The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-02

commanding officer thought it was too
risky for enc man To attempt to make
the rest of the ride alone, and a COM
panion was started out with Mr.. Dob
son. Uncle TOm,'' in relating the
story of his first ride, said:
I'VE had hardly gotten beyond Spring
valley when the Indians came down
and fired upon US. We put spurs to
our horses ard made a run for our
lives to Antelope station, expecting to
get change of horses there. When
We got there we found everything gone
and the whole place in flames. The
Indians had been there first.
Escapes From Indians.
After resting our horses for a few
minutes and giving them a little wa
ter, we discovered the Indians follow
ing in pursuit. We put spurs to our
horses and made a quick run for the
open valley. When we got there we
could see the signal fires of the Indians
on the hills and knew what that meant.
Our only chance of escape was to beat
the Indians to Twelve-nlile canyon.
Our horses were almost played out but
we spurred them on and made the can
yon ahead of the redmen. Then we
had to ride to Deep Greek before get
ting a change of horses. This made a
total distance of 116 miles that L had
ridden, the greater portion of the dis
tance fleeing from the Indians.
1--WE had scarcely any supper and
lain down before the messenger from
the east came in warning US that we
would have to fee back from the In
dams. There was nothing to do but
mount and start back I rode back
sixty miles to Shell creek, 1t taking ms
all night to make the ride. This was
my first ride, but after that 1 made
several rides to various places,
When Uncle Tom quit the pony
on the eastern route. This he rode for
some time changing off at intervals
and taking the pony express when there
were Indian troubles along the route.
So successful was Uncle Tom that
the express agent used to say, eff you
want this to go through, send that
Mormon" Although Uncle Tom was
often attacked by Indians, he was al
ways fortunate enough to escape with
out injury.
In the Sanpete War.
After leaving the mail service Mr..
Dobson drove a six-muIe team to lower
California, making one of the hardest
aSd most dangerous trips that could
be made in that early day. When he
returned Uncle Tom" moved to Coal
vile and settled down there. During
the Sanpete war he was made captain
of a company of cavalry and Travelled
UP and down the Weber river with
Colonel Cuff looking after the settlers.
He was afterward elected constable at
COalviile and served in that capacity
while the Union Pacific road was being
built into the state. He was then sta
toned at Echo canyon. In 1871 he was
called to a mission to Great Britain
and returned in November, 1872 It
was on the 22d of that month that he
secured the position of nightWatchman
and held it for thirty years.
There has been a great change since
that time" said Uncle Tom refec-
lively, land nearly all the old land
marks are gone now. Many of the
people for whom I have watched have
gone. too. but there are still some of
them left. want TO express my
thanks to all of those who have been
so good to me in my thirty years time
on this block They are many, and I
will never forget them"