The President of
the Conference gave each president of a Branch a district to preach in, and
with him the priests and elders of his branch. This was to be done on Sundays
and whenever occasion would require. The conference was now quite large and it
was divided into two districts and the priesthood was to meet every two weeks on
Saturday night. I was appointed clerk of the Tenby district
and it taught me a great deal in the art of writing. I worked with this farmer
Smith until the next May. I then went to work in the limestone quarries at Gilta. This was very hard work and it being new to me, it
went very hard with me for awhile. But I was anxious to get more money and try
if possible to secure my emigration, and I was willing to endure a great deal
to accomplish that.
Whilest working there, one evening I was at a council meeting
and the next day being Sunday, Brother Hopla asked me
if I would not go with him to his district to preach the following day, as
there was a very troublesome fellow who came to their different meetings every
Sunday and annoyed them very much. In fact it was almost impossible for them to
preach. I told him I had my own district to attend to and that I could not
leave and that I was not very desirous to enter into trouble, that if it was in
my own district, I should try to make the best of it. He said he should go to the president of the
conference and get permission for me to go with him. I said if the president
said I should go I would, if not, I wouldn't. He went, and it was decided that
I should go. We went at two o'clock to the place appointed. I forget now the name
of the village. There was quite a crowd of people gathered and we had a very
quiet meeting. This disturber was there but he never said one word. I saw him
and could pick him out by the spirit that was upon him. This annoyed Brother Hopla very much because he wanted to see him act a little for
my benefit and for me to get a taste of what he had to put up with and he could
not account for it. But before the day was out, we could account for it all. At
six o'clock in the evening we were to hold another meeting at the village of Corew, some
few miles from there. This disturber had notified, in the week before, all the
inhabitants of that region of country to come to this evening meeting. That he
was going to make it so hot for the Mormons that they never would show their
faces there any more. None of us knew anything about this as we lived a number
of miles away from there. The time came and the people flocked from every direction.
Rich and poor, small and great. It seemed as if they were
all there. It was on a cross-road and we stood on a little rising ground so that
we could see all the people. We opened the meeting in the usual way. Brother Hopla called on Brother Richard Jones to preach, there
being three of us. As soon as he commenced, this disturber walked to the front
and commenced a tirade of abuse towards our religion, denouncing it every form.
He took hold of Brother Jones' arm and got to disputing with him in such a way
that it was impossible for him to preach.
So, Brother Jones quit. He was a big powerful man, and a class- leader
with his sect, and terribly forward in his way, no politeness whatever, but
very coarse and brusk. I stood there and took him in at a glance. I
made up my mind that what I had to meet and I felt as ready for it as he
did. I smiled at his ridiculousness and
the spirit of the Lord rested upon me in such a manner that before I began with
him I knew I should use him up in such a way that he would trouble us no more.
Brother Hopla then called on me to speak. I stood
forth and as soon as I did he introduced me to the people as the man that had challenged
him to meet him anywhere and at any time to discuss religion. I then recognized
him to be the same man that I had met the summer before at the village of Jefferston. He
came up to me after I had dosed the meeting and said, he had come to Jefferston that evening on purpose to oppose me, but seeing
the people were almost entirely in my favor he did not think it wise to do so.
I told him I was not afraid to meet him at any time or place. That I had the truth and with the help of God was able to defend
it. I could now see the hand of the Lord in it. The previous week he had
given out that he was going to drive all the Mormons out of that region of the country.
He did not know of my coming. Neither did I until
about twenty hours before. But now here I was face to face with an enemy to the
truth and never felt better and entered on my task with pleasure. I commenced by
saying how necessary it was for all present to be possessed with the spirit of
the Lord and that without it no one should undertake to teach the religion of
Jesus Christ to the children of men. He shouted out at the top of his voice
that that was true. I said if it was true, he varied from it very much. With
that he marched out of the crowd to lay hold of me. I gave one step back and
then braced myself, pointed my finger at him, looking him straight in the eye I
said, "You dare lay a hand on me. I have an instrument in my pocket that
will put you in prison so fast you will be astonished how you got there." He
stepped back quicker than he came forward and turned as pale as death. I said,
"You can stand there and say what you have a mind to, but hands off,
gentleman." This move made me many friends and they gathered right around
us. There was one fighting bully there and his companions. They stood next to
us and this fighting man said at the top of his voice, "This man is going
to preach, and the man who interferes with him will have to walk over my dead
body." We had now started in dead earnest. My opponent and his religious
friends had to stand on the outside while I had it entirely my own way. I now
directed my remarks right to him. I would ask him questions out of the Bible
and repeat the doctrines of Christ to him; and he would deny them and protest
there was no such thing in the Bible. I crowded him to it until he would cry it
out so loud until all the people could hear him and I would get him to repeat
it. I would then read
from the Bible those very things he had denied and called on any gentleman to
come forward and see for himself. I did this a number of times. This wore him
out and he got very mad, and he cursed and swore like a trooper. Then I said,
"This is the kind of a man you have here to defend your religion. It is a man that in your own presence has
denied the Bible. A man that in your own presence does curse
and swear like any low taproom blaggard. The
religious people of this region of country must be bad off for good timber or
you have been most woefully deceived with this wolf in sheep's clothing; or the
Lord has sent me here to raise his mantle of hypocracy
so that you can see him in his true light. If his mother is
here. she must certainly feel badly for a son
that has no better way of manifesting himself before the people than he has."
