The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-08-10

| poor working man named Soren
'hristian Peterson and his wife Met
| ie Mare Larsen in the village OF
ichibsye, Hjorring, Denmark Today
his man Lars Christian Peterson,
With his wife Johanna Marie Mourit-
| en- to whom he was married on the
| 9Th of November, 1860, he lives at
| iyde Park, Cache County, Utah.
| there he has resided since the year
I S65, during practically the entire
me officiating as ward clerk, having
,een officially appointed to that posi-
| ion in 1878, though he had acted as
assistant clerk for many years be-
ore. BY all this, together with the
fact that he crossed the plains to
Utah by OK team in 1859, It will be
| seen that he represents typical
| pioneer of both Utah and Cache Val
| ley and as such, has the usual in.
| teresting story. This story Is best
| told by extracts from his own journ-
al, which he has kindly allowed a
| representative Of The Republican to
scan.
81 had read the scriptures in my
| childhood, he records under date Of
| 1854, but did not comprehend 1t.
when the principles of the gospel
were declared to me by the elders
| of the church, they were very famili-
| ar to me. | loved to go to meetings,
but my uncle, aunt and cousins did
despise the gospel and those who
brought it, save one cousin, Marie
Mikkesen, who afterward received
the gospel. My father and mother did
not at this time comprehend the Cos
pei, but since embraced it. My aunt
gave me all kinds of promises, such
as property and money, which she
! possessed, would | abandon my belief
and remain in the Lutheran church.
Meantime the m nisters of the Luth-
eran church would call on me to con.
vince me of my errors as they sup
posed l was subject to, but without
any effect"
In his youth he says he was desir.
GUS of becoming acquainted with
many languages and he began early
| to study German, but later this de-
sire for the study of languages cen.
tered upon the English language
alone and he became an excellent
student In this line. This knowledge
he afterward turned to good account
in a Christian like manner, giving
instruction to those who contemplate
ed going to America for the gopels
sake. OF the voyage he has recorded:
Monday, April II, 1859, at 5 am.
a steamer hauled out into the sea
and We began our voyage across the
| Atlantic and | was appointed head
teacher of the English language for
all the teachers of the saints. Every
forenoon would meet with the saints
In different wards in turn for the
school, and In the afternoons taught
school for the teachers and presiding
elders OF the company. Thus my time
was spent every day until we landed
in New York. But when the doctor
came. was called to go with him as
an interpreter among the Scandina-
VANS"
II Is generally thought that the
hardships of the pioneers Of the ear
ly days began with the crossing OF
the plans, but from the following ex
tract taken from the journal of our
friend Peterson, 1t would seem that
they often began earlier even than
that: "The morning of the 21st we
proceeded on our way up the Mis-
souri, river on steamboat, st. Mary
Here We were treated roughly by
the crew, and Others, neither was
there any convenience for sitting Of
sleeping, but We were almost con
stantly compelled to stand on on
feet both night and day until Thurs
, day the 26th OF May, when we land
: ed on the bank of the river below
: Florence, at which place we wer,
lodged for a while to fit up our team
: and baggage to cross the rocky noun
: tains."
or the organ cation of the compan.
for the crossing of the plains he says
= "on Monday the 9th Of June a poi
I ton of our company was organize,
S on the camp ground little south o
: the city into a handcart company TO
e the crossing OF the plains whicl
e started from here on the 9th to eros
: the plains by pulling their children
bedding, cooking etc, on two vince
ed cart, which looked rather heav
p task for man and his VIE to UT
2 dertake across a desert OF 100 mile
h but however, that was accomplishe,
2 and they arrived at Salt Lake Cit