Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-10-19

Mahsd0nustltss Wy iaNutl NhtiaANA ~
the Continental Army at the age Of six
teen, and remained with It until he wit
messed the surrender Of Yorktown. lie
was the son OF Peter and Ruth LINN on'
Spencer. Peter was a descendant oil
Gerard Spencer, who settled a, Lynn,
Mass, In I6Is, and whose daughter
Mahitable married Daniel Cone, who
was the first Cone that settled ii
America. The site Of Hadam, Conn.,, wai
purchased Of the Indians, March, ie6a'
In the fall Of that year Gerard Spencer
Daniel Cone aud ,wenty.six Others,
founded the settlement there. Gerard
Spencer was also a member Of the state
assembly OF Connecticut; his English
ancestors were numerous In bedford,
England.
During my childhood the young and
growing family Of my father left no sur
plus means over and above their kind
and generous support Both parents
were members OF the Baptist Church.
They gave their children excellent ad'
vice by preeept and example, and were
held in high esteem by their nelghbors,
both rich and poor. They sent me to
the district school during the winter
months, until was about eleven years
ofage. Through this opportunity ! OBJ
tanned fair common school education.
AT twelve years OF age was set to
freighting marble with team to Hudson.
distant about thirty miles. At the age
OF fourteen was placed IN charge OF my
fathers farm. and was accorded much
praise for my successful management.
In these early years ] INDUCED desire
and hope to at some time become q
merchant. At the age oil nineteen years
promised my father II he would let me
begin lie on my own account ! would
present him with the FIRST hundred dol
lars could save up lie consented to
this, and hired to one Joseph Cone,
living at Hanowiston, Litcnheld county,
Conn, who sent me with team and
wagon loaded with merchandise to sell
in North and South Carolina. worked
for him two years and then entered
business on my own account, and soon
had several oi my brothers engaged
with me In merchandising IN the two
States above named, and In Georgia
and Alabama. We spent the winter
south, and the summer In the New
England States. | made quite an
amount OF MONEY; was enabled to do
much more Tor my father than the hun.
dfed dollars had promised him. About
1870 entered into mercantile business
In my native town, forming a copartner-
snip with Charles and Bison Boynlon as
silent partners. turned in most OF my
salary as manager, together with profits,
into the general store, intending In time
to become sole proprietor. During the
time OF this partnership l embraced
Mormonism. Not long alter this
these Two took the beneht OF the bank
ppt act, through which lost much
means. Charles Boynton afterwards
became a minister, and acted as chap
lain In the House OF Congress. Sharp
criticisms oi their course in bankruptcy
were very prevalent, and ! presume
would have been much more so II a
Mormon had not been the chief loser.
January 2Ist, 1873, | was married TO
Sophronia L. Pomefoy, who was the
daughter Of General Grove Pomefoy
(who was a member OF the State As.
sembly OF Massachusetts, think in the
year ISoI2) by whom | had one son.
Claudius Victor. She died October sth,
1885. Something over two years alter
her death 1 married Sarah Lester Van
Schoonoyen, who bore me two sons,
who died early. two daughters. Amanda
and Mary Scone.
"ln my early years | had entertained
great reverence for God, and had sought
Him often In secret prayer, but could
not unite with any of the churches,
Nevertheless, at one time there came to
me the conviction that baptism by inn
mersion was essential, and journeyed
about forty miles to my brother Orson's,
who was a Close Communion Baptist
minister, and he buried me In the wa
ter In the likeness OF the burial and res.
direction OF Christ; but | refused to take
membership in the Baptist Church.
During the winter OF 1885 ! met a
Mormon Elder on the street OF our
town, who said he had been trying
through the day to get place where he
could preach. lie was poorly clad, and
some OF his extTemlties were frost bitten.
and he was altogether peculiar look.
ing minister. Being chairman OF the
scnool board. told him he could have
the school house TO preach In, and /
sent Edwin Morgan (who Tor many
years since has been hotel keeper at
Lee, Mass.,l to light and warm the
room. When Morgan reached the
house he found parues inside who had
locked him out and refused him ad.
missiun, When he reported this told
hirl to take an axe, aud II the parties did
not open the door, TO chop u W, aud
warm the room with II. took pains to
spread notice Vi the meelirg. sent ms
son TO invite the Presbyterian minister,
Nathan shaw, to 10 with me TO hear the
Elder. Ills answer was: Tell youI
father would as soon 10 to hear the
devil preach. This coming from an
old friend, from one noted Tor bis
guarded and sanclimonious speech,
seemed TO be marvellous Later eN.
perience has solved II. The meeting
was largely attended by members OF the
different churches, but at the close,
when the Elder stated that he was a
stranger, 1900 miles from home, without
purse or scnp, and asked II any one
would keep him over night for Christ's
and the Gospels sake, not an answer
came from any Church member After
a palniul shchce ! stepped from my seat
INTO the open aisle, aud invited hun
home with me. ! refused TO discuss
Mormonism with him, aud next
morning look him to my store aud
clothed nm comfortably. In about a
month he came again. | obtained fol
nm the Presbyterian meeting house.