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By Steven M. opencer
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OF, CNCiCa AND TN DARIDAY DHAGCN
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%. George, ia the southwest corncr of Utah, got 1ts name not fron’
the Fourth Century dragon slayer, the natron saint of England, but from
& Latter Day Saint named George A. Smith. A counselor to Brigham Young
industrious Mormon, Ceorge “. Smith never speared anything
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more maicyolent than a rattlerpsnake on the rim rock. But the town that
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bears bis name bas been reluctantly jousting with a latter day dragon
wnose poisonous breath has touched its 4,500 inhabitants and now taints
wne earth's atmosphere from pole to pole,
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f neat plaid table-cloth of brick and frame homes with o sugar-white
venple as the eclegant center-piece, St. George 1a spread in a sheltcring
curve of red cliffs and black volcanic ridges. Forty-five miles east is
Zion Nations] Park, and just north of town’ the sage-speckled floor and
pink walis of Snow's Canyon provide a favorite scene for Hollywood west-
the Chamber of
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Soa fee OU?
Lal hu dinglen
Commerce gusrantees
erns., Tne climate is mild-/at least 360 days of sunshine a year. Seat
Salomon beeenmbtmenatoronsp eend Lhe Mormons wno cettled the Jand in
and fig trees.
Dea melas Rl usyoe nee e ho
whe 1860's called it Utah's Dixie and proceeded to raise cotton, Brighan
Young for years made it his winter hore.
St. George's only flaw (and not all its residents see it as a flaw)
4s wnat it lies just 125 miles east, as the radioactive cloud flies, from
the main firing points of the Atomic Energy Commssion's image Nevada Gest
sive, near las Vegas. Of all the cities and towns downwind of YuccaJackass
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