The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-05
RECALL DAYS
OF LONG AGO
Hand Cart Veterans Recount
! Stories of Times That Tried
Mems Souls.
REUNION ANNUAL EVENT
HOLD SESSION IN FOUiRTEE=TH
WARD MEETING HOUSE.
REUNION ANNUAL EVENT.

The first reunion of the veterans of
the hand-cart invasion of Utah, 1856 10
1860, opened yesterday morning in the
Fourteenth ward assembly hall. Between
200 and 800 people were present including
veterans and their wives and children and
descendants of the original stock. When
roH call was taken il was found that
Just lay persons were present who had
actually made the trip out of probably
several thousand who originally took part
IN the famous marches.
The forenoon session was given up to
getting acquainted. Many of those pres
ent met men and women who had been
members Of their own companies fifty
years ago, and whom they had not seen
since. Discoveries of cid friends We're
constantly being made and the number
or "reminiscences recalled and incidents
taken part in would fill several volumes.
me day was gala one for all, and
gayety and good humor reigned supreme.
For all that, however. the occasion was
not without a dash of the sentimental,
the pathetic side of the picture cropping
out in more places than one.
Relate Experiences.
Dinner was served to one and all in a
room adjoining the hall promptly at noon,
after which the session was resumed. 1t
was the original intention to have a Sc
ries of brief speeches on behalf of the
various companies which had made the
tflp. and this program. interSperSed with
songs and music, was followed as closely
as possible. A aumbsr who were ex-
pected were unaVOidably absent, however
and as a result some of the speeches
were by men who were not in any way
connected with the companies which they
represented. In spite of this. the pro-
ceedinSs were listened to with the great
est interest. Gray-haired men recOunted
experiences which had happened when
they were boys of 10, L and Is years
sober minded old ladies of 50 and 20 years
rose TREMENDOUSLY in their seats in corrobor-
n rrna of 4aVVTc ted
and one and all enjoyed to the full the
few brief hours which enabled them to
hVe over again the scenes Of pathOs and
excitement which in those early DAYS
were an everyday occurrence. Some of
the accounts OF the trips were not with
out their humorous sides. but the tales
were mostly If stern necessity and mex
oraple tate. when men and women lived
their daily lives with starvation never far
away. with few of the comforts and none
OF the Gxuries. but secure in the faith
and steadfast iuE the determination for
which they had braved so much.
In the wear -1S56sfive hand-cart COM
panies crossed the plains, those in charge
Of the parties being Edmond Ellsworth,
-. ID. Macarthur Edward Bunker, j G..
Willie and Martin and Tyler OF these,
u. ID. Macarthur and Tyler alone are
alive. In the following year two corn
panies reached the Salt Lake valley nm
Hanson and Israel Evans both OF whom
are now no more. In 1859 George Rowley
ana large company made the trip. and
lnss1s50 two companies, under the lead
srship of Joseph Robinson and o. O.
Stoddard. successfully made the trip. The
leaders of these last three expeditions
have long since PASSED to their eternal
rest
Governors, Address.
The principal feature of the evening
meeting was the address of welcome of
Governor Cutler. The governor opened
his speech with a reference to the ster-
Ing qualities of the men who by their
indomit2ble courage and faith were en-
abicd to cross the plains in the face OF
difficulties from which an ordinary man
would have shrunk in horror. and lay the
foundation of what afterWard became
the state CT Utah. This journey was
not made. said he, with the hope OF
worldly good, such as is the object of
the gold seeker, nor was il from motives
Of ambition Of a conqueFor, leading his
victorious troops. 1t was simply and only
that they and their progeny might be set
safely on the highway which leads to
the higher destiny of man on earth, and in
abe end the, reward which comes to all
as the result of a life well lived"
Continuing Governor Cr1fIar Said ho