By this time he was perfectly frantic and the devil had complete possession of
him, and many of his friends were very little better than himself. He commenced
to roar like a young bull, and roar he did, thinking to drown my voice. But I
could speak clear over him with ease so as to be heard by everyone. When he got
through roaring, he looked like a man in the last throes of death, and he
yelled at the top of his voice that I was the worse Mormon he had ever met. I
told him before I had got through with him he would find I was good for the
challenge I had given him. I had nothing to fear from him nor
anyone that took the course he did. I had the Bible on my side, the revelations
given to the Prophet Joseph and the sword of the spirit. While he had nothing
but a man made system to defend and an old broken sword to do it with and a
hypocrite to the bargain. We came prepared to receive abuse and God had given
us grace for to bear it. We knew that the day was not far distant when all
their man made systems would come to an end, and that the kingdom of God,
as it was revealed to Joseph Smith would reign over all the earth. And that I
was so well aware of the fact as though it had come. They then deputized one of
their number to come to me and offer himself for
baptism, to try to break up the meeting that way. I saw him force his way
through the people. He was a very tall man and I could see the spirit he was
possessed of before he got to me. Said he, "Mister, I want you to baptize
me.? I said, "My friend, you are
not prepared for baptism. Repent of your sins and then come to me under the
proper spirit and I will baptize you." I can't begin to write the quarter
of what I said at this meeting. Words were given by the spirit that I never heard
before. Neither had I read them in any book. It now began to be dark. Brother Hopla said a few words and the meeting was
dismissed and we started for home. I had
about seven miles to go. The others, four. When Brother
Hopla got home where he and the president of the
conference lived in the same house, he felt so delighted at the-success we had
that they were up nearly all night talking about it. I got hoe feeling so good,
the distance seemed like nothing. This disturber never after troubled our
people but said he really believed there was something more with us than with any
other people he had ever met.
While working in
the -quarry, I earned enough money to emigrate to. New
York; which I did, leaving Liverpool
on the 19th day of April, 1856. There were a great many of the Pembrokeshire saints emigrated the same time and it
stripped the conference of nearly all of the officers and members and it never
recruited any more but kept going down until this day, there is no church
organization there whatever. I came over to America in the clipper ship S.
Curling, commanded by Captain Curling. The ship had eight hundred saints on
board. Captain Dan Jones had charge of
the company. The ship was divided into wards with a president over each ward,
and the guards set so as to keep order in every department of the ship and to keep
the crew in their proper places. I got very sick as soon as the ship started
and was very sick most of the way. In saving the money for my emigration, I
lived on barley bread
and water for three months and working in the quarry lifting large rocks. I
used to spit up blood every day from the heavy strain of work I had to do, and
then it was by the skin of my teeth I got passage money just two days before.
The provisions were served out to the passengers. I was without food or money. The
last money I spent in Liverpool was a penny I
gave for a cake. I divided it with my partner, William Hart, who was in
the-same fix as myself. And then we had to fast for
two days. We felt well tho and thanked the Lord all
was so well as it was. Though sick, I enjoyed myself. Not being married I was put in the bachelors
hall with the other bachelors on the lower deck of the ship. And when the ship
would be laboring in a heavy sea we would go up and down like in a swing. The
only light we had was that which came through a large round pipe, which also
served for a ventilator. There were six of us from the same conference that
messed together, and from the great amount of fun we used to have, we were
known throughout the ship as the "saucy six", but we broke no rules.
The president of our ward used to say when calling on others to do anything,
and they would complain, "If you don't want to do it say so, I have six
boys here that will do anything I ask them and do it cheerfully." The ideas
that a great many of the saints had of traveling to Zion was quite amusing. One day I was lying
down on the deck quite sick near a group of sisters who were talking over their
troubles, when one old lady exclaimed with a sigh, "Well, well, I never
thought that this would be the way we would go to Zion. I thought we should be doing nothing
but singing and praying all the way."
This amused me so much that it cured me of my sickness.
We landed safely
in Boston on
the 21st of May, all safe. The most of
the passengers went to the frontiers, which
was Iowa City
at that time. Thirty of us, for the want
of means had to stay in Boston.
The captain of the ship gave us the
privilege of staying on board until we could
get work. Four of us started out to seek work. We came to a toll bridge where it cost one cent each to pass over, but we had to return. I laughed and said
to the boys, "This is certainly
starting at the lower round of the ladder in
America."
We returned to the ship and the next day Brother
Felt came from New York
to meet us. In those days it was the law in Boston for every foreigner to pay one dollar
to the state or leave. And there was a way provided for us to go to New York, which we did.
When we came to New York, we were entire
strangers and were left on the wharf to shift for ourselves: In those days, Elder
John Taylor, one of the Twelve Apostles, was presiding in New York and publishing a paper called the Mormon.
I told the company to stay on the wharf while I went to the printing office and
found some of the brethren. I found them and we found places for us all to stay
in the homes of the saints, principally in Williamsburg. The next day I went to work for
an Irishman by the name of Teddy Mack-wiggin and of
all the critters I ever met he was one of them. Our work was leveling streets
and building-blocks in Williamsburg.
We worked eleven hours a day. He would stand over us and swear from morning
till night. The most abusive language I ever heard. The Irishmen
who worked for him, when he would turn his back, would stand still and not
work, but as soon as he turned around, they were down and at it again. Of
course this accounted for his awful swearing, for often he would catch them. I
was never used to work, after this fashion, for I had always been used to
working whether the master was present or not. He soon found this out and after
two days, he set me to driving a horse and cart. In my young days I had become
very much taken up with America.
