church with his father's family, in March, 1834, in Richmond County, Ohio, whither the family had removed in 1832. Then came removals with the Saints to Ray and Caldwell Counties, Missouri, and later to Illinois, and then again to Mt. Pisgah, Iowa, Elder Hess bearing the blunt of the trials, the burdens of the family, and caring for his partly paralyzed father, whose health failed owing to the severe hardships which he passed through. On July 10, 1816, he and his wife having arrived at Council Bluffs, on their westward journey, his father's family remaining in Mt. Pisgah, he enlisted in the Mormon Battalion, in Company E, Captain Daniel C. Davis, his wife Emmeline Bigler whom he had married in Nauvoo, November 2, 1845, also enlisting as one of the four women to accompany each company as laundresses. After his return, in 1843, to Mt. Pisgah, he found his father had died June 22, 1846. In the spring of 1849, he arranged for the westward journey, taking with him his father's family, and arriving in Salt Lake Valley July 27, settling shortly thereafter in Farmington. In March, 1865, he was ordained a bishop serving in this capacity for 27 years, until he was ordained, September 22, 1882, counselor to President W. R. Smith, upon whose death he was made president, January 15, 1894. This position he held until death. He served three terms in the Territorial legislature, in 1858, 1860, 1876; was commander of the Davis County militia for many years, and a delegate in 1895 to the Omaha Trans-Mississippi Congress. He filled a mission to the Lamanites and to Pennsylvania. On February 8, 1900, he was ordained a patriarch by Elder Francis M. Lyman, and remained an active worker in his callings to the day of his going to rest.

LEHI DIVIDED.-On the 20th, a quarterly conference of the Lehi ward was held. Bishop Thomas R. Cutler, having removed to Salt Lake, was honorably released, after having served the people as bishop. from September 5, 1873, at which time he succeeded David Evans who

was the first Bishop of the ward. All the priesthood of the ward were present at the forenoon meeting, when it was agreed that the ward would be divided into four, and when the boundaries of each ward were fixed. Officers were also chosen and unanimously sustained, on the nomination of Elder John Henry Smith, who, with Elder George Teasdale, represented the First Presidency. The following bishops and counselors were chosen, the action of the priesthood meeting being ratified by the people in the afternoon meeting: First ward-Andrew Field, bishop; John B. Whipple, George Schow, counselors. Second ward-James H. Gardner, bishop; A. C. Pearson, William F. Gurney, counselors. Third ward-Henry Lewis, bishop; George Glover, Jackson Wanless, counselors. Fourth ward-John Stoker, bishop, Samuel A. Smith, James Clark, counselors. Bishop Cutler was born in Sheffield Yorkshire, England, June 2, 1814, and came to Utah in 1865. The people of Lehi, as a unit, extend him their best will in parting, recognizing his many good qualities as a man and officer.

THE COAL MINE STRIKE.-On the 17th the situation in the coal camps was such that the officials were confident that the critical time had passed. Many of the strikers had departed, including Demolli, the agitator. For the first time since the strike, Nov. 9th, the normal number of men, 477, only 73 of whom were Italians, were at work in the Sunnyside mine. There are still one hundred union Italian families in camp. On the 21st the Castle Gate mines opened without trouble, and every mine in the county is now in operation, and the strike is practically at an end. On the 23rd the gradual recall of the State troops from Carbon county began by the return of Company H to Salt Lake. The strike up to the end of the year, has cost the state about $25,000. On the 27th, President Angus M. Cannon gave notice in the tabernacle that men could find employment in the mines, from which, on the day following, certain labor. leaders inferred that the Church was fighting the labor unions, and announced that they would fight the seating of Senator Smoot. It is emphatically denied that the officers of the Church intended to mix in the affair at all. The notice was read on request, just as such notices for work frequently are.

