Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-09-02
CHAPTER II.
The Flower of Utah.

This is not the place to cOmmemor-
ate the trials and privatQls end red
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
struggled on with a cOnstancy almost
UNPARALLELED in history. The savage
man. and the savage beast, hunger,
thirst, fatigue and disease-eVery i'm
pediment which nature could place in
the way. had all been overcome with
Anglo Saxon tenacity. Yet the long
Journey and the accumulated 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 val
lev of Utah bathed in The sunlight be-
meath them and learned from the lips
Of their leader that this was the prom
ised land, and that these virgin acres
were to be theirs for evermore.
Young speedily proved himself to be
a skilful administrator as well as q
resolute 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
diyidual The tradesman was put to
his trade and the artisan to his calling
In the town streets and squares sprang
ND as if by magic. In the country
there was draining and hedging, plant
ing and clearing, until the next summer
saw the whole country golden with the
wheat crop. Everything prospered IN
the strange settlement Above all the
great temple, which they had
erected in the center of the city,
grew taller and larger. From
the first blush of dawn until the closing
of twilight the clatter of the hammer
and the rasp Of the saw never alb
sent from the monument which the
immigrants erected to Him who had
led them safe through many dangers.
The castaways, John Terrier and
the little girl who had shared his for
tunes and had been adopted as his
daughter, accompanied the Mofmons
to the end Of their great pilgrimage.
Little Lucy Ferrier was borne along
pleasantly enough in Elder Stranger
sons wagon, q retreat which she shar-
ed with the Mormon's three wives
and with his son. q headstrong, for
ward boy Of twelve. Having rallied,
with the elaSJlClly OI CAI4ttIAOOil, II OAA
the shock caused by her mothers death
she soon became a pet with the women
and reconciled herself to this new life
in her moving canvas-covered home.
In the meantime Ferrier, having re-
covered from his priyations, distin-
guished himself as a useful guide and
an indefatigable hunter. So rapidly
did he gain the esteem of his new COM
panions, that when they reached the
end of their wanderings, it was unani-
mously agreed that he should be pro-
vided with as large and as fertile
tract of land as any Of the settlers,
with the exception Of Young himself,
and of Stangerson, KimbaH, Johnson
and Drebber, who were the four prin-
cipal elders.
On the farm thus acquired John Fer
rier built himself a substantial log
house, which received SO many addi-
tons in succeeding years that it grew
into a roomy villa. He was a man of
a practical turn of mind, keen in his
dealings and skillful with his hands.
His iron constitution enabled him to
work morning and evening at improy-