Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-18
A PIONEER STORY OF THE PARK.
Col. John A. Nelson Taxes the Gam.
blers for the sunday School
Organ-Old EnOch's Visit
to His Masters Grave.

toHis Masters Grave.
Correspondence DEMOCRAT
Near the lower end of Park City is the
former residence of Col. John A. Nelson
his family still occupy the old home. In
all the mining camps of Utah, Idaho
and Montana, his name was familiar
one-a man of strong character and inn
pulses. When the war began in Isl, he
was a machinist in Colts Armory, Hart.
ford, Conn. He enlisted and served
honorably as soldier to the end OF the
war. During Gen. B. F. Buffers admin.
| istration of governmental affairs in New
| Orleans, Colonel Nelson was his provost
marshal and member OF Buffers per-
sonal staff. His experience in the army
and, since that, his exploits in the min
ing camps of our Coast and Territories,
have served to make him a noticeable man
wherever he went. Strong men like
Colonel Nelson may have much of the
gentler attributes of humanity in the
very blood that too often is hot with pas
sion and violence. Many of your readers
may only know of him as his daring adj
ventures and resolute courage would give
him reputation; yet, here in Park City,
his last home, we have two reminders OF
him at least, that continually verify his
better nature.
In the beginning here, when the roughs
and toughest of the tough predominated
THAT was years ago., Colonel Nelson was
strolling along one of the back streets
one Sunday afternoon, and, attracted by
the voices of little children, he entered a
door and found himself in Sunday
school. Now, this was not habitual with
him. but the singing went straight TO his
big heart; the happy faces, gladdening
all around, made him glad that he, too,
was there. At the closing, he asked,
(and there was big culver in his voice,
as well as tears in his eyes,: ''Can 1 do
anything to help this thing along?". He
was referred to Mrs. E. P. Ferry, then a
leading spirit in this enterprise. eyes,
Colonel Nelson" she answered, as they
went out of the door together, eff we
only had an organ to help along with the
singing, it would be wonders for us ALL"
"All right, you shall have it," and Colo
mel Nelson went straight to work in his
specially peculiar way. The first build
ing he entered was a gambling saloon;
the table had on it piles of coin, staked in
the pending game. "Boys, hold on
moment! Have any of you been up to
this - Sunday school? Twas in there
just now just come from there. l heard
the little kids singing the hymns our
mothers sung to us. They need an organ
to help them along. Some Of that money
will buy one. l want it." To this APP
peal an eloquent response in gold and
silver came from the gamblers. From
the gambling room to all the saloons
along Main street, Colonel Nelson "pre-
sented the cause" and thus Mrs
morning to send nearly 5000
to Salt Lake to buy and pay the freight
there and to set up in that room the best
organ that could be found-"and if this
is not enough to do it, more money will
come" From that day to this, the
sweet tones of that organ have blended
with the children's voices in school, with
those of the choir in church with the
fewer voices in the weekly prayer meet
ing, and always it's grander, deeper melo-
dy, as if in memory OF generous soul,
is its tribute in the services of the dead.
Nearly five years ago, Colonel John A.
Nelson was carried from his home and
buried in the old cemetery Enoch, his
faithful dog, a large shaggy fellow, who
had kept very close to his master every
where, did not forsake him then, and
1noch too, was a mourner at Nelson's
He logged along with the slow
moving hearse, and when the sexton had
rounded off the clods, Enoch laid down
on the grave, as near his old mas
ter as he could. When night came
he trudged home. Every funeral
that has occurred in Park City since that
day, as the solemn procession passes the
door, Enoch moves slowly out, takes his
place by the hearse and walks along to
The cemetery, and directly to his masters
grave, crouching there until the funeral
'ervlces-be it of man, woman or child
Ire over. Then he goes straight home to
wait for and accompany the next
Journey to the tomb" saw old Enoch
for he is old and feeble now
yesterday, as he came out and took his
)lace by the hearse, and this was told
ne: "He never fails to accompany any
uneral procession that goes to the ceme-
cry, be it winter or summer, and all
long, for nearly five years, this dog has
ecalled to us his masters death in this
Fay." The church organ and old Enoch
ell us often of the kind, big, generous
cart of Col. John A. Nelson.