DIED.-In Preston, Idaho, 12th, Hannah Mary Merrill, born Weber county, Nov. 22, 1868, and daughter of Robert and Jane Baird.-In Salt Lake City, Thursday, 17th, Thomas Corless. He was one of the pioneers of 1848, a Salmon River missionary, and held many Church positions in the 4th ward. He was born in England in 1832.-Monroe, 18th, James H. McCarty, born in Kentucky, May 9, 1831, and came to Utah in

1854. He was the father of Justice Wm. M. McCarty of the Utah Supreme Court.-In Willard, 19th, Charles W. Hubbard, born Mass., Feb. 7, 1810, first bishop of Willard and pioneer of 1848.-In Mill Creek, 20th Susannah Halford, born England, January 1, 1825, emigrated to Utah with the first P. E. Fund company, in 1852.-In Coalville, 22nd, Alpheus Franklin, age 74, an early settler of Summit county and a skilled mechanic. In Salt Lake, 24th, William Rigby, born England, Aug. 8, 1838, a pioneer of 1848, and an Indian war veteran.-Wm. D. Owen, in Salt Lake City, 23rd, born in London, England, June 14, 1810, ons of the oldest residents of the city.-Elizabeth H. Watts, born Mississippi, Dec. 8, 1815, on the 25th., in South Weber.-George Woodward, one of the original 143 pioneers, in St. George, Utah.-Seth Dustin, born October 25, 1825, in New York, a Nauvoo veteran, on the 23rd, in Garden City, Rich county. In Farmers Ward, Salt Lake county, 28th, Annie C. Anderson a pioneer of Sanpete Valley.-Parley P. Prophet, an old resident of South Weber, died suddenly, 28th, after preaching a funeral sermon over Elizabeth H. Watts.-Martin Harrow, born England, an old resident of Salt Lake, 30th.-In Ogden, 31st, Susan Parry, wife of Hon. Joseph Parry, born in Connecticut, 1843, came to Utah in 1852.

ORE FOR ST. LOUIS.-If careful work is to place Utah mines in their true light before the nations, at the great St. Louis Exposition, in 1904, Don Maguire, who has that subject in charge, is determined that this shall be done. On the 22nd, he finished his visits to the Silver King where he collected from this, one of the world's greatest mines, twelve cases of specimens weighing in all 3000 pounds. One of the most remarkable of these is a rock weighing 800 pounds, a blend of galena carbonate and copper ores. Other properties, the Ontario, Daly-West, DalyJudge, and in fact, all the leading mines of Park City, are likewise being explored for specimens, which will be carefully boxed and forwarded to S. T. Whitaker, Ogden, for transmission to St. Louis. A piece of coal weighing 2800 pounds is to be among the exhibits.

THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH'S BIRTHDAY.-Among the many celebrations in honor of the Prophet's birthday, 23rd, was one given by the Daughters of the Pioneers, in the Barratt Hall. A large audience enjoyed the program, consisting in part of an address by President Joseph F. Smith on "Messengers to the World, and the first Fruits of the Message;" an address by Hon. W. H. King, on "Joseph Smith;" a song, "The Seer," by Charles Kent; and "Brigham, the Friend of the Prophet," by Mrs. Maria Y. Dougall.

NEW ELECTRIC LIGHT.-Springville, Utah county, celebrated the completion, on the 29th, of the new electric light plant, erected by the city at a cost $30,000. The principal streets were lighted at 5 o'clock, when the citizens were out in great numbers, and the brass band played in honor of the event.

THE IROQUOIS THEATRE FIRE.-On the 30th in Chicago, nearly six hundred people were killed by fire, suffocation, and being trampled to death, in the Iroquois theatre. It is one of the worst holocausts in the history of our country. Lulu P. Alexander of Springville, wife of Dr. Alexander, with her daughter, aged 8, and her son, aged 4, were among the victims, which brings the horror home to Utah.

