[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 101 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6419-H6420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TODAY UTAH CELEBRATES ITS PIONEER HERITAGE

  (Mr. CANNON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, 151 years ago today, Brigham Young led the 
first Mormon pioneers into the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
  The next spring, malnourished Mormon settlers began planting corn, 
beans, wheat, and potatoes. But as soon as they sprouted, the shoots 
were attacked by hordes of crickets.
  Dr. Priddy Meeks recorded in his journal that ``the crickets came so 
thick it made the earth black in places, and it did look like they 
would take away what little we had growing * * * and we a thousand 
miles away from supplies.''
  Out of desperation, men, women and children poured into the fields to 
scare

[[Page H6420]]

the crickets away. They dug ditches around the field. They used fire. 
But it was all in vain.
  Just as all seemed lost and starvation likely, help came from above 
in the form of thousands of seagulls. Eyewitness reports tell of the 
birds descending on the fields, gobbling up the crickets and sparing 
the precious crops.
  Today, Utah celebrates its pioneer heritage. Many of the celebrations 
will center around Seagull Monument in downtown Salt Lake City, erected 
in honor of the event I have just described.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me today in honoring the courageous 
spirit and the sacrifices of the Mormon pioneers.

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