The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-05
Handcart Veterans Meet i'm Re-
union at Fourteenth Ward
Westinghouse.
MEN AND WOMEN ALONG
in YEARS TALK OF PAST
Trip From Iowa City 20 Sail
Lake Is Recalled in
Story.

grim old rascal, old Father Tine, was
almost turned backward in his flight
Thursday as the minds and the memo.
ries OF hundreds of men and women OF
the Handcurt Veterans associa ton
took hold of his Auttering rags, and bid
him stay awhile, II was the first meet
ing, the jubilee meeting of the veterans,
in fifty years.
In the Fourteenth Ward meeting
house all day Thursday the sad, yet
glad, "reminiscences of the days of SO
were recalled by tottering. trembling,
old men and women with the shaking
limbs of the present, the thoughts Of
their youthful past and the prophetic
insight into the days of the future.
Ranged on all sides of the hall were
men and women who had braved the
terrors and the hardships of an over
land trip of almost 1000 miles, begun
IN the early days of 1856 from Iowa
City, Iowa. Toothless old patriarchs,
hlear-eyed, palSied and feeble, listened
with painful intensity to the tales Of
those days, told by men and women
with whom they had trudged the
weary way, pushing the handcarts in
which were the pots and pans and beds
and babies of their pilgrimage.
Becomes Boy Again.
One old man, wrinkled chin on cane,
sat with mouth wide o7cn, his culver
ing lips aud faint smile giving eyi-
dence OF the Joy and the sorrow and
the sentiment within him. When he
heard certain anecdotes concerning the
inevitable handcart. how heavy ii be-
came with the stretching miles, of the
mishaps, the funny things that hap
pened to Brother Soanlso and the
sharp tongue of Sister GoodsoCI, the
bleared eyes became bright, the lax
jaws set firm and the old man was a
boy again.
The meeting was devoted TO the re-
cital of incidents connected with the
trip westward toward Zion. Each
speaker took delight in recalling those
days, and spoke both of the Joys and
the sorrows. S. 5. Jones Of Provo
presided, and Alfred Jones of the Gar
den City was secretary. Almost every
town and settlement in the State was
represented
The morning session was opened at
10:30 O'Clock with an address OF wei
come by S. s. Jones.
''Come, Come, Ye Saints was sung
by the audience. which was followed bv
prayer delivered bv James c. Bleak
of ST. George. Another song, 'Come,
Let Us Anew was rendered by those
present and then all retired TO the
basement, whore members OF the Old
Folks committee served them with
lunch
Organization of Companies.
An audience considerably larger than
that which assembled in the morning
gathered at 2 O'Clock in the afternoon
and was again welcomed by ;. 5. Jones.
John L. McAlllster, i'll an address, told
of the original organization Of the
handcart companies. In 1886, he stated,
the Ellsworth, Macarthur. Bunker. Will
Il
lied; in 1857 tue Evans and Christian
son: in 1859 the Rowley company. and
IN 1860 the Robinson and Stoddard
companies In all, 2951 men. women
and children walked the weary way
over the old emigrant route. by way OF
Omaha, the Platte river, and through
the South Pass, into Zion. Handcarts
70 the number OF $50 carried the be-
longings of the pilgrims.
Prayer by John Duke followed a song
by George Harrison. Henry Moyle OF
Alpine then talked of the DAYS of old
A song was then sung by the audience.
song Of the Eandcart DAYS. d song
which had encouraged them and put
new life into them when the days were
darkest.
Mrs. Jeannetta Hamilton Of Payson.
who was largely instrumental in bring
ing the veterans together, then sang
Fifty Years Ago. an original poem,
was delivered by L. T. Mcbride. An
other song. also of the old handcart
days, closed the afternoon meeting.
Survivors Present.
Surviving members Of the companies
appointed the following as representa-
tlves: Ellsworth company. Henry Moyle
OF Alpine; D. D. Macarthur company,
James Gardner; Bunker company. Ed
ward Thomas; Willie company. William
Woodward of ST. George; Martin and
Tyler companies, James G.. Bleak Of st.
George; Christianson company, C. c., a.
Christia nson Of Ephraim; :, Rowley com
pany, George Rowley of American
Forks; Robinson company, Alfred Bir-
rningham: John Hunt company. John
Hunt Of Bear Lake. The handcart mis-.
sloparies We're represented by William
Bramhall Of Springville, and the Res
cuers by Ben W. briggs Of Pleasant
Grove.
The following composed committee
on arrangements: S; 5. Jones, j. r.
Twelves, james Gardner, j.. a, Bailey.
Lorenzo Argyle, Thomas Dobson, James
q. Bleak and Alfred Jones
Several addresses, mostly In a remin-
1scent VEN, made mp the major portion
OF the evenings programme and at the
close OF the exercises the former board
OF directors and committees were re-
tained by unanimous vote and il was
''NiRN' iuNt VIC ud1uIdII NtlSEdUS con-
finue as heretofore TO hold annual
meetings III this State. The session
closed with q vote of thanks to the
church Presidency and all who took
part in the exercises. President Joseph
j. Smith, who was expected to speak
during the closing session did not ap-
pear. being detained. it was announced.
by the business which had accumulated
during his recent trip.
Gov. Cutler read from nauuecrinf a
congratulatory address in which he
commended the qualities which enabled
the veterans TO rake the hazardous
journey across the plains. Andrew
Jensen, at the conclusion OF a speech
IN which he dealt for the most part
with the history Of the handcart vet
Grams, gave the. following statistics re-
garding the companies which made the
Journey, their captains. the number OF
people composing them and the year
Guring which the journey was made:
1S5G-Capt. Edmund Ellsworth, 275,