UTAH LIGHT AND RAILWAY Co.-On the 31st a consolidation of the Utah Light & Power Co., and the Consolidated Street Railway Co. of Salt Lake went into effect. The new company is capitalized for $10,000,000. President Joseph F. Smith was chosen president of the new consolidation, with W. S. McCornick, L. S. Hills, W. J. Curtis, J. R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund, A. W. McCune, Joseph S. Wells, and W. P. Reed, directors; R. S. Campbell secretary and manager.

January, 1904.

ELECTION OF POWER AND LIGHT OFFICERS.-The Utah Light & Railway Co. elected officers on Januany 2. President Joseph F. Smith was chosen president, L. S. Hills treasurer, R. S. Campbell secretary and general manager. The systems of power, light and transportation will be improved, and to these ends more than a million dollars will be spent in the next five years. The consolidation is generally approved by the public.

PATTI IN SALT LAKE.-Patti sang to an audience of about five thousand in Salt Lake, after an absence of twenty years. Her voice was a disappointment to those who heard her on her former visit, but she sang well for a woman of 61 years.

THE SMOOT CASE.-On the 9th, Senator Reed Smoot replied to the petitions and charges against him, presenting through Senator Burrows his reply in printed form to the Committee on Privileges and Elections. He denies that he is a polygamist, and declares that polygamy is not sanctioned by the Church, and denies that he is one of the alleged "selfperpetuating body of fifteen men" who control the temporal and spiritual, civil and religious, affairs of the Church, or that there is such a body. Arguments in the case will be heard on the 17th.

JOSEPH BULL PASSES AWAY.--One of the oldest printers in the

Church, who earned the title of "The Mormon Newspaper Man," Joseph Bull, died at his home in Salt Lake on the 11th. With the exception of his missions, to Europe, in 1860, four years, and in 1877, two years, and two years in California with the Western Standard, and a short period as a laborer in the Salt Lake Temple, he was in the employ of the Deseret News, in various capacities, for half a century. He was born in Leicester, England, January 25, 1832, became a printer's apprentice at the age of fourteen years; left Liverpool January, 1851; arrived in Salt Lake in September, and in January, the following year, began work on the News. He held many positions in Church work, and was ordained a Seventy in 1858. He married Emma Green, October 28, 1854, who died October 24, 1895, and he married Zina O. Hyde, January 7, 1897. Only a few days before his death, he gave the ERA his portrait and matter for a sketch of his life, to be printed in our series, "Public Workers," which will appear in the March number. He was a man of push and energy, rich in experience and faith.

UTAH LAKE PROJECT.-The report of Prof. Swendsen, local engineer in charge of the U. S. Geological Survey, shows the practicability of the Utah Lake reservoir project, and demonstrates that when the lake is properly improved, it may be depended upon to yield 1000 second feet of water daily for the entire irrigation period of 152 days. The report sets forth all the facts, plans, and estimate of costs, and makes a strong recommendation to State Engineer Doremus that the Lake be selected as the first project to receive national aid. The execution of the work will depend entirely upon the land owners who, if the work is done, must reimburse the government for the outlay, as there is practically no government land to be benefitted. The project has been presented to the interested owners, and to Chief Hydrographer Newell, of the government service, with all indications that the experiment will be tried. The result of a successful ending of the enterprise will place 20,000 acres additional land under cultivation in the Salt Lake valley, besides supplying present canals with surplus water.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS.-On the 2nd, Dr. H. Talbot, of Portland, Oregon, was named to succeed Rev. J. L. Leilich, as superintendent of the Methodist church of Utah.- Major Heywood, of Bountiful, in charge of the detachment of troops at Scofield, and a member of the state militia for seven years, resigned on the 3rd.-On the 4th, Frank J. Hewlett was chosen president of the Salt Lake city council; and Thomas H. Carr, of the Ogden city council; Sherman Fargo, of Park City council; Marion Snow, of Provo council.-Horace G. Burt, on the 2nd,