davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

fire. There was no attempt at disguis-
ing either the purpose or the persons
Of the mob. Hardly had Benson been
taken inside the court house than a
rush was made for the door. 1t was
forced without difficulty and a dozen
hands were laid on the murderer.
Five minutes later, with a rope
around his neck. he was dangling from
the sign in front, and that sign read:
County Court House" The old build
ing long since was moved away, to
make room for a new me. 1t is used
as a paint shop now, but middle-aged
men who were boys then, tell of the
hanging of Charley Benson and point
out the little building to visitors as the
scene of the occurrence.
The execution of Benson had a sober
ing effect on other bad characters who
were around Logan at that time. Some
of them Strengthened up and have since
led exemplary lives. Others left for
more cOngenial parts and the atmos-
phere, once cleared, remains cleared
even to this day.
Logan is restful place to go into.
An air of peace pervades its streets,
and its whispering trees. The robins in
the court house yard ehirp it, a solitary
/ Indian squaw summing herself on q
Main street sidewalk typifies it.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

is a pleasure to him to show that a
man, though nearing the century mile
stone of life, can still be of use to him
self and to his community. This young
old man was not among the first set
tiers of Logan. He came here in 1861.
and he says it was a thriving village
of perhaps 100 souls at that day.
Mr. Crompton is an Englishman. He
came to this country in the 40s and
first saw Utah in 1855. Six years later
he and Mrs CrOmpton moved to Logan,
where they have lived peaceful and I'M
eVentful lives. The Indian scares had
passed into history when they came,
but it has fallen to their lot to witness
the steady, sure growth of Logan from
a feeble hamlet to a bustling little city
The venerable citizen is a source o.
wonder and of pride to his townspeOple
At the "Old folks parties" he is al
ways a central figure and it at the
same time is touching and beautiful t.
see the respect in which he is held b.
the younger men and women. NJ
Crompton has a son by his first Wi
who is SO years old. His baby
over so. He has been married to his
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
Mrs. David Reese, One Of the Pioneers

of emigrants and had stopped the first
day at what is now the town of ProVl-
dence, two miles from here. Next
morning d dispute arose as to the Sc
lection of lands, and the six named
inspanned and tTekked TO Logan.
This is what Mr.. and Mrs Reese said
in answer to a question as to how they
came to this place.
but was the place called Logan in
1882" was the question put TO them
The same query. in tins or other forms
had been put to half the able bodied
people of the town, but all had an
swered that they didn't know. one
man. who hated to display his ignor-
ance, declared that the town was
named for Logan river, which flows
through it, That naturally suggested
an inquiry as 10 who named Logan
river and then the wise man looked
discounted.
But Mrs. Reese solved the mystery
i'm short order She laughed, merry,
infectious little laugh it was, too, be
fore she replied.
WHY. the Gown was named for one
of our oxen 1t WIS in the fall OF 1893.
Orson HYDE and Ezra 7. Benson, who
were apostles, ana Bishop West Of Og-
den were here to Ordain Mr.. Preston
who was the first bishop of Logan. A
crowd was gathered in the public
square when our OK wandered near
them. Somebody hallOed Whoa, Lo-
gan. or Gee Logan. and Apostle
HYDE said, That's what We'll name
the town.
Later on somebody found that there
was a Shoshore chief whose name was
Logan. so the town and the river were
named partly for him. But 1t was our
OK that gave them the first idea.
II is a safe guess that there is not
a more sprightly woman IN Utah for
her years than Mrs. Reese. She IS 81
and as spry as most women of 49, She
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

encounter. This angered Benson, and
without word of warning, he whipped
out brace. of revolvers and shot
Crockett to death. Then, when an at
tempt was made to arrest him he warn
ed those around that he would kill the
first man who raised a hand. So ne es-
capped temporarily
He first went to his mothers house
and secured some provisions. Then he
struck out across the valley through
several feet of snow. In the meanwhile
the village and surrounding country
had been aroused The murder was so
deliberate and so cold -bloOded that the
people determined to hang Benson as
soon as he was caught About noon on
the second day after the shooting a
posse overlook him. He was utterly
exhausted and so nearly frozen that he
could offer no resistance when his cap
tors approached. Benson was placed in
sleigh and brought back to town.
He was taken to the little one-storv
court house, followed by an excited
crowd, for the news Of his arrest had
spread with the rapidity of a prairie
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