I had read the history of Columbus several times
and my ideas and anticipations of America, were great. But when I got amongst this crowd, I really
thought I had landed in the wrong place, for I could see no beauty in it. I
decided to leave there and try something else. Being raised to farming, I
thought I would try it amongst the farmers.' I went to a store-keeper and asked
him if he had any friends of his that were farmers who needed hands. He said he
had, and in a few days sent me word of a friend of his who needed two hands,
twelve miles out on Long Island. I went,
accompanied by Joseph Davis, who had been with me all the way from Wales. We hired for twelve dollars a month. Being
used to farming, we thought we would have a little better time. But the
American farmer was no better than the Irishman, for he trotted us through from
sunrise until dark, in July, and when Sunday came we were hardly able to walk.
We workedfor him for five weeks and then left and
went to Williamsburg
for a month, where we laid over and rested. The weather being so hot, and many
people dying daily from sunstrokes, we thought it best.
I stayed in the
state of New York
for nearly two years. I was there the time the army was sent to Utah, by James Buchanan,
President of the U. S. The feeling was very bitter
against our people in New York, the winter the
army lay in Hamsfork, near Fort Bridget
and suffered so much. I was working in a
factory in New-York and the men swore
that if there was one soldier killed by the Mormons,
they would kill every Mormon in New
York. But the Lord managed that affair through his
servant Brigham Young. And his command to every officer was, that went out with
a company of Mormon soldiers, to kill no
man only in self defense, and that if they would do as they were told by their officers, every one should return home
safe and sound. And it was so! not one was killed. And
the gentile army was humbled and instead of destroying the Lord's people, they
filled the country with wagons and tools of every kind, and clothing, and money
and the Lord turned it into a great blessing. In the spring of 1858, I moved to
Iowa City, Iowa, in company with Joseph Davis and his
sister Alice and brother William. Myself
and Joseph, while in New York, had sent money
to emigrate them from Wales.
I paid for Alice, an agreement I made with her
before I left Wales,
and Joseph paid for William. In Iowa I married
Alice, April 5,
1858. We lived in Iowa
one year, working at farming, gardening, and wood-chopping or anything else I
could get. Times were very dull there and money scarce. I had been out of work a month and could not get work
any where. I then concluded to get married although my wife and I had not one
cent to bless ourselves with. I borrowed a dollar to pay for a license, which
we could not get married without. I rented a room on trust, got wood, stove and
provisions, all on trust, then trusted in the Lord, and married. I was married
one month, paid all of my debts and had ten cents left and I have been as
successful in my married life as the next one. I write this that my children
might see that two of the best qualifications to getting married is, perseverance and faith in God.
While in New York and Iowa,
I acted as a teacher in the church. Iowa
was a terrible place. There were a great many apostates. It was the place where
the emigrants used to fix up their trains for Utah, and a great many fell away. It was a
hard place for teachers. It seemed that in about every other house the folks
were apostates. In the spring of 1859, Brother Joseph W. Young, Bishop Kesler and Orten Haight came to the frontiers to bring a freight train through
for the Church. They wanted teamsters to work their passage through for the
church, and Brother Kesler came to Iowa City and found eight teamsters there.
I was one of
them. He bought two yoke of oxen and a wagon to take us to Florence,
or Winter Quarters, three hundred miles from Iowa City, I had charge of this small company. We left Iowa City April 3, 1859,
just as winter was breaking up. The roads were terrible and it being the first
time any of us had ever started out on a trip of this kind, we did not know too
much. It was intended for us to meet Brother Joseph W. Young and Orton Haight at Fort
Desmoines
as they were buying cattle, through that region of country, to take the train
across the plains. Dav after
day we had rain, mud, and slush to wade through and many days we could not
travel more than four miles. We had a great time at Skunk
River. When we got there the river had over flowed
its banks and filled the bottom for two miles across. We arrived there about
nine o'clock in the morning. We stood and looked wishfully at 'the situation,
wishing we were on the other side. While looking, two men came up to us and
asked us which way we were traveling. "To Utah", we replied. "So are
we," said they, "We have only lately arrived from Utah and are now returning, and if you will
join us we will show you how to cross this river, as we have crossed many of
them." I looked upon it as a blessing from the Lord and we arranged to
unload our wag 6n and theirs, then lash the twowagon boxes together, caulk them tight and ferry over.
Where the water was shallow, we waded and pushed the boxes before us, but where
it was deep we used poles and worked our passage over. Some of my little
company objected to our crossing in this way. I could see no other way than
this. I called on those that were willing to join me, and those that were not
could take their own course. The unwilling ones, seeing that
they were about to be left behind, finally joined in without any bad feelings.
We had to cross this stream three times until we were all used up pretty badly
and the last trip it snowed on us all the way. One of the boys went several
miles around the riffle in the water with the oxen and running gears, and we on
our third trip across arrived at the landing as soon as he did. We were so numbed
with the cold that we hardly knew what to do. There was a house close by where
we hired a room and stove for the night, and in half an hour we were merry, singing, and chatting one with the other as
though we had a splendid time.
When we arrived
at Fort Desmoines, the
company had left with word for us to follow as quickly as possible, which
we did, and the next day we over took them just as it was getting dark. Old Brother
Beecroft from London
had charge of the camp and those that were driving the oxen that the brethren
were buying. They all felt very blue in camp and down-hearted. I began to
wonder if it was a Mormon camp or not, being there was no life in it, so I
asked them if they were Mormons. "Oh yes," said they, "Then what
is the matter with you?" said I.
"Why we have been driving cattle all day and have had no supper
nor likely to get any," they answered. I said, "Have you no
provisions in camp?" They answered
they had flour, bacon,-tea coffee, and molasses but had no time to cook it. "What, and hungry?" said I.
"Have-you got a camp kettle?"
I asked. They had, so I told them to bring it along with some flour, and
in ten or fifteen minutes I made a kettle of mush that made their eyes sparkle,
.and with molasses to put on it, they all had a good supper. This drove the blues
out of the camp and we sang and talked until midnight. The next morning, the
old man told me to take charge of the camp for he would starve them to death
with the wagon loaded with provisions. I refused, saying I would not take
charge but I would help him all I could.
