The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-16
EpHRAIM HANKS, PIONEER.

On the 9TH Of this month there died
at Gainesville, Wayne county, Eph-
RAIN Hanks, one of the pioneers of
Utah. To every old resident of the
state. those who have been here
thirty-fve or forty years, he was well
known. In the days long before the
railroad across the plains was dreamed
of there was scarcely a better known
character between Salt Lake city and
Omaha and Kansas City than Eph.
Hanks. He was everybody's friend
and everybody was his friend. He
carried the first United States mail
between Laramie and Salt Lake city.
y Up to the time that he and the late
Mayor Feramorz Little and Charles
Decker. esq. took the contract to carry
I the mail from Laramie to Salt Lake
city. and from here there, all letters
had been brought through by private
parties. They took the contract in
1852, subletting it from Hon. Sam
Woodson, Of independence, Mo, now
of Atchison, Kansas, we believe. The
contract called for a round trip each
month. the price therefor being s666.66.
In July, 1852, Mr.. Hanks made the
first trip, Mr.. Decker making the
second one in August. Until Fort
Stag was established at Green River
in 1854 by the late Louis Robinson,
there was not a place between here
and Laramie where any supplies or
assistance Of any kind could be had
save at Fort Bridger. The trips were
made with single team while the
hardships endured, especially during
he winter months, were such as
would scarcely be believed if related.
The whole route was infested with
Wild and blood thirty savages, and
the hair-breadth escapes and immi-
nent dangers of Mr.. Hanks and Mr..
Decker were many.
Mr.. Hanks was a typical frontiers
man of half a century ago. He seemed
more at home in the saddle than any
where else There was not a prom
inent white man or Indian on all the
plains forty years ago with whom he
was not we'll acquainted. He knew
Kit Carson as q. brother, and had often
received assistance from him and
rendered him assistance. He was well
acquainted with Old Smoke, who
figures So prominently in the Oregon
l Trail
He knew all the rangers and trap
pers who came to Laramie to trade
and get supplies. His experience of
/ frontier life antedated the days of the
pony express and the days of Ben
Holiday and the great overland stage
company.
For many years past he has not been
a, familiar figure in Salt Lake city,
but has lived in Wayne county, lead
/ ing a peaceful and quiet life, SO diff
| ferent from the life of his early man
( hood. He cultivated his garden and
his vineyard, and when he rested at
night from the labors Of the day he
loved to take down his Bible and read
and ponder over the glories and beau
j ties and promises of that great book.
They gave him hope and the peace
/ that is beyond understanding. He also
| loved to recall the scenes of his early
! pioneer life, that life which was SO
rough, so healthful, that made men Of
men, and to talk of the great changes
he had witnessed. He loved the
frontier and he died on the frontier,
but a frontier so different from that
he had known more than forty years
ago. And now he has made the last
grand change in life's strange drama.
Whatever the new scene upon which
he enters may be he will play his part
as a man. Peace to his ashes; peace
to his family.