The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-16

gled ON. d
"About that time, I mind, one day q
party with three smart cerriges an some
light spring wagons came dashin' up be-
hind US. 1t turned out to be three Of the
Apostles an four elders an son Of Presi-
dent Young. They was a returnin' from
preachin' tour through the South. Well,
they staid over night with us, an IN the
mornin' Apostle Richards preached to us,
rcbukin' us fer the seemn' lack OF faith
amongst us, an telln' us the Lord would
keep the winter back II need be ON our ac-
count, an that they'd hev provisions sent
out to meet us at South Pass. Then they
rode away In their cerriges, takin' some OF
| our best pervsions with 'em, They didn't
realize our condition, | reckon; leastwise
the mistakes OF men don't affect the revc-
lations OF tho Lord; them air above errors
an the like.
'But must say pine blank most on us
felt purity black around the heart them
times. Some on us was dyin' every day
an bein' left under pile OF stones fer the
wolves 10 dig at, an the Twin was starvin'
an dyin' by inches at the carts, but we
striv onard in the desperation OF dispar.
Us two famblys from Tennessee KEEP to-
gether the best we could The other
iambly WIS pore like us an had gin most
what they had TO the cause. The man
had never been stout an now he got
worst lie had two little children in his
cart, an his pore wife who pushed what
she could behind had little baby on her
breast. II was awful to see 'em workin,
with the shaders OF death acomin' an
agoin in their eyes, But we wasn't much
better of, on'y l was stouler, an Gather
inc. who was thin an white rs paper, an
with eyes lookin big an wild like some
animal that sees it's agoin to be killed,
worked day after day mos like a person
that's insane. She never said nothin',
On'y just worked an fit fer life. | think
II was anostly fer me, though. an our lit
tic sick darter alayin up there In the cart.
"Well, about them days it fell to freezin'
at night, an whereas we could sleep an
rest some alore, now in the mornn' we
was crowd Of dazed, shiverin, half.dead
people About 100 had died up to that
| time, an there was 800 OF US strugyin'
an flghtin' ahead cards the darkness.
1.-THE man in one other family, ! could
see, KEEP stiddily failin', an one mornin'
wen We started it skcert me, he looked
30 like a corpse, an his wife looked
day, staggerin' an tuggn' an draggin'
their feet along. But all that day ihey
was adyin'; my friend, all that day they
was adyiu'l for wen We stopped that
night the man sunk down inside the
handles. with his face betwxt his knees
an never moved agin. The wife fell onto
her side alongside the cart but | got 'er
up, an after seltin' their tent M, laid 'cr
in IL an fixed 'er the best could. In the
mornin' she was dead, though, froze cold
an still, with the child dead, too, ON 'er
breast There was six corpses in camp
that mornin'. What days them was an ,
God in hcaven what nights we hadn't
been lowed but seventeen pounds OF
clothes an beddin' apiece, an We Jest
laid an shivored in spasms OF cold.
s'pose amost OF US Il died in our tracks
on'y fer our faith. fer We did hang onter
the belief that the word OF the Lord = ser.
wants would come true. But II didn't
they made a mistake somehow, though il
wasn't the Lords fault. Winter come on
earlier en- common, an there we was
amongst the mountings wadin' rivers,
haulln' the carts up hills an down through
rocky gulches, with our shoes an boots
wore ofen our feet, or cut up TO make
boxen for the axles, long string OF hag.
gard. corpse.like men an wimmin aud
children stumblin an fghiin' to'ards the
bitter end.
"Ihen at last II got so there wasn't
scurccly strength left 10 nut up the tents
at night, an every nOrnin' ifom six To ten
corpses had 10 be buried; an some got
stupid, an some got savage an lost their
minds. My Catherine jest lit on ard like
a tiger. She never gin back She 'ppcared
10 INC like She was all eyes an leaders;
there was nolhin' Of her much, an fer the
lasi week OF IL she never slep ner ct that
| seed. | was one Of the sloutcst IN the
band-w'y, wlen | was young | could
take AN OK by the horn, an throw 'iml-
but could nigh keep up with 'cr. My
Catherine was insane was the fcasonl 1
hadn't no heart Ia me after that, an stag
grrcd like drunk man from weakness.
but iii lotred with 'cr. We had our one
little thing an the two children OF our
dead friends IN tile cart, an' she thought
they WIS all ourn. tho two from the little
graves la tennessee alive agn, an she
KEEP 'om kivcrcd up an fed. an tux care
oi EN-, an ut times she'd seem happy lest
like u child. an stop an stay pickin' How.
cfs along the way an laugh an talk OF the
thousans an thousans oi miles we'd come,
an oi the thousans an thousans OF miles
we'd have togo yit aiore We got 20 heaven.
an I'll Jest lay my head down on tho cart
an cry, Il broke my heart 50.
at last the storm come In earnest. II
begun 10 snow aud blow terrible. but We
stumbled onard blind like all day. We
seemed plum crazy ~ get out OF danger an
our misery, but was runnin furder into IL
every step. What we suffered could never
be put into language. ken mind ono
pore gal with awful look ON her face,
ahangiu' and half dmggin' all day at tho
cart next 10 Ourn. She now lives near salt
Lake, poor, helpless cripple, fer both her
/ limbs was lroze that day an had 10 be cut
of. A pore ole woman was clingin at the
slmo cart. but she lot 20 to wards night
an fell out OF sight Nobody could 20
back Tor her wen dark come, an in tho
mufnin' not fur from ~ some tore clothes
an hair was found, an human skull
with the wet prints OF wolf teeth all over
| H. That mornin' we buried five iroze
folks In ono grave. mind, an then vent
/ dmggin' onards agin; hu, bout noon we
/ could 20 no furdcT, the snow was W deep,
/ an We stopped ready 10 Law down
/ an die. But some OF the stoutcst OF MS
managed 10 got tho fonts up an fires
/ started, an went back IN the snow an
/ got the sick an the irozc. an some what
was out OF their minds, an got cm round
/ the iiues. II was turfiblc sight My
/ Catherine never said nary word that day.
/ llor eyes looked big aud CLASSY, and sho
went wcayin' from one side to tolhcr. but
she kept her eyes on the children an a
tryin' TO push. could see the end was
comm but couldn't feel, somehow. |
seemed 10 be lest moyin' in numb kind