Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-10-19
BIOGRAPHY OF DANIEL SPENCER.
Respectfully Dedicated to President George ..
Cannon with Discretion OF Publication.

certain date, / should be baptsed by
the Mormon Elder. being The only one 70
accept Momousm. a VAST con
course came TO see the ice broken w
the river, and the ordinance penofmeu.
After ! was confirmed, ! spoke 70 the
people IN a new language, when khuW,
ing me as they did. created a profound
sensation. was ordained an Elder aud
did much preaching IN Btkshire county.
"On the 10th Of April. 1870. Eluer
Frank in -. X chards and Elder stephen
Buinham orgauized branch IN our
town OF Thirty members, among mese
was a merchant by the name Of Cfandll,
and his vile, sister Of Senator Conl lin;
another merchant by the name DE Vol,
who Tor some yeaD was Judge At Coun
/ ell Bluffs, and still another merchant, q
Mr.. Hunt. Indeed, Witnout exception,
the standing OF the members IN society
was OF the best, and few sections OF our
country have had greater testimonies OF
the truth OF Momonism than did shat
region. From the adjoining town came
the Richards family, prominent TOT 50
many years smOng our people.
AFTER my baptism my good iather
and mother aud my good Baptist brother
Ofson told me In an Interview that they
did not wish any further association
with me until gave up ny awful delu-
sion. However, IN time ptrOfmed the
same ordnance Tor my brother as
| Mormon Elder that he had once per-
formed for me as Baptist Elder, and ]
had the pleasure OF gathering father and
mother 10 Nauvoo.
81 had accumulated considerable
F, properly, owning pretty largely Of real
estate; but learned that pretty gene
| raj impression prevailed that all Nor
mons must gather to Nauvoo, and that
this property would be got from me very
cheap N they combined to withhold
offers. Under these circumstances !
| approached man who had been ior
some time trying 10 sell a heay-
lily wooded and tImbered farm
with shares In mill, and told
him that ! would give so .iueh Tor
the properly on condition that no one
should know my offer until the ex cu,ion
OF the deeds. lie complied with this,
and as soon as the towns.people knew
II the reports flew around that | was not
/ going TO Nauyuo-tnat | was too smart
to let the Mormon leaders &c, my means,
etc.
In the meantime | contracted with
the proprietor OF the Ayers Iron furnace
to deliver several hundred cords Of
wood, bought horses and wagons, en-
| tered into business as though ! should
remain there a ilie time, using my MIL
rignt To saw whatever timber was TT
into lumber. TINS placed me on about
the same business vantage ground that
! held before baptism, which improved
IN dtsposing OF all my real estate, except
the timber farm, TO good advantage.
| realized IN wood aud lumber from tile
farm almost is first cost, and had Il left
for sale on the basis that whether II
brought much or little II was almost all
\ clear proht. ! traded II for a good
figure Tor broadeloth and satinet, and,
with short warning, In company with
my brother Hynm, Daniel Hendricks
and their families and m ne, started with
teams and wagons ior Nauvoo, and in
that way have travelled from West Stock.
bridge. Berkshire county, Mass, 10 salt
Lake City, presumably as long wagon
ride as any OF the gathered Saints have
had. In leaving my native town | had
many warnings from many well meaning
friends. who were so fully preiudiced
against Mormons as TO consider that no
good thing could come to me and my
family by going among them. Prophe.
cies were plentiful that | should lose all
my worldly possessions aud promises
abundant that II would write back that
| wished 10 return tssy would raise
means for my deivefance.
| Though have been peeled, robbed
and driven by a mob, have pfospered
In worldly things Tar more than those
who gave me warnings, and the ac.
quainlance formed with Joseph smith
confirmed my faith In the work have
embraced. | entered considefabe
Government land adjoining Nauvoo,
fenced aud improved 100 acre farm six
miles out OF Nauvoo, built a good sub.
stantial two story brick house, with ex-
tensiye and good barn and ou'houses In
theeity.
"In ISI2 filed mission TO Canada:
| in IS4l ! hlled a mission TO the Indian
nation, aud during that year was elected
member Of the City Council OF Nauvoo;
and In 1874, by vote oi the Council, was
elected Mayor OF that city and held the
Office until It's charter was repealed / he
sane year ! was sent on q mission to
Massachusetts. During these years the
threatenings Of mobs mad been violent.
Joseph and Hyfum Smith had been
cruelty murdered while under the pro.
lection Of the Governor OF the Slate;
and in February 1876, !, with many
Others was forced to flee from Nauvoo,
crossing the Mississippi on the ice, and
seeking refuge IN the wilds OF Iowa with
snow on the ground. We here lost
some OF our dearest friends and rela-
tons by the haTdships and exposures
they were called TO ms ct, principally
among them my brother Orson's wife.
daughter oil Deacon Samuel Curtis, Can
aan, COLUMBIA County. N. Y. Her
death and that OF Others was directly
due to our compulsory exodus from
Nauvoo. Her father, mother and kin.
bred, were, according to the light they
had, exemplary and devoted Christians.
To such as these were the western mob.
erals appealing for coun,enance and
aid, while they were bounding their
children TO most cruel deaths. Not
many weeks alter my brother Orsun
lost his wife, my wife Mary weakened
under the exposures and hatdships OF
the journey, and was, like many others.
laid to rest by the road side, none oil
their kindred having today any recogni.
ton II where they lay.
~ wish here to make anectionate and
honorable mention OF my brother lily,
rum, whose lie before association with
our people, and his devotion and loyalty
to the Gospel a ter embracing h. was
worthy OF the highest and noblest re.
rogniliCn. lie had lef Nauyoo with
the FIRST OUTGOING Saints, as captain OF