Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1903-12-05
THOMAS WILSON'S
ADVENTURE.
A True Story Of Early Days in Oar
State.
fRUlT GATHERING 40 YEARS AGO.
Party Of Boys and uirIs Chased
by an Indian With Pistol
Tom Captured.
FRUIT GATHERING 40 YEARS AGO.

In the early days of our state the wild
fruits that grew in the canyons on the
margins of the creeks used to be great.
~ esteemed by the settlers, and It used
TO be very common thing for the
young people to go miles away in the
mountains in search Of them; that be.
ing almost the only chance for obtain
ag anything in the shape of
fruit as the country had been
too recently settled to lake the
tame fruits obtainable. except to
comparatively few people who lived in
the older settlements At this time
there lived in settlement about hun.
bred miles from Salt Lake City, VIM.
Wilson and son Thomas, who had re.
Gently crossed the plains IN the famous
handeart emigration, and who were at
the time Of which | write among the
poorest of the community. The son
whose mother had died soon otter they
reached Utah, was not in a situation to
make the best of the clothes that the
hard times allowed him to have, and he
was frequently obliged to wear his
fathers old shirts, and sometimes even
his pants, although these garments
were four or five sizes to large for him,
and he even had to turn the shirt that
he had worn through the week wrong
side out for Sunday, owing to the fact
that he had no one to wash his other
one, and no other Que to wash; while
in the matter of hat and shoes, either a
rim without a crown or crown with.
out rim, generally made of straw, did
service for head gear, and his feet were
innocent OF any covering save the rich
accumulation Of dirt and sores tha,
were the legitimate result of the dnst
upon which he trod, and the rocks and
sticks against which he stubbedhis toes.
Clothing was scarce article in those
days among the weAlthiest. as II had
all to be the ''wCrkmanship of their
own hands," the material being sup
piled by the fcw sheep that those who
were the best of were fortunate In
possessing" but the lad OF whom an
speaking had neither sheep nor anyon,
to make clothing. OF u very sensitiv.
nature he felt kecnly the situation, anc
this did not contribute to his good ma
ture, all Of which helped to make him
more or less despised by the Other
young people. lie was not often invit
ed to the dances and social gathering
that were frequent among the young
} folks, and when he was, IL he went h,
often returned filed with trouble OF
account of the sights, either real O.
fancied, that had been put upon him
To add to his discomfort, not to sa,
misfortune, his father, tired of singh
blessedness, took unto himself a wife
and with her, two children The lad,
lost no time in giving her step-son l,
understand that he was not the eoua
OF her children, and that he must no
expect any favors. One fine mornin,
in the fall Of the year, just when Chok
cherries and Service berries were ripe
company of youngsters consisting O
three girls OF about twelve or thrice
years OF age, and two boys, one c
whom was Thomas, the subject of thi
sketch, started with an OK team up tn
> canyon for wild fruit, The distanc
that had to be travelled was abont toul
teen miles to the place where the be-
r ries grew, and of course as far TO r,
turn. Three miles an hour is fast tim
G to make with an OK team, when ther
IS no stoppages, but with such a con
pany as the one | am talking abo
d some lettering is sure to be done, S,
that although they started at o'cloc
it was nearly eleven by the time the
J, reached the fruit. On they Uay II
they had passed an Indian camp abor
@ two miles before reaching their destir
alton, One OF the girls who persiste
in lettering behind the wagon, had nj
e caught up when the rest passed the In
dams, but AS she was on ly short di
c lance back IL was not considered ne,
essary to wait Tor her, especially as
was getting late and all the time let
~ was needed to gather fruit and q,
get home before dark So they drove OF
= but stopped soon after for her to cate
d up. Tney had waited but short tim
when she came, painting with the e.
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