Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-08-04
BIRTHDAY REUNION.
lIonors shown to Patriarch Benjamin
4. johnson. Arizona.

mEHAt mnflc0pa NouulSt Alls
July 20 1894
Eiiitor Dcscrei hcrs
Yesterday "a part % the family o.
Patriarch Benlamiu r. Jjhnt1u,b the
number " ia, AMI thirteen friend. OF
the family, met la the grove OF DO
NJ. lie Baron, In Neuhi war;, 70 cole'
bratu the seventy-siKth birthday Of tue
Patriarch. Toe place was veil ohosou,
beneath the dense foliage Of tue richly
laden hg tfee-, whose second crop for
the summer Is now maturing. Upon
tho troos arc seen figs Just budding,
sons half grown, ami others who's
rich purple hue proclaim their luscious
riponcss. A long table beneath the
spfeA ling branches hell choice ~.
past, Including hpplus AMI grapes, and
vi the appointed tins was suffOu uduu
by a most ready ~ uo full iustice - It,
viauis. A Pleasing sight II wac, to see
our Patriarch, looking hale and idll OF
life, despite his 20 yeats, surround, Il
by ~ many Of he chil .fUn, grand-
children aud frcai-graudcliidfvn, al
though many were uuayOidably Ab'
sent, ANA by n few Of his mauy iricnIn,
liaI q not been family reunion the
grove would nave been too ANAL ~
shelter hi. many file ldS, AMI there
fore gcnsfal Invitation could not 10
extended.
Tue table being cleared, the family
choir gave greeting song, followed ~
short address from tue Patriafch,
/ touching upOn hit childhood nud
youth, passed amid the sorrows, cares
aud nfes Of persecution Ia Ohio, Mis'
souri, aud Illinois, A recitation In
costume, by Edgar 10 Baton, aged .
/ yeafa was votol "Cutr," aud was fol-
/ loved by u soug ~ Mrs Janotta John.
sou, "rue Old hau Dreams," *.
| quisiiely rendered ami most Appr0pr'
A,H 10 the occasion. RutpOuiiug ~ a
| call, short nd1funses were maus by
james H. MariLcau, Biihop samuel
OpoushAw anl !. NJ. o. sby, all bear
log testimony bundled upon many
| yeaft' personal knowledge OF ths IT,
logfiiy OF Brother Johns aud Ms
I uuswrfvinE devotion 20 The rsu'e
Of God dufitg his sixty'thr, .
years membefsilp la the CAbfib
Mrs. ChAa. Hayden, visltor, belt x
invited 10 speak, said she hal a. sptecn
prepared, bug sanctioned what hnu
been said, aud wished her friend mis- Lt
have such birthdays i,ur inns a year,
Music, DELIGHTFULLY."- rendered by tIo
family choir at intervals, added mu1n
10 the general pleasure, aud not = feel.
ing except that prompted by love OF
ifisndship was manifcst, At the cOu-
oluslon tho patriarch bestowed a
fathetly blessing upon all, aud We sep
afated with ierling tnat such -.
unions should be- more frequent.
/ think It well 10 give here a few
incidents ia tue history u Brother
Johnton; Hu received the Gospel IA
the year 1881 Aud Il therefore one oil
the Oldest members Of thv Church, anJ
ono Of the law remaining who were
ultimate with the Prophet Joseph
smith, Father smith, toe first Twelve
anu the fret Elders Of the Church.
When the Kirkland Trnpli wa,
nnishedl the Prophet invited
all those who had lab0red upon
It's construction 10 come forward
aud bo blessed. Brother Beblamil
was then blessed under the hands Of
the Prophet, being the yOungrst AMI
last one OF all who were thus iN'
yorod.
After years Of persecution aud sor
row, wuen tue Saints hAu To leave
kirtland, Brother johnson, with his
mother, brothers anu aisteTs, started fOl
Missouri In IlOn's Camp, and after I
toilsome, wear march came 10 spring
Held, III, Many VI the Camp, includ'
ing his mother and fanny, stopped
here on account OF sickness, but n,
went on 90 Adam OnuIAhman, IL
Missouri, A. once identified with TIE
troublous timts there, he was iREtI
prisoner, anu LOT eigst days aud nighu
Kept under guArl Ia the open air IL
snowy, freezing weather, With NJ
shelter, no bed but some haze
bush, anu NO bedding OF over
coat. Jeerel NJ and insultol
by his brutal guard, his lie threatened
continually aud with no one TO shAr,
his slrrUWs, bis integrity was put Il
tho seyetesl lest. Ho was offered rt
lease aud honor II he would belray hl
bruthrvu-lvAth,i II he would not. tn,
wretch who shlrlly before hal at TIA
Haun'a mil massacre killed an OH
soldier Of eighty ysAfs with n o1rl
cutter thteulJnrd with horfid Oitus &
cut him up p.ol0mesl ~ TO had the oil,
man, whose uIu1l s,iil stained the plrc