From this time on we got on well until our arrival at the Missouri River. We stopped on the Missouri about six weeks until the oxen that
had been poorly, got fat. We had four hundred head of oxen. I was put in charge
of the herd until we left. When the train started on the plains, I was made
captain of ten. There were seventy-four wagons in all and Brother Haight was captain of the company, Brother Kesler commissary and in charge of all the freight. We were
three months in,. crossing
the plains. It was very laborous on the oxen and
after passing through the sand hills of Laramie,
the oxen began to die and continued to do so until we arrived within two
hundred miles of Salt Lake City.
We could scarcely move the train and had to get help, from Salt Lake City. Considering the length of the
journey, we had a good time, plenty of provisions, once in a while short of
water and an occasional quarrel with the unruly teamsters, but nothing only
what might be expected on such long hard journeys. All were inexperienced in
the business, men and boys. All had been brought up to different business to
this. Artisans of every trade. Many that had never
seen an oxen before, much less yoking them up and
driving them. When the Salt Lake City
boys met us with fresh oxen to help us, we felt delighted. But when we heard
the way those boys could curse and swear, we did not feel so delighted. I felt
bad and could not account for it. We were going to Zion
and they came from Zion
to help us. Many of the camp felt badly and expressed themselves so, but I
always kept those kind of feelings to myself, and
prayed to the Lord for an explanation. The spirit of the Lord told me, to take
care when I arrived in the land
of Zion that I did not
fall into the same snare. I am sorry to say that every one of those boys came
to a bad end. Many of them were shot for thieving and I soon learned that they
were playing the part of the wicked and not the righteous. We arrived in Salt Lake
City on the 1st of Sept., 1859, and when we came out of Emigration Canyon
and saw Salt Lake City,
oh how thankful we did feel to the Lord.
And none but those that experience it can tell the heavenly feeling that possess a Latter-day-saint when they first see the
city of the saints. The tears of joy coursed down my cheeks and I thanked the
Lord that I had been preserved thus far to receive of his blessings. We drove
our teams into President Young's yard and his family made supper for the whole
company. This was the first time I had ever seen President Young. He was walking
on the side walk in front of his house, in company with Brother
Heber C. Kimball, his first counselor.
They both had on large straw hats, home made. The feelings of my heart were
drawn out towards them and I am thankful to say it continued with me all the
days of their lives I have now been in Utah
over twenty-one years.
It is now Jan.
11th 1881, showing that I am twenty-one years behind in my history. Bishop Kesler recommended me to work for President Young. I went
to work two or three days after I came into the valley. When I came into the
valley I was strong and healthy and had been all the way across the plains, and
so had my wife but when I went to work I took sick and so did my wife and we
could scarcely crawl the ground for three months. But I stuck to my work, often
having to lean on my shovel to
keep from falling down. When I
landed in Salt Lake City,
me, my wife and her brother had five cents between us.
We bought a melon and was square with the world once more.
Joseph A. Young had charge of his father?s affairs. I told him I had nothing.
He sent me a cord of wood, a sack of flour and a chunk of beef. This was the
first pay I received to begin life with in Utah, and this before I earned it. I worked three months and
earned one hundred and five dollars. Then winter set in. I was very much used up.
I then rested three months and recruited my-strength, and in the spring when I
returned to President Youngs to work, I was strong
and was so for many years after. In the winter I went to Bishop Hardy to settle
my tithing. He asked me what I had been doing. I told him. He said, "You
have done enough. Live on what you have made and next year pay
your tithing." I worked for President Young one year and a half. I lived
one year in the 12th Ward and half a year in the 17th Ward. While I
lived there, Cache
Valley was opened for
settlement. Two men, named Barker and Squires, that kept a small store where Godbe's store now stands, they wanted me to go to Cache Valley
to farm for them. I was to meet them one day at noon, at their store to make
arrangements. I met them when I went in they were quarreling about my outfit. They
were so heated that my presence did not stop them. I listened a few minutes
then said, "Gentlemen, you need not quarrel over me. I can take care of
myself," then I left. Barker followed me up the street and begged me to
take [note] of what had happened. I gave no heed to his words. When we arrived
at the Eagle Gate, I was turning in to go to work and he had to pass on, but
before doing so he whispered in my-ear, "If you work here at President Young's
a few years, they will have you in debt for things that you never received,
then you will be ruined. Why I did not, knock him down was a mystery to me for
I felt that indignant. Seeing this, he left in a hurry. When I left President Youngs and settled up, I was paid every cent honestly.
In the spring of '61,
I left and took a farm on the shares of Daniel Cahoon.
Worked hard for six months. Lived hard, but never went hungry, This was the first time I had ever started out to be a
producer on my own hook. Through the blessings of the Lord I did well. Raised a good crop, got a cow, some chickens
and a pig. Money was very scarce in those times and the most
it, tied us in was for little things. We were without soap for three months.