lie school system. In the fall of 1853,
lust a few months after the first set
tiers arrived a school house was built
This early spirit has been maintained
ever since. The first school house was
primitive structure of logs, 24x4C
feet. and it stood on what is now Sec
ond street There were windows but no
glass. and creased paper was used as
substitute The benches We're of
sawed logs and the books were few and
far between. A school teacher whose
name was Savage first name forgotten,
was employed. and taught the children
of the settlement the rudimenes OF an
education Home made tallow candles
were used for lighting purposes, and
the heat came from big open fireplace
at the end of the room.
From this humble beginning grew the
present schools of LOGAN. There are
half dozen fine buildings, all equipped
with the most modern heating and
lighting appliances. Everything that
is taught in other public schools is
] taught here, and if the young people of
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

the most part we're peaceful. over at
Smithfield, not far from Logan. there
was an uprising and several of the set
tiers were killed. On this account, the
dWellerS there were forced 10 return TO
Logan TO spend the winter.
There never was an Indian fight near
Logan, but on at least one occasion
things looked very squally for the set
tiers. Early in 1860 an Indian killed
two Young white men two miles from
Smithfeld. The entire country took TO
arms and the murderer was arrested
and brought to Logan. He was con-
fined in the log cabin that was made
to do service as a Jail. The same night,
while a dance was in progress, band
of several hundred Indians rode into
town. They had their war paint on
and seemed determined TO wipe out
the settlement. tantly every able
bodied man left the dance, ran home
and secured his firearms. When they
came back they lined up on either side
of the road through which the Indians
were compelled to pass. Fortunately,
after a pOw-WOW, the Indians were
persuaded to return to their village
without attempting the rescue of their
comrade,
1T was a close shave said Mr..
Reese in speaking of the occurrence.
There our men were lined up on both
sides of the road with the Indians be-
tween them. If we had had to fight
there would have been as much danger
of killing each other as of shooting any
Indians" Mr.. Reese did not remember
what became of the prisoner. He didn't
know whether the fellow was executed
or whether he was permitted to return.
Settlers In a Dilemma.
Indians were by no means the only
terrOrs the pioneers had to meet and
overcome. April Il, 1859, Mrs. Reese
says she viii never forget that date
it looked for a time as if they would
either have to starve or eat their pro-
visions raw They ran out of matches
and there wasn't a spark of fire in the
! camp. We were at our wits ends,
said Mrs. Reese in speaking of this
/ event Then Sid Dihble, after we hao
/ all spent some time wondering what
! we were going to do, got an idea. Ht
/ scTaped some OF the light dry leaves
! together and fired his pistol into them
/ Two or three times he tried, and at lasi
some small twigs took fire. Gracious
How we nurSed that little blaze. PeO-
pie who burn and waste matches 81
! freely these DAYS have no idea of theil
/ value, or rather what they would have
I been worth to us right about then. we
nursed that fire all summer long, never
/ letting it go out. In the fall other set
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
EXCURSIONS 10 THE EAST.

Rio Grande Western Great Rock IS
land Route" will sell June s, for all
trains from all points in Utah
To Omaha and return for. $500. .S5z 10
To St Joseph and return for % 90
To Kansas City and return for, g 90
To St Louis and return for 80 %
To Minneapolis and return for. 80 so
To St. Paul and return for. SO 50
To Chicago and return for. A SO
Tickets good for return till Sept 9,
through Pullman sleepers from
ogden. Salt Lake, Provo and
intermediate points to Chicago,
wltnour cnange, leaving daily,
train No. 4. reserve accommodations
early connections for all principal
eastern points made in union depots,
and sure connections. Don't fail
To purchase by this direct line
either via Pueblo, Colorado Springs
7r Denver. Ask for tickets via
Great Rock Island Route. 9th
ar valuable information can be OBJ
tanned by calling or addressing city
ticket office. 100 West Second South,
(Masonic block. T. J. Clark. Passen-
ger Agent.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

