The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-05-03

Tar west, and lnere set up an earthly
kingdom TO prepare for the better life
beyond"
A few months later some hundred
prairie schooners, that had numbered
slowly all the way from st. Louis. car
rying some 400 persons. halted at Il
bend in the Soldier river. where grass
and trees grew verdant in fertile soil.
Wagons were unloaded men fell to
work hewing logs, and a few weeks
later appeared branch community of
the Mormon church that lived and died
without winning d place on historys
page. This was in 1855
% q g
Thompson had another vision. To
lis credulous following he announced
the deity had again appeared to him.
THE divine spirit has appointed me
his steward" he said. Il am the stew
ard of God. You are my stewards. As
your steward / must. under the divine
Will, possess all you possess. Go, then,
buy lands, and deed them to your stew
ard"
The community, now grown to full
1,200 men, obeyed. They pre-empted
two whole townships. They established
stores and blacksmith shops and livery
barns and hotels. Every dollar of profit
was religiously turned over to the
sistant steward. One man had gone on
a several days journey to bring back
a load of lumber. He was met by a
messenger of the steward.
You must stop where you are you
must journey to Virginia; you must en-
ter the halls of the legislature at Rich
mond: you must pronounce the curse
of the steward upon the legislature. be-
cause it has said things and done
things that reflect upon the steward of
God and his divine master"
This was the command. The lumber
man obeyed. The messenger took the
seat on the wagon and drove back to
Preparation. The lumberman, after
weeks of laborious toiling. reached the
Richmond legislature, pronounced the
curse, and journeyed back again to his
Iowa home.
But. by the time the Jehovah Presby-
terry of Zion had reached it's third ami
versary the faithful at last began to
grumble. The steward was Unsuitable
in his demand for the profits. When the
people demanded share. he would
have another vision, and play upon
their superstition to make way with
the money. His absence from the
community became more and more fire.
quent. In reality he went baG& e st.
Louis and INDUCED in the 1Yost vio-
lent debauches, leaving the community
in charge of Barnum. When he re-
turned he would resort to the VisionaI
exercise to replete his finances. But
his followers found at last the nature
of his mysterious pilgrimages. Visions
became more and more necessary, and
less impressive.
One night in 1860, when the steward
and Barnum were gone, the people held
an Indignation meeting 1t was solemn
" decided to hang both Thompson and
Barnum. The entire community set
out for Onawa. to carry out their pur-
pose. Thompson and Barnum had just
left Onawa for Preparation. They came
near driving straight into the mob.
When but a quarter of a mile away
from the angry people they were met
by a girl who had worked in Thomp-
sons household mere slip of a thing
Run. run for your lives she shout
ed. They are going to hang you"
The two men needed no second warn
ing. Horses were dashed to run. The !
mob caught sight of the fugitives and |
gave hot chase. When in the shelter |
Of a high hill the horses were loosed |
from the wagon, and, each man mount
ing horse, rode like wild men to Ona-
wa, still pursued by the Infatuated
mob.
NO, I don't believe any one knew |
hey hid themselves" says Judge Addi- |
son Oliver of Onawa, still living Il |
know they We're kept in my attic for |
nearly three weeks. The men from |
Preparation searched the whole town |
'or them, but could not find them"
One dark night Thompson skunk from |
he Oliver home. A horse and wagon |
we're ready. Hectook his wife, peck |
" two of cash ana jewelry, ana made
quick flight to Fort Dodge. From there
lie made his way back to st. Louis. He
ried to start another colony and failed.
Finally he died in Philadelphia, penni-
eSs. Barnum went to Nebraska, where
itizen. The under stewards Of God, at T
took their $500, 900 of prop
rty into the courts. There an appor-
ionment was made, but many of the
uits went TO the Iowa supreme court
or final determination.
Today there is no one In the decrepit
title village still bearing the brand of
he wild adventurA, who knows aught
# the Jehovah Presbytery of Zion,
ave by tradition. Not a steward lives
oday in Monona county. They have
catered to the ends of the country.
[Hw that Barnum has passed away,
My the name of the town remains to
ear witness to the first and boldest
onfidence game of Iowa's history.
--S-<o--