We, my wife and I, for we shared together, used to burn grease, wood and she
would take the ashes to wash with. In those days it was hard to sell any kind
of produce. My wife has walked the streets of Salt Lake City with butter to sell until it
would run out through the bottom of the basket, from the heat, and could not sell
it. In the fall I bought a house and five acres of land in the Sugarhouse Ward,
where we moved in the fall of '61. The house had no door, floor or
windows. I bought some lumber and fixed
it up myself. I took two bushels of wheat uptown to buy nails. I tried all over
but could not succeed for a long time. Finally
a store keeper told me to dump my wheat in his bin and he gave me a few nails. and I put them into my vest pocket and with them made my
door. The five acre lot was a poor one, mostly rocks and nothing whatever on
it. I went to work with a will and made a good home, planted a splendid
orchard, lived there seven years and when I left had one hundred bearing trees
and a splendid garden. I had been in Utah two years but up to
this time I had not been employed in a church capacity. I went regularly to
meetings. Never missed. Used to go to the Tabernacle and
the Bowery to hear President Young, Heber C. Kimball, Brother Wells and the
twelve and others preach. I had been in Utah
three years before I ever spoke in a meeting. I did not feel as I wanted to,
much. It was the greatest rest I had since I was baptized into the church but now
my rest was over. I was called to act as a teacher, under Bishop Eldredge, in company with Brother Benjamin Clark. He was
the best teacher I ever worked with. I never saw the day that he would not
leave his own work and tend to his duties in the Church. I in company with my
wife went three miles to the tabernacle every Sunday and took our dinners with us,
and then when we returned, would go to the ward meeting at night, one mile and
a half. As a teacher I worked faithfully for over six years. I joined a company
of minute-men in Salt
Lake in 1862. Captain Jack commander. They were peculiar for one thing and
that was for passing resolutions that they never kept. We met once a week and
after drilling a while, would go to passing those kind
of resolutions. I suppocse it was more for the want
of means that the will, those things were not carried out. While I belonged to
this company, General Connor arrived with his company of soldiers from California. His greatest
pride would have been to kill President Young, for which he tried his best. I
was on duty at this time for six weeks. In fact there wa s not one willing hearted man but what was on
duty. General Connor was well fixed with implements of war and backed by the Government,
tho the Government was at this time at war with the
South on the Slavery question. And it was declared 'by the Republicans, then in
power, that slavery and polygamy had both to be destroyed. General Connor thought
that while the government destroyed. slavery subdued
the southern states, he would destroy polygamy and the Mormons, but he never
did. He maneuvered around for several days getting ready. At last the day was
set that he was to come down and do the bloody deed that he anticipated. He
marched his forces to the top of the Tenth Ward bench. When he started from
camp, the signal was given, which was the firing of a cannon by night and the hoisting
of the flag on the Bee-hive House by day. The flag was hoisted,
there were a number of men on duty while the others were at their duties at
home, but on the lookout for the flag. I was on duty at head quarters when the
word came to make ready. Every man was ready. I had a little rifle that I used to practice
with three bullets at once. I could put three bullets in a rabbits head at one hundred
yards. When orders were given, it being hot, I did not want to be encumbered
with anything unnecessary. I threw off my coat, filled my pocket with bullets,
took my powder horn and caps, loaded my rifle and that
same determined spirit came upon me that I used to have when preaching the
gospel. In fact, I was ready in every sense of the word. I feared not death nor the enemy. Neither did the brethren.
At the hoisting
of the flag, the brethren came running from every quarter with their guns, and
in a very little while the city was full of armed men. There happened to be one
of General Connor's cavalry down town. Seeing the men all armed in the city, he
hastened to meet General Gonnor as fast as his horse
could carry him, to report to the General that the city was filled with armed
men. Secretary Black also rode with great haste to meet the General and tell
him that if he persisted in coming, that there would not be one of them left to
tell the tale. At this he halted his troops and turned back to camp, never
trying it again, and got to be more favorable toward our people. The government
party that sent General Connor to do this work soon forsook him and he was
removed from office. The same as all others before him who
had been forsaken that foul against the Lord's people. After this, I
joined Company C. Nauvoo Legion in which I served for a number of years. I
served as captain of ten and lastly second Lieutenant and held that position
when the Governor of Utah broke up the Militia companies of Utah. February 3rd, 1865 I married Elizabeth
Stewart who bore unto me eight children. The birth date of all will be found in
the last page of this book. In the year 1869, March 18, I left Sugarhouse Ward
and moved to Herriman. On the 28th of March 1869, I married Rachel
Briggs, who bore me seven children. Their births and names are also in the last
of this book. Before I left the Sugarhouse Ward, in the summer of 1866, I, with
other of the brethren, was called to go. To Sanpete as an escort to General
Wells, I never saw an Indian. It always happened that when we six weeks on this
trip. The last year that I was in the Sugarhouse
ward, I presided over the teachers and I also was
ordained a Seventy. I also served as Junior President of Seventies of the 26th
Quorum. The year before I left this same Ward, I was sent by acting Bishop
Robinson to take charge of a company of
men and boys to assist in constructing the Union Pacific Railroad. We had a
good time and made good wages and lived
our religion and kept both drunkeness and profanity
out of the camp and returned with honor.
I had not been in
Harriman long when I was appointed Second Councilor to Brother I. E. Stocking,
presiding priest of Herriman, being a branch of West
Jordan Ward. I filled this position until 1876 when Brother Stocking moved away
and I was appointed by Bishop A. Gardener, presiding priest of Herriman. Until the 17th of June 1877 I filled this office,
when West Jordan
was divided into four Wards. I was then ordained by President Wells, Bishop of
the Herriman Ward.
While councilor
to Brother Stocking, I was appointed by President Joseph Young, President of
all the Seventies of West Jordan Ward and .11 of the branches belonging thereto.
I organized them into two companies and each company sent a man to the quarries
to get rocks for the temple and continued to do so until the branches were organized
into wards.
