Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-03-28
CHAPTER IT.

CHAPTER H.
This is not the place to commemorate
the trials and priyations endured by the
immigrant Mormons before they came
to their final haven From the shores Of
the Mississippi TO the western slopes of
the Rocky mountains they had strug
gled ON with oonstancy almost unpar
alleled in history. The savage mar and
the savage beast, hunger, thirst fatigue
and disease, every impediment which
nature could place in the way. had all
been overcome with Anglo.Sa tenaci,
ty. Yet tho long journey and the accu-
mulated terrors had shaken the hearts
of the stoutest among them There was
not one who did not sink upon his knees
in heartfelt prayer when they saw the
broad valley of Utah bathed in the sun.
light beneath them and learned from
the lips of their leader that this was the
promised land. and that these virgin
acres were to be theirs forevermore.
Young speedily proved himself To be
a skillful administrator as we'll as res
olute chief Maps were drawn and
charts prepared in which the future city
was sketched out All around farms
were apportioned and allotted in pro-
portion to the standing Of each individ
ual. The tradesman was put to his trade
and the artisan to his calling. In the
town streets and squares sprang up as If
by magic. 1u the country thsre werH
draining and hedging planting and
clearing. until the next summer saw
the whole country COLDER with the
wheat crop Everything prospered in
the strange settlement Above all, the
great temple which they had erected il
the center of the city grew evel taller
and larger. 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 ths
monument which the immigrants erect
ed to Him who had led them safe through
many dangers.
The two castaways, John Ferrier and
the little girl who had shared his for
tunes and had been adopted as his daugh-
ter, accompanied the Mormons to tho
end Of their great pilgrimage. Littla
Lucy Ferrier was borne along pleasantly
enough in Elder Stangerson s wagon, d
retreat which she shared with the Nor
mons three wives and with his son, O
headstrong, forward boy Of l2. Having
rallied, with the elasticity Of childhood,
from the shock caused by her mothers
death. she soon became pet with the
women and reconeiled herself to this
new life in her moving canvas covered
home. In the meantime, Ferrier having
recovered from his privations, disrin-
guished himself as useful guide and
an indefatigable hunter. So rapidly did
he gain the esteem of his new oompan-
Ions that when they reached the end Of
their wanderings it was unanimously
agreed that he should be provided with
as large and 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 principal elders.
On the farm thus acquired John Fer
rier built himself substantial loghouse.
which received Sc many additions in
succeeding years that it grew into a
roomy villa. He was man Of prao-
tical turn of mind, keen in his dealings,
skillful with his hands. His iron con-
stitution enabled him to work morning
and evening at improving and tilling
his lands. Hence it came about that his
farm and all that belonged to him pros.
pered exceedingly. In three years he
was better off 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 Wahsatch
mountains there was no name better
known than that of John Ferrier,
There was one way, and only one, in
which he offended the susoeptibilities of
his co.religionists. No argument or per
suasion could ever induce him to set up a
female establishment after the manner of
his companions. He never gave reasons
for this persistent REFUSAL but contented
himself by resolutely and inaexibly ad-
herring to his determination. There were
some who accused him of lukewarmness
in his adopted religion and others who
put it down to greed of wealth and re-
luctance to incur expense. Others, again,
spoke of some early love affair and of
fair haired girl who had pined away
on the shores Of the Atlantic Whatever
the reason, Ferrier remained strictly cell
ibate. In every other respect he con-
formed to the religion of the young set
tlement and gained the name of being
an orthodox and straight walking 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 balsamio odor of
the pine trees took the place Of nurse and
mother to the young girl, As year sue
ceeded to year she grew taller and
stronger, her cheek more ruddy and her
step more elastic Many wayfarer upon
the highroad which ran by Ferrier's s
farm felt long forgotten thoughts revive
in his mind as he watched her 1.-the,
girlish figure tripping through the
wheatfields or met her mounted upon
her fathers mustang and managing it
with all the ease and grace of a true
child of the west. So the bud blossom
cd into a flower, and the year which saw
her father the richest Of the farmers
left her as fair a specimen Of American
girlhood as could be found in the whole
Pacific slope.
1t was not the father. however, who
first discovered that the child had de-
yeloped into the woman. It seldom Il
in such cases. That mysterious change
is too subtle and too gradual 10 be meas
ured by dates. Least of all does the
maiden herself know it until the tone
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