Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-29
A VETERAN OF 1916.
Leaves From the Journal of Bishop
Frederick Kesler.

except some colonies of raitlesnakes,
which weie plentiful and some II them
very large, but they did not harm us
Five of our company went on this ex-
ploring tour. President Young renamed
at home Feramory Little was
selected to superintend the construction
OF the roads iro n the mouth to the head
oil the canyon. was called 10 superin-
tend and build the mill The first mil
built was called. mill "A;' we had to
transport all our iron and provisions for
this mill on mule back. | nult five mills
in Big Cottonwood which were desgnat-
ed as ga" "B" "C"''D" and "E." We
had wagon road before the second
mill was built 1t was hard work rom
the first. do not think any harder work
was ever done by man, than we did
| from the tine we started until we had
our first saw mill completed. The road
cost somewhere near forty thousand
collars before 1t was finished.
We commenced saving lumber. run
| min, the mills day and night, AID con-
tinued manufacturing until we had a
vast amount, from which we supplied
the entire public works. We also had a
great amount Of lumber stacked up and
no apparent use for 1t, or market where
we could sell 1t was not long, however,
before the superior judgment and
matchless wisdom Of this mighty leader
and uudoubted servant of God were
displayed before all Israel. We were
very poor. no money, very little clothing
| or merchandise. The people were very
destitute. At this time General Johus-
ton with the u. S. army was sent
/ n CT to-
and they needed lumber. They came
to us and bought our lumber and paid
| US thousands Of dollars in gold for it.
while we needed everything that gold
could buy. This undoubtedly saved our
people considerable suffering and helped
| us to develop the country and provide
| for the necessities OF the whole people
In 1855 President Young called Hor-
| ace S. Eldredge and Frederick Kesler to
90 east and take the gold we had re-
| ceived for Our lumber and make pur-
chases for the benefit Of the people
Brother Eldredge was to purchase mer-
| camille goods, while i was to select and
| purchase machinery for manufacturing
| purposes. thought from the best manu-
| factories in the United States and
bought the best material in every pur-
chase made. In Wareham, Massachu-
sets, | bought the first Matchmaking
machines that were ever brought here,
machines that would make from four to
twelve-psnny nails, making a nail COM
| pete at one stroke. | purchased two
chilled rolls at Pittsourg, Pennsylvania;
| The two rolls alone made one heavy
wagon load. These rolls we're for roll
ing tue iron for making the different sizes
of mails. | also bought carding mach mes
Tor carding both wool and cotton, pow
err looms, mule for spinning wool, and a
paper mill. These were the first that
were ever brought to Utah. The papsr
mill Brother William Howard superln-
tended putting up, with my assistance
! He also ran it alter it was ready for
work. I purchased at the same time
material for building flour mills, consist
ing OF irons, burr stones, boiling clcth,
etc. President Brigham Young called
Brother ID. II. We Is to take charge OF
and run the nail machine. / put up the
machinery for him, and Brother James
| II. Hart, now living in Bear Lake, was
his foreman. | also bought hutton
machine tor making both pearl and bone
buttons. This bought at Philadelphia.
| do not know who operated it. nave
built mills IN ten different states to
VIII III EcuuSylNduidt OuiO, iillDOlr,
Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Ne
braska, Kansas and Utah; fifteen in the
last named State.
There. was no general move made in
the early days oil Utah that President
Brigham Young did not suggest; aud
the success of this people IS entirely due
to the revelations and inspiration from
the Lord through Brigham Young and
his obedience thereto. Although not
claiming to be a Pioneer Of iS47, yet
have been engaged in pioneer work all
the way through ever since was nine
teen years old, and have crossed tnose
dreary plains four times with teams from
Salt Lake to the Missouri river, on
Church business. II my efforts have re-
suited in good TO my fellowman, OF
helped to establish this great co nmon-
wealth, thenI am thankful for the ability
that tile Father oil all bestowed upon
| me. am still laborer and we'll wisher
for the cause Of Zion. F. KEsLER.