Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21
Incidents in My Life, , ,''' s ~DD,,
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| Two of the living were twin daughters
| then about four months old,
| The ship on which we sailed, the
| "Elyira owen" was only q few days
out from Liverpool when II was dis.
| covered that smallpox was on board
a child infected with the malady being
among the ships passengers and In the
apartment next to mine, | was the first
| TO discover it, and one Of the first
among Ave who came down With the
| disease, and had to be quarantlned IN
| a little house built on deck for that
purpose. This was a trying time both
TO me and to my wife, who sas thus
left without my assistance ~ care for
her twin babes, which was no small
task on ship board. To add to our
anxiety one Of the patients lying next
to me, a young brother named William
Jones died few days later, about nine
o'clock In the evening and soon the
sailors came and took the body out and
cast II into the sea, heard them say,
I'VE viii have him next, meaning me,
but | had faith that | would recover
and get TO Zion, and In due time my
faith was confirmed, There was but
one death during the voyage, by way
Of New Orleans and St Louis we
reached Keokuk Iowa, and crossed
the plains in a company commanded
by Elder Joseph w. Young, arriving
at Salt Lake City on the 10th Of De-
tober.
Utah was still in the early colonlzIng
period There were but eight settle
ments in Salt Lake county. four In Da-
Wis and four In Weber, though there
We're ten In Utah county Men had
been called at the general conference.
which had just closed to 90 with their
families and strengthen the outlying
places, In Iron, Tooee, Sanpete and
other parts, an Indian war was in
progress, and grassohpper visitations
were imminent. The population OF the
territory was about twenty thousand
souls
In April of that year the corner
stones Of the Salt Lake Temple had
been laid Little did [ dream as |
gazed upon those humble though mas
sive beginnings, that | would have
charge. forty years later, Of the work
of completing the sacred ediflce, and
that I would be an assistant to its pre-
siding authority during the happy years
that followed
In those times men had not much
choice Of employment IN this mountain
region. They had to do whatever they
could get TO do and take their pay
largely in articles produced by the
farmer and the artisan. 1t was no
uncommon sight to see artists mu-
sicians and men Of education hauling
wood from the canyon building fences
or cultivating the soil.
Luckily my vocation was In demand.
Being an experienced shoe and leather
man, | engaged, soon after my arrival
in Salt Lake Valley (Which has ever
since been my home) in the manufac-
ture OF saddles, boots and shoes, ana |
in the conduct Of tannery My part |
ner In this venture was Samuel Multi |
ner. subsequently / formed a similar |
partnership with William Jennings, and |
we together built q tannery and kept q !
meat shop, besides making harness, |
saddles boots and shoes After THE /
move I'm 1858, / was a partner with /
President Brigham Young and Fera- |
m0rz Little, and We built a tannery |
on Parley's canyon creek. While so |
engaged ! purchased my present home, |
Poplar Farm" and went TO farming /
and stocl-raisng, pursuits which have
tllNdSf klNth lHH hiNHN Fl'd0hi's law
| was associated with Messrs Hooper.
Jennings. Little, Romney and others IN +
running a t0nnery In the Nineteenth |
ward OF this city My interest In /
farming, stock raising and Industrial |
pursuits led to my connection with the
Deseret Agricultural and Manufactur-
ing society OF which / was president
and a director for period Of forty
four years. on my more recent BUSH
ness associations as a stakeholder ana
officer Of the Deseret National bank. Il,
c. NJ. l., the Utah Iron Manufactur-
inc company the Utah Light and Pow
or company and its predecessors, the
Deseret Investment. Saltair Beach and
Inland Chrystal Salt companies the
Utah and Ogden Sugar companies, and
the Utah and California Railroad com
pany, | need say nothing.
My long connection with Utah MILL
tary affairs began IN 1855. when Joined
the Nauvoo Legion as the local
militia was then styled. I was cap
tain OF a company OF lancers In the
Echo Canyon campaign, and during
the winter Of 1888, after most OF the
militia had returned home and John
ston's army had gone into winter quar-
ters al Fort Bridger, / was left with
fifty men TO guard the canyon and It's
approaches and give notice to Gen.
Wells and the authorities at Salt Lake