Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-10-08
SPENCER FAMILY
HOLDS REUNION
Descendants OF Daniel HTum
and 0rson Spencer Meet in
Eighteenth Ward Hall.
LETTERS OF TWO BROTHERS.
Eplstlc- Of Historic Interest pcuucd iu
IariN Days Read BEFORE
The As4cmbiagc.

Tho Spencer HmIy Including Ie-
sccudauts of Daniel Hyrum and Orson
Spencer held their annual reuuian last
mght Do the Elghtaenth wurd hall the
gathering being the largest that has yet
assembled and the program and all
details being among thc most cnIoya-
ole that have ye. been given. The
program opened with quartet py
Miss Echau Spencer Miss Junctte o..
KnoUlton. g. q. Felt and j. - spencer
with Miss Jeau Spencer apcompanist
followed by % sopano solo Boy Miss bor-
ths spencer
Miss Eueu o. Ubbtt- sang Two
charming ballads and Miss A.Nira
Hirst followed with piano solo. The
hit Of the evening Was made by three
little daughters OF Mrs Ivy ClaWsun
Greene. Mildred Elsie and Myrtle. who
sang two character SONGS With appro-
pirate action go the delight ~ their
audience Two more selections Dos tho
first quartet finished ihe program. the
chief feature of which H1s The reading
Of two letters written respectively by
Daniel and Orsou Spencer to brother
in Massachusetts shortly after they bad
migrated t0 the Salt Lake valley Dau-
Gel speucers letter bears the date and
address Of oCt 1875 and brsou Supu-
GERS. Sept 10 1864 cincinnati wh,r. the
writer was fulhIllus O. mission. These
letters were preserved hy the brother
and came into tho possession of
grandson who recently gave them into
the hands ot the Utah descendants
They are so much "a part OF thc history
..H q ~. D.. .U.
the then existing conditions that their
publication is deemed interesting t0
many readers off the News. They are
as follows.
Brother Grove. 70 having been some
time since { have heard anything from
you ANA having spent about one year
in this valley I think that few lines
from me may boz somewhat interesting
A. YOU have probably heard from us
since our departure from NluNoo. 4
shall not Doc as particular as ! otherwise
should. ! win say however. that we
started on che tith day OF February
1886. from Nauvoo by compulsion as &c
were. as we had orders not Go boz seen
at that place after the lst OF May fol-
lowing The consequences Of our stay
ing f we had done So has been dem-
onetratod by the conduct of the mobs
towards our brethren who were not able
10 remove until that Time Immediate
ly after We started from our hCmes,
which were quite comfortable. the
weather was quito cold and "a heavy
snoWstorm Cume on, the snow falling
deep We all had to camp ont. some
with. and some without tents, and hRv-
ing 10 cook in the rain and snow. and 20
lodge on the damp ground or In our
wagons which leaked much you will
sec shat we were much exposed. Ia con-
U.N HN.H aaIHn %
wife. lost her ne as did Mary Speuc-
cir and ID. HenduNs Wife many others
suffering much then. and death ana dis
ease being fastened upon others which
showed when we arrived at Council
Bluffs. or what we called Winter QUAR-
ters. FOR our people died by hundreds
during the next winter When we left
We had not time TO dispose Of our land
on property. and as our means 20 start
with was small. we concluded 60 rec
turn and dispose Of our houses and
land for something 90 aid us In our |
Journey Accordingly Brothers Hi
ram and Claudius went back |
To sell our farms and houses, and they ]
succeeded in getting an offer for a |
small part of their value principally |
ln cattle. aud they come hundreds OF |
miles from NauVoO They went ln /
pursuit OF them Zoo the month of July /
'rhey had about 100 head quite Wild /
and after they started them they found i
our eucmies were determined 90 steal /
them. AS you know. that brother /
Hiram U.s. quite cautious ana ucrsc-
vering De attempted to escape. and aid /
fo by driving uight ana day aud mis-
guiding those THAT pursued them IN |
the way they were going Thus boy /
fatigue. and want of sleep. he lost /
bis llfe. and Claudius was dgspalred /
of for many days Thus have many i