It is now
January 11, 1882 and as a ward we have paid
yearly about four hundred dollars for each year. I made up my mind to carry out
the instructions of the presiding officers of the Church to the best of my
ability, which I have, notwithstanding the many troubles I have had to contend
with. I have, through the blessings of the Lord, and the assistance of my
brethren, been able to keep down drunkenness and profanity, and the gentiles out
of our midst. I have made it a matter in my life for the last fifteen years, to
read the Bible through once a year. For the last twelve years I have read the
Book of Mormon through each year. And for the last eight years, the Doctrine
and Covenants and the Voice of Warning I have read each year through. I have
found it a great benefit to me in filling the offices I have been called to and
keeping in my memory the Commandments of the Lord and making myself more
acquainted with the laws of the Lord. I find great comfort in reading those
books and all the works of the Church.
There is a great
deal of excitement in the states over the Mormon question, from the President
of the United States
on down to the editors, priests and people. But President John Taylor, with all
the leading men of Israel
have great faith that the Lord will deliver us in the
future as he has done in the past.
January 12,
1882. Today we had a party at our house consisting of a number-of the brethren
and sisters of the ward. We enjoyed ourselves very much. The day was a bitter
cold day. We heard that Brother Cannon was having a hard time of it. He, being
delegate from Utah to the Congress of the U. S.,
is opposed by one Campbell, a miner, having only one tenth of the votes. The
10th of January being the day set apart by Congress for the trial of the
parties, and the word has come, there are twenty-five in Congress, with Mr. Cox
of New York
at the head, for Brother Cannon, and seventy against- them. There is terrible
feeling in the states against us.
Today, January
13, the weather is very -cold. Snow, with hard frost.
I was home all day reading the papers and the Bible and some letters written
from Europe. One from my
brother-in-law W. G. Davis, on a mission to Burmingham, England. Another from an old
Mormon, that used to be, but owing to drunkness, was
out of the Church, but always friendly to our people.
January 14, Very cold. Worked a little
around home. Spent some time reading. In the
evening, read the Book of Esther to the family and thought how much like our
case of today was like the Jews of those days, and in how many instances the
Lord had delivered us.
January 15, Sunday. Today we had our yearly meeting of the
Ward, as was our custom, ever since I was ordained Bishop,to read over the accounts of the Ward. In the year 1881, we paid to the temple, Three hundred and
twenty-six dollars. To the new Assembly Hall, sixty eight
dollars. To the meeting house, thirty-two dollars.
We had a good meeting and the spirit of the Lord was with us in rich abundance.
We also had a good Sunday School and meeting at half
past six in the evening when the brethren spoke with much freedom. I spoke half
an hour encouraging the saints to carry out the instruction of the leaders of Israel.
I have six children going to
school. My oldest son James, second Heber, third William,
fourth Charles. My oldest daughter Alice, second
Annie. Willard Ennis of Draper is the teacher. My family all live in the
same house, consisting of myself, three wives, and thirteen children. We get
along pretty well generally and have been quite a credit to the principle of
plural marriage, but many times by giving way to the tempter, we are not as
good as we ought to be and do many things unbecoming saints;
but by the mercies of the Lord and humbling ourselves before him, he forgives
us and we feel encouraged and press on.
Monday, January
16, 1882, Home all day. Working a little and reading. Very
cold weather. 13 degrees below zero in Bingham, ten miles away, and all
is well.
Tuesday, January 17. Home
all day. working and reading. Very cold but all
is well.
Wednesday,
January 18. Home all day working and Reading. Very cold.
Thursday,
January 19. Ac-home Went - with Brother Crump to administer
to sister Clara Farmer. Thursday is our mail day. We receive it once a week.
The enemy is busy at this time and I feel anxious to know the proceedings at Washington towards
President George Q. Cannon. And several of our enemies are trying to pass measure
to take every right from the people of Utah.
I read the papers but as yet nothing is done. The weather is very cold. I went
this evening to Sister Bodells to supper. The sisters
spent the day there quilting, a number of them, and in the evening, I with some
of the other brethren, had a friendly chat. My wife Alice was there. When I
came home I then -read some things out of the papers to my family as is my
custom so to do. I have taken the Deseret News ever since I arrived in the
mountains September 1, 1859, and the Juvenile Instructor
from the first time it was published.
Friday, January 20.
Home today working and reading. Weather
milder. Spent the evening reading, partly to the
family.
Saturday,
January 21. Home all day, working a little, weather mild.
Sunday, January
22. My son James went for the missionaries to the switch at Bingham Canyon
as was our custom for four years. Every other Sunday, home
missionaries being sent out in the wards of the stake. Sometimes I went
to get them. At other times some of the other brethren would get them. Brothers
Pratt and R. Lambert came today and preached to us and we had a good, time. We
went to dinner to Brother J. M. Bowen. A privilege I gave the brethren to
invite the missionaries to eat at their houses, only speak to me so there would
be no confusion. My son took them back to meet the train at fifteen minutes to
four. I went to the elders meeting at four o'clock, had a good time. I spoke
there and urged the brethren to diligence. At half past six I went to our night
meeting. Had a testimony meeting and a good time.
Monday, January 23. Went to Salt Lake City
on business.
Tuesday, January
24. Came home from city. All well. Big
thaw.
Wednesday,
January 25. South wind cold. All day studying and reading at home.
Thursday,
January 26. Home all day. Very cold.
Mail day. Anxious for news. Mormon question lively in the U. S. Last Sunday the
preachers all through the Union made Mormonism
a specialty. Urging their hearers to use their influence to
put it down. Lieing in a most fearful manner. The same lie it would seem as
though they thought there would be no hereafter. On Monday there were a great
many conventions held in the large cities to get up petitions to present to
congress, to put down the
Mormons. At present time there are nine bills in Congress against us. This
week, Brother George Q. Cannon's trial came off in Congress for his seat. Campbell contesting it, having only one fourteenth of the votes with
Governor Murray's certificate. The house of congress took Governor Murray
very severely to task for giving a certificate to one having so few-votes and by
a vote of one hundred eighty-nine against twenty-four. It was referred to the
committee on elections to investigate and report accordingly. Congressman Cox,
of New York,
spoke in favor of right, fearless of who it might be and
the Lord helped him when sneaking for his servant and his people, and -the
enemy was ' silenced as the difference in the votes will show.
