The Pioneer Post Volume IV Issue 2 Marriott-Slaterville City Newsletter February 2002 1195 West 400 North, MSC, UT 84404 (627-1919, Fax 627-1880) BITS OF HISTORY by Elna Lucas History is made up of bits and pieces of information gleaned, compiled, and saved for the benefit of all who follow in its path. Several residents have been willing to share with me some histories or stories of ancestors who lived in our area. This information will be maintained at our city office. From one of these histories, I would like to share a brief insight into the life of one of our pioneers. Stephen Perry, a big man over six feet tall, was born in Vermont and moved with his family to Nauvoo in 1842, where he later served on the city council. In the fall of 1846 their home and almost all of their possessions were burned by mob action, and they were destitute when they arrived at Florence, Nebraska. Hardworking, honest and thrifty, Stephen remained there until moving to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he could outfit his family for the trip west. He came to Utah in 1850 and settled in Bingham's Fort, just east of our present community. In 1852 he built a home on Mill Creek, west of the present day Business Depot Ogden. He was one of the settlers who organized the North Slaterville Irrigation Company, securing an early claim to water on Mill Creek and the Ogden River (now with the first right to these waters). He introduced the madder vine to Slaterville for use as a yellow dye for cloth. Valuable then, today's gardeners struggle and grumble as they try to eradicate this same pesky plant. Stephen was a brick mason and could "saw a log straighter by sight than a man could with a chalk line." He extracted teeth and set broken bones. When a baby was born with a harelip, he straightened and stitched it in place (with no anesthesia). Far and wide he was called to relieve people's suffering. Stephen Perry died at 94. He was the father of 5 sons and 2 daughters. Sons Stephen Washington and Sylvester Lyman were also respected citizens of our community. Descendants of Stephen W. who still live here are Lila Perry McFarland and Robert Perry. Shirley Perry Smout, her children, including Councilman Rob Smout, and grandchildren descend from Sylvester. Violet Stratton, age 92, one of our oldest residents, is a grandaughter of Sylvester. I salute and honor this fine settler who influenced and helped build our community. Another Point of View by G.W. Bischoff Enron, with its collapse and the behavior of its chief executive officers is only the tip of the iceberg. On a daily basis, corporations raid their employees pocketbooks by failing to invest properly in their pension plans, shortchanging their hours, failing to pay as promised, bouncing checks, and coercing volunteer time. Because of the truly outrageous conduct on behalf of business, laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act were put on the books. This law provides minimum wage, overtime, hours worked, and child labor protection. Is this law still relevant? Next time your payroll check bounces see what happens. When you go to collect your check, and the amount of hours and pay is far different than what was promised, see what real protection you have. 99