tiers came in with matches and we
were not again troubled in that way
Tell him something about yourself,
mother said Mr. Reese, for the good
wife had confined her narrative al
most entirely to achievements of 9TH
ers. When she smiled a negative, Mr..
Reese took up the thread of the story.
THAT little woman" he said, looking
affectionately at Mrs Reese, was the
best of them all. Why, she learned TO
speak TIE Shoshone language and was
able to speak to and trade with the
Indians. She was never afraid of them,
somehow, as other women were. 1 re
member once when Chief Washable
came here He was a middle-aged man
then and, let me see. that was about
1860. Mrs. Reese had Washable come
to our house. She gave him bread and
milk and other things TO eat and they
became good friends.
When the women wanted SOAP in
those days they went down to a place
not far from here and scoOped up wild
saleratus. They used this for I've for
washing soap, and when they wanted
toilet soap they used butter instead of
fat grease. The town grew very fast
for a few years. In the fall of 1859
Seth NJ Blair came here and set up a
store He brought a wagon train of
stuff and we soon had everything we
needed. Later on the Thatchers came,
and then others and others until the
town got to be what you see it today.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Reese look quite
young Tor their years. If appearances
count for anything they will live
twenty years yet. Three years ago
Mr.. Reese suffered a paralytic stroke,
but such is the Vigor of his cOnstltu-
ton and the robustness of his health
that he has almost entirely recovered
from its effects Mr.. and Mrs. Reese
live alone in their comfortable home
stead. Their children have all left the
home nest, but the pioneers cannot
! bear the thought of breaking away
( from the associations of more than
/ forty years. They viii stay where they
are. serving their country and their
/ God in their own quiet way until their
summons into the great beyond shall
come to them.
Logan's Oldest Inhabitant.
one of the most interesting charac-
! tiers to the casual visitor in Logan is
I George Crompton- Nearly 90 years old
4 his hair as white as the purest snow
! that caps the SUBMITS OF the noun
/ tains that line the valley, he is vel
capable Of doing work that would put
/ to shame many man of half his
years. Mr.. CromptOn had just come
+ from cleaning out an irrigating ditch
for a neighbor when he and his good
wife, who is eleven years his junior
were visited.
AS the Oldest person in Logan, Mr.
/ Crompton is used to receiving callers
lie likes to talk Of the old times. and j
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
ExCURsToN FOR ALL.
Rio Grande Western and Burlington
Route.


Will sell tickets for all trains of June
s at one fare plus s. for the round trip
from all points in Utah, TO
Omaha and return ............--..S5Z 90
Kansas City and return .-.-..-.. - 60
St Louis and return .....-...... 50 so
Chicago and return ------.. Al 20
St. Paul and Minneapolis and re-
turn ....-.-....- ..-s---.-.-. 50 80
Tickets good until Sept. 9, 1906.
Through Pullman Palace Sleeping
Cars daily from Ogden, Salt Lake City,
Provo, and all points on the Rio Grande
Western main line to Omaha and Chi
cagO.
Two through vestibuled trains daily
from Denver to above points carrying
Pullman Palace Sleeping Cars, Buffet
Smoking Library, Dining Chair Cars
and Coaches. Leaving Denver at p.
m, arriving St. Louis Z p. M, and Chi
cago $50 p. m. next evening; and leav-
ing Denver 10 p. m, arriving St. I.Ouis
and Chicago second morning at 7.20 a.
N.
Be sure and see that your ticket reads
via Burlington Route from Denver. For
reservations of berths or further infor-
nation call on or write to
R.F. NELSON, General Agent.
PA South West Temple street, salt
Lake CITY Utah.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

seem to invite the weary wayfarer to
rest. It's streets. fanked on either side
by noble trees, stretch invitingly. The
breezes somehow seem cooler, the air
softer, the water purer than in most
of even the favored places of earth
Cache county hasn't a single producing
mine and as a result the people are
given over to husbandry. One fine farm
after another, knee-deep just now in
rich green wheat stalks, rolls back
through the valley, presenting a pic
ture of comfort in the present and
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
logan
Especial to The Herald from staff Cor
respondent.l