Friday, January
27. Very cold, snowing. Home studying
all day.
Saturday,
January 28. Home all day working and studying. Cold. All is well.
Sunday, Januray 29. Meeting at half past ten. Sunday school at
two, meeting at four and meeting at half past six. I don't ever remember
when we felt better and enjoyed the spirit more, and more unity with the
brethren and sisters and children. The day was very cold but fine.
Monday, January 30. Home all day. Held a birthday party at our house for the young folks. My
oldest son James George, was sixteen January 29. The
young folks had a very pleasant time. All things went well. Very
cold today.
Tuesday, January
31. Home all day. Made a ladder. Had a visit from Brother Bliss who care to the young mens Mutual
Improvement Association. He had dinner with us, then I
went with him to Brother Thomas Butterfield, Jr. to supper. From
there to meeting at half past six. Had a very
interesting time.
Wednesday,
February 1. Home all day working and reading. Weather milder.
Thursday, February
2. Home after fast meeting in the morning. Had a good time. The spirit of the Lord rested in power on
the saints when bearing testimony. Read the papers in the afternoon. The
wild-fire continues in the states in regard to our people. Nothing
done as yet.
Friday, February 3. Went to Salt
Lake City today to attend some business and attended the meeting of the board of trade, in the
evening at seven, I being a member of the State Board. No quorum present to do business, had a pleasant chat about things in general. By
the invitation of Bishop Morris of the Nineteenth Ward, I stayed at his house
Friday night.
Saturday
February 4. Stayed in the City to stake priesthood meeting.
Had good instruction from President Canpon and came
home in the evening. Very cold the last three days but all is well.
Sunday, February
5. We had brothers White and Pratt from the city to preach to us today. Had a
nice time and all enjoyed themselves very much. Went
with our friends to brother Robert Dansie,
Sr. to dinner, where we were, very agreeably entertained. Went to meeting in
the evening where Brothers Walker, Dansie and Bowen addressed
the saints with a rich flow of the spirit.
Weather very mild. All is well.
Monday, February
6. Home pruning in -the orchard. Studying
some of the time. Went to seventies meeting in the
evening. Spoke a short time, encouraging the brethren in their duties. Weather mild in the morning but very cold and stormy in the
evening.
Tuesday,
February 7th. Home pruning the orchard. Went to Mutual in the
evening. Reading and explaining the Testament.
Wednesday,
February 8th. Finished a rocking chair I had made partly and a ladder in the
afternoon. Being mail day, read the news, Gutteau,
the assassin of President Garfield, is sentenced to be hung on the 20th of
June. The people of the Union are very rabbid against our people and asking very extreme measures
against us.
Friday, February 10. Home all day studying. All
is well.
Saturday,
February 11. Very stormy. Went out
shooting with the boys. Too-stormy and cold for much
sport. In the evening, reading and singing.
Sunday, February
12. Very cold day. Went to meeting at the regular time.
Had a good meeting
spoke for forty
minutes. The spirit of the Lord was with us and all went well. Went to
Sunday School at 2 o'clock and there was a very good
attendance. Went to the evening meeting. Three of the
brethren spoke under the right spirit and all went well.
Monday, February
13. Settled the peoples
tithing. Brother
Holt of South Jordan visiting. People
paid a very good tithing, a little over eighteen hundred dollars. There were
forty-two tithe payers, making forty-three dollars to each on the average. The people
felt good in paying and settling their tithing. I feel thankful to the Lord for
the good feelings of the people and I do not forget to pray for them.
Tuesday 14th, and Wednesday 15th. Home
hauling manure. Reading.
Thursday 16th, Friday 17th, and Saturday 18th. Went to the city and back on business. It was a fear full
snowy and cold winter, with a vengeance word from Washington. The Senate had passed the Edmunds
Bill, disfranchising all polygamists, and depriving them from holding office
and appointing five commissioners to register voters. We call it the Slavery
Bill. The Brethren feel if the issue has to come, and it is the will of the
Lord, it might as well come
now as any time. The gentiles begin
to fear.
Sunday 19th. Had a good meeting in the
morning. Brother Williams, one of the home missionaries, spoke and
felt well. I followed him, for about twenty minutes.
Monday 20th. Home all day
reading and working. All is well.
Tuesday 21st. Home all day studying.
Wednesday 22nd. . Received -word from `the President of the
stake for the officers and men of the Ward, the sisters of the Relief Society,
and the Young Ladies, all to sign separate petitions to the Congress of the
United States, protesting against the bill, passed by the Senate, making us
worse than. slaves, and asking them to send commissioners to investigate and find
out for themselves, the willful lies told about us., I started each one with
their petition on Wednesday evening at nine o'clock. .
Thursday 23. Got through with the petitions by twelve
o'clock noon, and sent my son, James, to the city with them. Today, received a
letter from W. J. Davis, Birmingham, who is on a
mission to England.
I have kept a regular correspondence with him ever since he went. Also my first
wife has. She is his sister, and we have made it a rule, in every letter we
send him, to send him one dollar to help him in that poor country; and he truly
appreciates it, and I think the Lord does not forget us for the act.
Friday 24. I have rented Bishop E. F. Sheets farm for one
year. Have to give him in rent, one hundred bushels of wheat, one hundred bushels
of potatoes and a part of the lucern hay. Today I
have been pruning the orchard.
Saturday 25. Pruning the orchard. Weather mild and thawing.
