Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-15

I
cr. whore We Whil2d away Il pleasant
time IN "reminiscences Of experiences ON
the lake. This included a narration by
the general OF his terrible experience on
the water the night of his visit to ON
I camp. when they had come near bciIg
ShipWrccked in Il violent tempest
which had ragged throughout the night
and next day struggle which we men
a the caI - had ourselves Witucsscd
uom om camp at sunrise the next day.
OW own tents We're b!own~doWn. the
wagons stripped of their covers and
thci belongings Of the camp scattered
To tho four winds. We saw the Conner
vessel shifted about from place 90 place
dragging her anchor. but though our
sympnth.es went out to the helpless
crew yet we could do nothing TO aid
them
GRASsHOPPER DYKE.
An interesting "Reminiscences Of this
time at Monument Point was the inn
mense ridge of dead grosshoppers sur
rounding the lakeshore, which this ter
riblc storm happily washed away.
This ridge or wall had been caused by
Scourge Of grasshopprrs which dur
Ing the spring and summer had been
exceptionally troublesome Great gray
and black clouds Of the "hoppcrs''
We're constantly flying through the air,
obscuring the sunlight, and lighting
down on both water and land I'm great
Swarms. Billions OF these, washed
ashore by the waves. had formed i'm a
great bank two to five feet high around
the lake shore. our men, said Mr.
Pratt who went into the lake for their
baths. had TO take along shoVels to
get through this wall of picked hop
pers' to reach the water Under the hot.
sun rays this heap became almost un-
bearable to sight and smell, and when
the great storm of that night washed
the refuse away. there was great re-
joicing The wall showed, though the
proportions of the great pest which
almost devastated the valleys at that
time-making flour, grain and hay SO
scarce that we had to pay from Sl2 to
S24 for a hundred pounds of -four Sl5
for grain and about $40 per ton for
hay while other necessities We're corre-
spondingly high"
TROUBLE WITH INDIANS.
According to fragments of Mr.. Pratts
journal, the incidents rected are but
etchings of the hardships of the times.
Young men In those days earned their
living hv the literal sweat of their
brows. At II Mr. Pratt drove seven
yoke of oxen across the plains and re-
turn for merchandise freight for the
firm of Eimball Il Lawrence. IN
dams says the journal ''were very bad
that year. They killed and drove of
some of our teams. Sharp's train. half
a day ahead of US, had two men killed
by Indians and some of their cattle
driven off"
In 1867. the Journal states. Nh Pratt
went To ogden valley and commenced
farming. All the crops We're destroy
I'd by grasshoppers. and he then crossed
the mountains between ogden and We
Der valleys and took n sub-contraCt
from the late President John Taylor
for grade work for the L. p. rilroad.
LET THE BOY HAVE IT.
Then came the grade work for the
T.. T. X. R.. and in connection with
this Mr. Pratt tells an incident illus
trative Of the generosity of the times
When IL became known that Benson
Farr g. West who had secured the
c. = 4. Il grade contract would let
bids to sub-contlactors for a part of
the work, large number of eager
bidders went out To Monument Point
in company with Lorin Farr of Og-
den To compete for the work. Mr.
Pratt being one of the number ON ac-
count Of the presence Of 50 many bid
dcrs only "A limited amount of grade
was to be let to each contestant, and
when the auctioncernE of these par
GELS commenced young Pratt being
inexperienced and rather Tctriug at
first hesitatod to make his voice heard
with the rest At the second parcel
his courage strengthened and ho put
his bid-3G cents per cubic yard, fol
lowing those which had commenced at
80. and ranged down 10 81 cents A
the boys voice was heard n sympathc-
Tie voice from the crowd Of bidders
shouted. on let the boy have it, and