Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-18
A Picture i'm Memory.
"Remembrances That Time Canno
Efface."

"Remembrances That Time Cannot
Efface."
~ AZING from the windows of my
office in tho Tcmpeton building
III at the block across the way
during the glorious summer
now passed. my mind has traversed
back, soliloquizlng over 60 years to the
time when Presiding Bishop Ncwei Is
Whitney came to the valley, pitched
his tents and drew his wagons into a
seml-circle on the northwest corner OF
that block How wild and barren IL
was them Brigham Young located on
the southeast corner, and just little
way from there built the famous "old
log row" President Heber c, Kim
ball made his camp just north of the
block, on the other side of City creek
and soon put up rather pretentious
adobe house, the first place where we
held Sunday meetings and evening
prayer meetings, In what we called
Aunt Vllate's big ROOM
In those early days there was nothing
but bare open space. no streets, scarce
ly foot-paths, no bridges over city
creek-we walked over on a plank; and
during all the long. cold winter OF
1S4S we slept in our wagons. until the
walls OF the Whitney house were up
and some loose boards and dirt on the
roof, and planks or puncheon on the
floor. when we were glad TO sit around
the great blazing wood fires in the open
fireplaces, with our babies that had
been born in the wagons or on the
journey Although we had no hearth
stone, we were quite content and
were shut in from the bowling of the
coyotes. and the shricking and moan
Ing of the squaws. who were in camp
further up City creek because their
warriors had been killed. We used to
sing and pray. and Horace, the bishops
eldest son. an exceptionally gifted
young man. would play the flute some
times to while away the hours. the
bishop and his wife, (who is known
now throughout the Church az Mother
Whitney, sang together the old hymns
and some OF the oldtimc songs-their
voices blending so harmonlously. that
one might fancy even angel voices
could not be more transporting. They
sang not only Mormon hymns. but the
old Campbellite hymns. rythmical and
musical. and the tones of their sweet
voices still llnger in my recollection as
though IL were only yesterday.
All these things l seemed to sec and
hear and live over again. In the long
summer days while the men toiled on
across the way, pulling down and tear
Ing the walls and foundations that had
been built In those strenuous times of
hardship and scarcity and realizing that
In the building OF them there seemed n
part OF tho very life and heart of those
brave men who planned and calculated
and wrought with their strength OF
oraln the ways and means and methods
"l construction when there was lack
OF material and OF means. and only
crude substances from the earth and
t.iS rev trees In tho canyons to be
obtained
Almost every day the president OF the
huIcn: MS counsclors and the presi1-
ing bishop would be together dcvisinc
ways. and talking over these importnnt
matters. Those younger people who
WcIc tnefe then To hear and TO wonder
now such great purposes could bc nc-
compllshed without facilitles-where arc
tney now? Most Of them gone to the
p,nef side with those same veteran
pioueers. whose memory one fondly
cner1shes, and whose names must be
ever held In the greatest reverence
10 DS sure there was the Fort on
rIonesr square. where Presidents
toun5 and kimhall. aud also the bish-
op mad rooms but they preferred to
ieaVo the occupants In possession. and
they wanted more room to dwell on
and In. All honor to the brave pioneers
pl le4t, men and women. who had per-
maps the hardest struggle OF all
In looking at the dear old buildings
as they were being torn TO pieces. /
liVed over again, IN depth of feeling al
though outwardly only in fancy one
might say, many OF the events that
uunspirsd when they were being erect
ed-yes. even when the foundations
werc being laid.
In the year 1si9, the tlthins ward and
small building with slantlng roof
was put up on the corner where the
CounciI House stood afterward. and
where The Deseret News building.
stands now. II was near where DIR.
wharf Richards had camped. and had
ouilt his primitive home; and just west
oi mere Parley +. Pratt had begun
preparations for his home, All around
ihls uthlng Office there were. In lSie and
1850. stacks of hay and other commod-
mes inside the Office were rude
desks and clerks keeping books Of ac-
counts. Thomas Bullock was the chief
clerk, think, ard Horace K. whitney