Especial to The Herald from staff Cor
resDondent-)
Logan, Jun4 Look, there's Lo-
gan" said the conductor. pointing
across d green clad valley to a cluster
of roof-trees which the mornin9 sun
was touching with a tinge Of gold
F10m an eminence behind the town
reared the towers of the temple, SHIN
mering like mirage through the fif-
teen miles that separated the town
from the train. Five miles further up
the track makes wide curve and at
last. with snort and a rumble, the
train draws into the station.
The first impression the average VS.
itcr gets from Logan is distinct thrill
al the apparent sacrilege manifested by
its citizens. Although the sun is near
the meridian, every street light in the
city is working as hard as if it were j
@ clock on a cloudy night. 1t is not be-
cause they don't think the Almighty
furnishes enough light however. that
Logan Eliminates its streets in broad
day with artificial brightness.
The town, literally and 6guratively,
in the broadcast possible sense. has
electricity to burn. IT doesn't cost any
more to burn the lamps twenty-four
hours than il does to burn them
twelve, or ten or two. They pay accord
ing to the number of lights and not in
proportion to the amount of electric
ity consumed. It's the same way in the
stores and dwellings and hotels The
good people of Logan are getting the
worth of their money in great shape.
Time was when they didn't have any
electric lights or any railroad. They
didn't have any schools or any post
office. There was a day when their main
reliance was in steady nerves, good
trigger fingers and veins flowing full
OF healthy, courageous blood. That was
the time when four men and two
women. travelling in weather beaten
emigrant wagons. stopped in the midst
of a trackless, though even then smil-
ing valley and set up their temples
and their household goods.
The Founding of Logan.
1t was in April of 1859 that David
Reese, Griffith Charles. Sid Dibble AID
Abe Caldwell with Mrs. Reese and
Mrs. Dibble rested on the site of the
city Of Logan. They had come out from
Willow Creek with a gOOd-sized party
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

plenty in prospect that is not surpassed
in any country.
The result of the absence of mines
and the attention to farming industries
has given to Logan its air of solid and
permanent prosperity. 1t has also CIV
en- TO the town its appearance of easy
going thrift, as distinguished from the
I feverish activity that is found in min
ing camps. The stores are for the most
part large enough to be a credit to
cities of twice the population. This is
explained by the fact that 10000 people
in Cache county do the bulk of their
trading here.
There are no gambling houses. no
terderlOin" district, no wine rooms.
But there are Touring mills, creamer-
( les, saw mills, an implement factory
with an output in the hundreds of
/ thousands, busy blacksmith shops and
1 a score Of other enterprises that give a
solid foundation for material prosper
J ity. Then there are the educational
| institutions, Brigham Young college
and the Agricultural college, both of
/ which are pointed to with proper pride
! by every LOganite.
! The Agricultural college sits back
4 from the town on a high bench" that
I commands a most imposing view of the
valley. The drive up to it and around
I 1t is one of the finest in the world.
/ when natural beauties are taken into
] consideration. The road winds around
( the base of a fOothill, ascending to the
college site by an easy grade It is
several hundred feet above the town
and the valley and the vision is prac-
tically limitless.
To the south, spread out like the
/ squares in a checker board lie acres
/ and acres of as rich farming land as
there is in the state. Further away are
the mountains their SCARED sides and
1 peaks showing, even at this season OF
the year, huge banks of snow that
promise an abundant water supply for
the summer months. Tall trees rear
their heads in every direction from the
bottom of the basin. The lowing OF
cows the bleating of sheep. complete
for the senses this scene of surpaSS-
ing pastoral beauty. There is no smelteI
smoke to obscure the vision. No alkali
flats cash the surface of the smiling
earth. An old timer here said: There
is not a foot of waste land in Cache
valley" and for one who has seen the
territory in the month of May, the
statement is easy to believe
Two Fine Colleges.
Few people outside have a correct
NOTION do 10 TIC OtVRC aiiu CALCtii vi
the Agricultural college. Here for Z
matriculation fee of S., any young mar
or woman can secure, without further
cost for tuition, an education that in
cludes not only trimmings" but ac-
tual practical LESSONS IN trades an6
sciences. The girl can learn to sew anG
cook. the boy can learn any one of q
number of useful occupations, such a;
blacksmithing, cabinet making, dairy
and farm work, and other things thai
will be of value to him later in life. TC
properly describe the Agricultural col
Elege would alone take up all the space
that has been allotted TO this story
There are nearly zoo students at the in
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

