Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-03-16
CHAPTER II.
THE FLOWER OF UTAH.

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from the lips OF their leader that this
was the promised land, and that these
virgin acres were to be theirs forever
more.
Young speedily proved himself to be
q slzillful administrator as well as Il
resoIute chief Maps were drawn and
charts prepared, in which the future
city was sketched out. All around
farms were apportioned and allotted in
proportion to the standing of each III
dividual The trado5mal was put to
his trade and the artisan to his calling.
In the town streets and squares sprang
up as if by magic. In the country there
was draining and hedging, planting
and clearing, until the next summer
saw the whole country golden with
the wheat crop. Everything pros
pered in the strange settlement.
Above all, the great temple which they
had erected in the center of the city
grew ever taller and taller. From the
first blush of dawn until the closing
of the twilight, the clatter of the
hammer and the rasp of the saw were
never absent from the monument
which the immigrants erected to Him
who had led them safe through many
dangers.
Tho two castaways. John Ferrier and
the little girl who had shared his for
tunes and had been adopted as his
daughter, accompanied the Mormons
TO the end of their pilgrimage. Little
Lucy Ferrier was borne along pleas
antly enough in Elder Stangerson's
wagon, a retreat which she shared
with the Mormon's three wives and
with his son, a headstrong, forward
boy OF twelve. Having rallied, with
the elasticity of childhood, from the
shock caused by her mothers DEATH
she soon became petwith the women,
and reconciled herself to this new life
in her moving canvas-covered home.
In the meantime, Ferrier, having re-
covered from his privations, distin-
guished himself as useful guide and
an indefatigable hunter. So rapidly
did he gain the esteem of his new
companions that when they reached
the end Of their wanderinys it was
unanimously agreed th.s he should be
provided with as large "a as fertile
tract of land as any OF the settlers,
with the exception of Young himself,
and Of Stangerson, Kimball Johnston
and Drebber, who were the four princi-
pal elders.
On the farm thus acquired John Fer
rier built himself substantial log
house, which received SO many addi-
tions in succeeding years that it grew
into 4 roomy villa. He was man of
practical turn of mind, Keen in his
dealings and sl1illful with his hands.
His iron constitution enabled him to
work morning and evening at improv-
ing and tilling his lands. Hence il
came about that his farm and all that
belonged to him prospered exceeding
ly. Ia three years he was better of
than his neighbors. in six he was well
to do, in nine he was rich, and in
twelve there were not half dozen men
in the whole of Salt Lake City who
could compare with him. From the
great inland sea to the distant Wah
satch mountains there was no name
better known than that of John Fer
rier.
There was one way, and only one, in
which ne OhGHtlcu lilc SuSCGpLiOl1llACs
of his coreligionists. No argument OF
persuasion could ever induce him to
set up female establishment after
the manner of his companions. lie
never gave reasons for this persistent
refusal, but contcnted himself by reso-
lutely adhering to his determination.
There were some who accused him OF
1ulzewarnness in his adopted religion,
and others who put it down to greed OF
wealth and reluctance TO incur ex-
pense. Others, again, spoke of some
early love affair, and of n fair-haired
girl who had pined away on the shores
Of the Atlantic. Whatever the reason,
Ferrier remained strictly celibate. In
every other respect he conformed to
the religion of the young settlement,
and gained the name of being an or
thodox and straight-wall1ing man.
Lucy Ferrier grew up within the log
house, and assisted her adopted father
in all his undertakings. The keen air
of the mountains and the balsamic
odor Of the pine trees took the place of
nurse and mother TO the young girl.
As year succeeded TO year she grew
ruddy and her step more elastic. Many
a wayfarer upon the high-road which
ran by Ferrier's farm felt longforgot
ten thoughts revive in his mind as he
watched her 1.-THE, girlish figure trip
ping through the wheat fields or met
her mounted upon her fathers mus
tang, and managing it with all the
ease and grace of q true child of the
west. So the bud blossomed into
flower. and the years which saw her
father the richest of farmers left her
as fair specimen of American girl
hood as could be found ON the whole
Pacific slope.
It was not the father, however, who
first discovered that the child had de-
veloped into the woman. II seldom is
in such cases. That mysterious change
is too subtle and too gradual to be
measured by dates. Least of all does
the maiden herself know it until the
tone Of u voice or the touch Of hand
sets her heart thrilling within her, and
she learns, with mixture of pride
and of fear, that Il new and larger ma
ture has awakened within her. There
are few who cannot recall that day and
remember the one little incident which
heralded the dawn of a new life. In
the ease of Lucy Ferrier the occasion
was serious enough in itself, apart from
its future influence on her destiny and
that OF many besides.
1t was a warm June morning, and
the Latterday Saints were as busy as
the bees whose hive they have chosen
for their emblem. In the fields, and in
the streets rose the same hum of human
industry. Down The dusty highroads
dcfled long streams of heavily laden
mules, all heading 20 the west, for the
gold fever had broken out in Cali
fornia. and the overland route
lay through the city of the elect.
There, too, were droves Of sheep
and balloclss coming in from the out
lying pasture lands. and trains of tired
immigrants, men and horses equally
weary of their interminable journey