Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-26
q RIDAY, Sept. Is, 1905, marked 40
years Since the last company OF
Il saints that crossed the plains

g4 StalIltS stillt crossed ne XXI plains
lssia5lT7 and mountains from the east
h with OK teams entered Great Salt Lake
valley. The arrival of this company
terminate an epoch in the history OF
the Latter-day Saints, which will al
q ways be noteworthy and extremely
H interesting For % years, from 1847 to-
1858 inclusive, the saints who were
a seeking homes in he valleys Of the
Rocky mountains were compelled to
& submit to camp life and weary travel
N for weeks and months, in order to
+ reach the goal of their ambition, and
this meant for many Of them % tramp
Of 1000 miles, or more on foot, with an
occasional ride in a wagon drawn by
z oxen, or other animals. for those who
& would get too tired to walk all the way.
For about 4, 900 people it meant not
i only q foot journey all the way from
Il the borders of civilization to Utah;
i # meant, in addition to that, the pull
( ing Of hand -carts containing what few
4 things they Brought along with; them.
At present can only make an estt-
mate Of the number OF I4atter-day
Saints who crossed the plains and
mountains. from the, Missouri river, or
I points still further east, to the valleys
of the Great Salt lake, with mule,
I horse or OK teams, pack animals or
8handcarts; but / think am safe in
stating thatSit averaged at least 4, 900
souls a year, OF. 66. 900 people altogether
during the % years that this kind OF
travel was in vogue This, of course,
does not include the many thousands
n who passed through u tab on their way
to the Pacific coast.
EXODUS FROM NAUyoo.
From 1s4T TO 1852, the roads from the
mississippi and Missouri river vest
ward We're lined with exlles from
4 sslNauYoo, Illinois and also with emf
grants from the British Isles. Most
of these travelled with their own teams;
others We're assisted by friends: but
commencing with 1850 many were EN-
( abled to enigrate by means furnished
{ by the Perpetual Emigration Fund
company which was organized In 1S49.
Z In 1856 the handcart travel was in
IS nugura ted which was continued at IN
teryals until 1860: but only a small
fraction of the emigration during these
years resorted to&that kind Of locomo-i
llotJS Inc year lS0Os excepted i5l45i.i
EMIGRATION FUND.
+. In 1860 the Perpetual Emigration
e Fund company commenced To send
teams, Well proVisioned, east to bring !
4 the poor to the valley and this was
continued until the Union Pacific rail-
n road was finished. A few of these
teams We're sent In 1850 on a trial trip,
! but the following year. 1861, upwards
z FOO Church teams. We're sent, with |
four yoke OF cattle to each, to the Mis-
262, and in 1863, 3s4 teams were sent !
to the same point. Only 40 such !
teams were sent In 1864 and owing TO |
the Indian troubles In Utah. and for
other reasons, no Church trains were |
sent back in 1865 and 1867; but in 1866 !
nearly SEQ teams were forwarded to the |
Missouri river after the poor. and |
about the same number We're sent in !
1868, for the same purpose. TO the ter |
minus OF the Union Pacific railroad, |
some to Laramie City and others to
Benton.
VARIED EXPERIENCES.
The experiences had by the thousands |
OF emigrants who crossed the plains !
from 1S47 to 1868 We're different and l
varied in many particulars. Some COM 1
9paIlieS came through with comparative |
case and without accident or fatality |
to speak of. while others had troubles I
#WILflgff mt OIL pro-
Visions and lost many of their num-
bers through the ravaSes of cholera
and other disea SEES. Even soma of the |
hanacart companies came through in
very good shape, while Others suffered |
dreadfullS, and hundreds lost their |
lives through exposure to the inclem
eency of the weather, over exertion. |
etc. Nor were these sufferings mater
tally worse in the earlier companies or,
III the beginning of this overland tray
1-,f fa,- IA .Y,,rN sy,t
Il: the sixties suffered as much, or
journey in the forties. and thus the
Senigrants of any one of what call I
the % Utah pioneer years deserve near
sIy as much credit for patience, endur- I
sanceaand suffering as those OF any 9TH |
se., year previous or later. In other !
words the immigrant companies that |
finished the o3-team travel in 1865 |
suffered as much as the emigration of |
31S4T. and in order TO prove this I have
prepared for publication some extracts |
from the personal diary of Elder Hans |
Jensen (EIals1, formerly bishop OF l
Mani South ward. Sanpete county |
who was the president or leader of
the company that In 1858 closed the /
ok team Immigration to Utah for ever.
Y With but one exception this was also |
the last company of saints that crossed
the Atlantic ocean In sailing vessel /
tthe Emerald Isle) and the very I
last thai arrived in an American port, /
as aya kn- company that also left Liy- !