Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-04-26
FROM AN OCTOGENARIAN,
E. K. Fuller Tells How He Brought
Potatoes 10 Utah.
Farty Txperience ana rriais-Niio
aud three children IN one Grn'e'
- pioneers Life.
LEEDS, Washington Co., Utah
March IS, 1894.
Edlfor Delerci Nous

March IS, 1894.
Editor Doscrcf NctOG
consider myself invited TO give
sketch VI what took place In my time
and travels with the Church Of Jetus
Christ Of Lattcr.day 5ainu. VIII
commence with my father Although
he never heard the Gospel preached ~
the Latiet.day Saints he advocated u
and could not Join any Of tho gecta OF
his day. Ny father, Cornelius Fullcr
was born September 10, no, iu Col
umbia county, New YORK. lie mar
ried Z.lpha Knapp, born Juuo %, lOli
hy her he had sixteen childtcn who OIL
lived 10 marry and have families.
sly father aud my brother Peter Fuller
were both In tho war Of l5l2. My
father was on the genefafs staii and
held the office Of major He moved
west, twenty-five miles iron the Hud'
sou river, 10 Green county, right In
the,backwO0ds,w where thefelwas no lnnd
clear Of timber. The timber consisted
Of hemlock, birch, maple and beech.
This all had to be cleared out ~ the
way before a crop could be grown. II
was then a barren, sterile, rocky rOun.
try, with long, cold winters and deep
SHOWS. They generally had 10 feed
stock six months. The staple articles
OF food raised there were rye, buck
wheat aud potatoes.
was the fourteenth child In the
family and WAS born IN Windham,
Green county, New YORK, June 3,lSlli
Married Harriet blomls Of the same
place December 9Oth, 1891. made a
start In life on the farm. Tho chief
articles that would bring money then
were homlock bark aud lumber. I be-
liovo that not one IN twenty OF our
Utah boys would dafo 10 tackle 0nn Of
these large trees for tho bark IL would
take four trees TO make ono cord Of
bark, anu then II had ~ be haulot out
Of the woods 20 ~ 20 get NJ IL with
wagon, and then be hauled twelve
miles 10 get s. a cord. The lumber,
after cutting tho logs, hauling them 10
the saw mill and giving one half for
saving, and hauling the other half
twenty miles, would bring s. per thou
rand.
was baptized in May, 1912. went
1870 miles 10 the city Of New YORK 10
get an Elder 10 come and baptize.
There were ave IN the place ready 10
loiu the Church. Elder Moses MARTIN
came and baptized us all. 1 was or
uAined an Elder anu appointed TO pre-
side over the branch. Then came tho
outside pressure OF persecution. The
Baptists, Prcsbyterians and Methodlsts
were all afrayod Rgainst us. fho
Methodista were the worst prosecutors.
The year that Joseph the Prophet
had his name on the list 10 run for
President, leotured In his behalf
Tho leading politicians In that part OF
country said his Views on government
showed him 10 be powerful man.
When we heard OF his and Hytum's
assassination this Saints mourned ~
though they could not be- comi0rted.
1 sold out, hnd IA September, 1874,
stated with my family 10 Nauvoo aud
arrived there In October. 1 have been
with the Church from that day TO this.
There was good deal OF suffering and
privation Ia Nauvoo tho year before
we left, such ~ 1 have not power TO
describe. My wife died July -, 1915,
IN Nauvon, aged 81 years; Harriet
Francis Fuller, my daughter, diei
August y, l5iS, aged . months; vii.
liam Henry Fuller, my sou, died
September %, 1876, aged II yeafs;
diet October 7, 1915, aged years aud
7 months. When lef, Nauyoo 1
buried them all In one grave.
President Brigham Young called a
meeting Of all tho members OF the
Church Ia the Nauv00 Temple and We
made covenants 10 uso our means aud
do all Ia cur power 10 help move the
people 10 the lar West, but not know.
Ia. NaaW mould
pie commenced Ia sarnost f0t the move
in building wagons. gathering cattle
10 haul them, and providing provisions.
The main body OF tne Church left Ia
April and May aud Travelled In small
companies. While they were moving
came tho fequlsltlOn from the govern.
ment for 800 men for the Mexican war.
! was asked 10 20 aud said 1 dld not
feel much like II "a had served seven
yeafu. i had commission rs captain.
/ told Brother kimball, however, 10
put my name down and would 20.
Later no said II would let one Oi my
drivers 20 he would 10. Tbs drivers
name was Edwin Walker. lie could
not have gone any farther that season
hal II not been Tor this opportunity.
When the news came that our
hANAhlNN Nhu hNAN Aflh ia ANhuHuu Mnfu
all driven across the Mississippi river
at tho point,of the bayonet, by the mob,
aud were Ia n deplorablo condition, a
call was made Tor volunteers TO take
teams aud wagons 10 20 back aud aid
them. Many responded " tho call.
took two teams aud brought three
families up 10 the camp Of Israel, aud
then began 10 fix Tor winter quarters.
1 had Travelled three times across
lows. A company called Pioneers
was organized 10 leave early In the
spring. They started In April. Tue
main body Of the camp was Orgnnlzbd
IN companies OF hundreds, rttlu8 aud
tens, anu c0unselel 10 start as soon o.
the grass grew for feed. / was organ.
ized In tue dry OF which Petegriue
Sessions was captain. 1 was placed In
tho second ton no captain, IA my ton
were Father John Smith, Johu L..
Smith, Thomas Calllslori And 5ilas
aud Jesse smith. We lgl our
winter quarters In May, lSi7,
There being god deal Of raiu tue
ground became very soft and II wns