present wife nearly sixty years and
their devotion to each other is still as
marked as though they were yet in
their honeymoon.
Toward the close of the interview
somebody asked Mr.. Crompton to sing
a song. Those who saw him as he sat
up in his arm chair to respond can
never forget the picture. His keen blue
eyes flashed as the words rolled out of
his mouth. The color came and went
under his cheeks, leaving them now
flushed, now pale. but the tones were
full and clear. These are the words:
ooh glorious is the morning when Christ
shall come on earth TO reign.
The Saints of God for Him are waiting
thousand years for him to reign
Then let us trim cur lamps and keep them
burning until he says well done.
We may receive a blessing at tb" mar
riage supper of our lamb.
q learned that song more r sew
enty years ago in Hengland,' Mr..
CromptOn as the goOd-byes ut
tered It is one of the old n am
billions to round out his hundr ears,
and if there is anything in ind -AtiOns,
he won't stop there.
An Interesting Renaissance.
Another of Logan's interesting char
acters is Robert CrOokston. He didn't
come to Logan with the first settlers,
but he came not many years later. Mr..
CrookstOn crossed the ocean on the
same vessel with George q. Cannon's
family. L remember well,' he said,
1.-The death of George as mother. She
died and was buried at sea. We were
near the Indian islands at the time and
Mr.. Cannon's father didn't want to see
his wife buried in the ocean.
He offered the captain 20 sovereigns
to land and allow the burial to take
place there The captain refused, be-
cause he said an attempt TO land might
endanger the lives of the passengers.
How well / remember that day. The
sky was clear and the sea was as
smooth as glass. They tied a heavy
shot at the feet of the corpse, which
was sewed up in canvas. The splash
it made as il struck the surface, and
the feeling I experienced as I saw the
body go down, down, down, through
/ the clear water, l can never forget
/ boy though 1 was at the time"
Mr.. CrOOkston on landing went to Maui
VOC. where he became a member of the
Legion. He was in the town when Jo-
seph Smith was killed. The old-timeT
went with the emigrants to Winter
Quarters and was there when the first
band of pioneers started across the
trackless western prairie. The only
! reason that he didn't go with thely
was he didn't have enough money to
/ buy an outfit. He followed, however
in another expedition soon after.
| Mr.. Crookston is more than 20 years
old, Yet, in common with so many
| other old people of this favored section
he retains most of his faculties unim-
paired. He works hard nearly every
day in his garden, but has been com
L
/ cupation of stone cutting, for he quar-
ried the first stone that was used in
i the Salt Lake temple.
Beauties of Logan.
The air, the appearance of Logan
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
Lynching of Benson.

But Logan has not always been
quiet town. 1t has had its desperadOes,
its men who were quick to quarrel and
chain lightning on drawing a gun. Old
timers told me the story of the lynch
ing of Charley Benson, an event that
was not only witnessed but that was
participated in by nearly every prom
inent man in Logan, then only vii
lage.
It was in 1871 that a mob of outraged
citizens took the law into their own
hands and strung Benson up TO a sign
that stretched from the old court house
TO post ten feet away. Benson. who
was born and raised in Logan, had al
ways. from his earliest boyhood, borne
q bad reputation. He was the black
sheep in an otherwise estimable family
and was considered a very dangerous
man at all times, but especially when
he had been drinking.
The climax came in the winter of II
and ~. Benson, who had killed sever
al men, but had always escaped the
law, became involved in what was
thought by the spectators to be a
friendly scuffie with David Crockett,
much respected citizen of the place.
Crockett had rather the better of the
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
Iogan's Schools.

A story of the town would be incom-
plete without some mention of its
schools. Mrs. Reese has already told
how she taught her daughter her al
phabet. The larger institutions of learn
ing have been mentioned. but Logan
people are specially proud Of their pub
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03
JOEL I. PRIEST.

"Persevere and prosper" tt you take
Hoods Sarseparilla faithfully for
scrofula. salt rheum, boils. erupuons
dyspepsia. it VIII cure you.