The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-01-10
OLD TIMER A
WELCOM E
VISIT OR
OGDEN PIONEER RELATES SOME
INTERESTING HISTORY.
Mr.. LaneoIs Strong Advocate Of Good
Roads Proposition and An Enthu-
siastIc Fruit Grower.

of the best known "old timers" OF
this region called at the office of the
Standard Friday to renew acquaint-
ances and swap yarns with the report
ers. Mr. Langlois is always a welcome
visitor and his tales and adventures
are without number He WAS one OF
the first white men to cross into Ogden
valley via North Ogden canyon and
was associated with Captain Jefferson
Hunt, of the famous Mormon battalion,
when the village OF Huntsville was
laid out.
Mr.. Langiois is native OF the Isle
Of Jersey, OF the north coast of
France, near the Isle okGuernsey, his
father being a native OF the latter Is
land a miller by trade. In speaking
OF his native land. MT Langlois al
ways reminds his hearers that Jersey,
although a small spot on the map, Is
place with q history. And so II is.
having been favorite dwelling place
for many centuries before Roman
times. Caesar landed there in the
year 912 A. n. and left ten of his
men TO divide the island between them,
naming it Caesaroa, after himself.
The Roman word has since been cor
rupted by later inhabitants and many
stages to the word Jersey.
Mr. Langlois. who was born in ST.
Johns Parish, Mount Meadow, 1887.
lived for twenty yeras within sight OF
the coast OF France, yet never visited
It, Neither did his father before him,
who spent his entire life on the Is
lands. jersey and Guernsey. without
ever visiting the great continent so
near them. Mr. Langlois assisted his
father In the stone quarry business for
some years and was identified with
the building of the famous Long
Pier in the h0rbor Of ST. Heliers Jer-
sey. which is a mile and half long
and took FIVE years to complete.
In 1856 Mr.. Langlois became con-
verted to the Mormon faith and en-
igrated to America. sailing in the ship
Chimborazo from Liverpool TO Phila-
delphia.
The trip across the Atlantic in
tnosc days" says Mr.. Langlois, was
rather tedious proposition. We were
five weeks making the voyage, and Il
ship which crossed at about the same
time was out nine weeks between
ports They did, however, make somo
great records even in those days.
remember a couple OF lads from my
home at Mount Meadow who had lit
tie siXty-ton schooner called the John
ny" about seyenty-iiye feet In length,
in which they made a voyage from
the Isle OF Guernsey To the coast II
Labrador in fourteen days. That was
remarkable record, considering tho
boats constructed at that time"
Arriving In America. Mr. LangloIs
made his way TO Kansas and tnen
crossed the plains with an OK team to
Utah. where he has since made his
homo. In the year 1854 Mr., Langlols
returned 10 the Mormon settlements in
Kansas for a party Of newly arrived
immigrants and again crossed the
great desert with mis- four yoke of oxen.
that being the third time II was on
Mr.. Langlols' life took on new
phase. He met a fair daughter of
Sweden In the person of Mary Char.
lottc Ohlson. and during the long trip
overland so captiyated the young LADY
with his tales OF "nalr breadth escapes
BY food and field" that she became his
wife soon after their arrival I'm Utah
and still blesses his declining years
at the age Of siYty-nve. He has since
visited his native land OS92D. re
malning there part Of a year
Mr.. Lanslois was prominently idon.
tined with the founding Of Huntsville
when tho only wagon route from OG-
den was by way OF North Ogden can
yon. He and Captain Hunt were the
fortunate possessors Of the only two
plows suitable for ditchng purposes,
and with these rude home made imple-
ments the two pioneers constructed
the first Irrigation ditch In Ogden val
ley Their mole-boards were Of strap
iron and the plow frames Of wood.
Tho Indians weTe numerous in those
days but gave the settlers ntde
trouble. Mr. Langlols tells Of IA
nous battle which took place In Og-
den canyon half mile above the
mouth, between two hostile bands of
Indians In which two noted chiefs
were killed, the story Of which. told
IN picture painting upon the walls Of
the north side OF the canyon, high up
on the side OF the cliff, remained for
many wears and could be deciphered
by the carly pioneers.
Mr.. Langlois is an enthusiastic fruit
grower and has ideas of his own as
10 superior methods OF tree growing
which he hopes to introduce in this
vicinity. Ono Is the training Of a
young tree to grow llat upon the side
of house by fastening each year the
young shoots as they branch. He tells
OF the famous Jersey cattle; also gi-
ant Cow" cabbages Of his native isle,
which grow 10 a height OF twelve feet,
and exhibits photographs to substan-
tiate his statements. He is also fond
OF telling of the celebrated Lillian
Langtry the Jersey Lily" who was
born on his native soil and who was a
fayorite at one time with King Ed
ward. then the Prince of Wales. until
she Dlayfully slipped piece of ice
down that gentleman's back one day.
much TO the latter's discontinue and
modification
Mr. Langlois Is known throughout
the countrywide as a champion foot
racer. and still challenges. at the age
OF seyenty-two. anyone la his class. He
wan handily all races In his class at
the recent annual outings of the "Old
Folks" and IS still able to make
goodly showing on the cinder path.
This accounts for his enthusiasm OH
the good roads proposition. of which
he Is strong advocate Congratula.
uons and a long, long life for George
Langlois