The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1906-11-29

duO UduS ldlA w pOAAoA = "a
cradle of faith, there was made for 1t
a golden spoon of plenty.
Over across the mountains the year
before, on the decayed granite bed
rock of the tail race at the mill OF
n Suffer, a Tman had picked up a
few particles Of gold, the largest as
big as grains of wheat. The news of
the wonder had spread to the east,
and now came frenzied hordes of gold
seekers. The valley of the mountains
where the Saints had hoped to hide
was directly in their path, and there
they stopped their richly laden trains
to rest and to renew their supplies.
The harvest of 40 was bountiful in
all the valley; and thus was the wild
prophecy of Joel Rae made sober
truth. Many of the gold seekers had
loaded their wagons with merchandise
for the mining camps; but in their
haste to be at the golden hills, they
now sold it at a sacrifice in order to
tighten their loads. The movement
across the Sierras became a wild
race; clothing, provisions, tools and
arms-things most needful = to the
half-clad, half-starved community on
the shores of the lake-were bartered
to them at less than half-price for
fresh horses and light wagons.
Where a $25 pack-mule vas sold for
5000, a set Of joiner's tools that had
cost 500 back in st. Louis would be
bought for $25.
The next year the gain to the Saints
was even greater, as the tide of gold
seekers rose. Early that summer
they sold -four to the oncoming le-.
gions for a dollar a pound, taking
their pay in the supplies they most
needed on almost their W terms.
This passing of the gold seekers
was not, however, a blessing without
drawbacks. For the Saints had hoped
to wax strong unobserved, unmolest-
ed, forgotten, in this mountain retreat.
But now obscurity could no longer be
| their lot. The hated Gentiles had
again to be reckoned with.
First, the United States had ex-
banded OF the west to include their
territory-the fruit Of the Mexican
war-the poor bleak desert they were
making to blossom. Next, the gov
eminent at Washington had sent to
construe and administer their laws
men who were aliens from the Com
monwealth of Israel. True, Millard
Fillmore had appointed Brigham gov
were chief justices and associate JUS
tees, secretaries, attorneys, mar
shals, Indian agents from the wicked
and benighted East; men who frank
ly d%isbelieved that the voice of Brig
ham was as the voice Of God, and
who did not hesitate to let their
heresy be known. A stream of these
came and acknowledgements who
, despised and insulted the Saints, and
returne6 to Washington with cal
umnies on their lips. 1t was true that
Brigham had continued, as was right,
to be the only power in the territory;
but the narrow-minded 3ppointees OF
the federal government persisted in
misconstruing this circumstances; re-
fusing to look upon it as the just
mark Of Heavens favor, and declar-
ing it to be the arrogance OF a mere
civil usurper.
Under such provocation Joel Rae
longed more. than vel to be a Lion
of the Lord, for those above him in
the church endured too easily, he
considered, the indignities that were
put upon them by these evil-minded
Gentle politicians. He would have
rejected them forthwith, as he be-
1ieved the Lord would have had them
do,-nay, a he believed the Lord
would sooner or later punish them for
not doing. He would have thrust
them into the desert, and called upon
the Lord for strength to meet. tho
storm that would doubtless be raised
by such a course. He was impatient
when the older men cautioned moder-
alton and the petty wiles of diplo-
macy. Yet he was not altogether
discouraged; for even they Lost pa
thence at times, and were almost as
outspoken as he could have wished.
The spring of Sc found them
again digging roots and resorting to
all the old pitiful makeshifts of
famine.
"This," declared Joel Rae, to the
starving people, is a judgment Of
Heaven upon us for permitting Gen
tile aggression. It is meant to clench
into our minds the Gods truth that
we must stand by our faith with the
arms Of war If need be-"
Brother Rae is just a little mite
soul-proud," Brigham thereupon con-
ided to his .~counsellors, land L
wouldn't wonder if the Lord would
be glad to see some OF it taken out
of him. Anyway, I've got a job for
him that will just about do it."
Brigham sent for him the next day
and did him the honor to entrust to
him an important mission. He was
TO go back to the Missouri river and
bring on n Of the hand-cart parties
that were to leave there that sum.
mer The three years of famine had
left the Saints in the valley poor, so
that the immigration fund was de.
p1atn1 Tho 0p1Op,;~~ >Co;~f1 <1arn.