Sunday. Had a very good meeting in the morning.
Also Sunday School at two, a meeting at four, for the
teachers, also night meeting at half past six. I gave the brethren the privilege
of doing the speaking through the day with the exception of a few exhortions from myself. We truly had a good time.
Monday 27. Was the anniversary of the Sunday School. Brothers Goddard, Miller and Butler came out from the city and we had a good
time. The children receited their
pieces splendidly. There was a good turn-out of the parents. The
children danced in the afternoon and the older ones at night. I was present
with it all and good order prevailed throughout. All was finished by twelve
o'clock at night.
Tuesday 28. Home all day working and
fixing things, preparatory to spring work. Terrible thaw today and
yesterday. Canals broke and a great deal of damage done.
Wednesday, March 1st. Home all day,
piling manure.
Thursday 2nd. Went to fast
meeting in the morning. Read the papers in the afternoon.
Friday 3rd. Went to the city, fearful day. Snowing and
thaw, mud knee deep. Tiresome trip. Went to the board of trade at night.
Saturday 4th. Went to the stake priesthood meeting at
eleven, had a good time. The spirit of the Lord rested powerfully on the
brethren. Sent my son, James, home with the .team in the
morning.
Sunday 5th. I came home with .the train, in-company with Brothers Parks
and Clawson,
who were the home missionaries appointed to our place for the day. Had a good
time through the day: Went to sister Tempests to dinner with, the brethren and
friends: Had a very good meeting at night. The spirit of the Lord was with us
and we enjoyed the day very much.
Monday 6th. Hauling manure in the morning.
Had frose again and very cold. Greased a new set of
harness' I bought of Charles Dansie. My son James
works with me in those things. Went to the seventies meeting
in the evening. Seventies feel well and help me in my duties. All felt
well and was greatly blessed together. I continue to read and study the work of
the Lord.
Tuesday 7th. Hauling manure in the
morning, fixing irrigator in the afternoon.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Hauling manure and
doing other work preparatory for spring.
Sunday 12th.
Had a good time in the meetings and Sunday School.
Saturday night, Daniel Densley returned from his
mission, from the Southern States. He was well and spoke on Sunday at the
meeting. All the brethren speak well and have a good spirit notwithstanding the
terrible pressure that is brought to bear against us. I spoke on Sunday evening
half an hour. The Lord blessed me greatly with his holy spirit and I was
enabled to speak with much-freedom. There is rumor reached us that President
George Q. Cannon has received his seat in the Congress, but it is -not
confirmed as yet. The religious people of the state are in a perfect fury
against us, and there is no falsehood too great for them to utter against us,
but we trust in the Lord and as he has delivered us in the past in all our
afflictions, we know he will not forsake us at the present time.
Monday 13th. Home all day. Very muddy. Anxious to put in the wheat.
Getting things ready.
Tuesday 14th. Home all day. Commenced to dig cellar for vegetables. Terrible floods in
the states. The Mississippi
has broken over the levies, and many towns and villages destroyed, and people
homeless, and the Government is feeding them on army rations. The pit they are digging
for us, seems they are falling into themselves.
Wednesday 15th. Received orders for me and my councilors to appear at a meeting in
the city on important business. We went.
Thursday 16th. Had a good meeting.
The Edmunds Bill passed both houses of Congress, disfranchising all polygamists,
and none believing it can sit on jury. Fine of five hundred
dollars and five years imprisonment for continuing in it. The enemy feels fine, and greet each other with smiles, thinking
they have got us this time sure, of course, counting the Lord out of the whole
matter. As one of their ministers said, "It is the American people we are accountable
to, and not the Lord." We have now to put the public property in shape, so
the enemy will not. possess it.
Friday 17th and Saturday 18th. Home working.
Received a letter from my brother John. He was at Hollyhead, North Wales, bound in his ship to Chile, South America.
His letter was not a very flattering one, partaking somewhat of the spirit of
the enemy. I wrote him a long letter and explained many things to him in regard
to the gospel.
Sunday 19th. Home missionaries did not come. We had good
meeting, and by the voice of all the people, we agreed to organize into a co-operative
body, to protect the rights of the peoples public
property. We also had a very this History was written by James Crane and has been
published with the approval of his two living children, Franklin and Hyrum
Crane. The Family Genealogical Committee arranged publication under the
direction of the following persons, who served as your officers for the year
1948-1949. good meeting in the evening.
Monday 20th. Went to the city. Made
arrangements with one of the committee, appointed to come on the 29th of March.
Came home.
Tuesday 21st. Notified the people accordingly.
Wednesday 22nd,
Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and
Saturday 25. Home planting wheat, cleaning
ditches, digging cellar, and other things. Weather
still cold-and stormy.
James Crane died July 6th, 1886, at twenty-one minutes past
one A. M. Was burried at Herriman
graveyard, July 7th by all his family and a large circle of friends. James Crane, born April 1st, 1830 in the
village of Penally, near Tenby Pembrokeshire, South Wales,
England.
Married to Alice Davis, April 5th, 1858.
Married to Elizabeth Stewart, February
3rd, 1865.
Children of James Crane and Elizabeth
Stewart.
James George Crane, Born January 29th 1866
Heber Stewart Crane, Born August 17, 1867.
William Abner
Crane, Born June 15, 1869.
Annie Crane, Born August 30, 1870.
Brigham Crane, Born October 19, 1872.
Franklin Thomas Crane, Born February 3,
1875.
Mary Elizabeth Crane, Born November 14,
1876.
Fannie Jane Crane, Born October 29, 1878.
Children of James Crane and Rachel Briggs.
Alice Briggs Crane, Born February 19,
1870.
Charles Edward Crane, Born January 18,
1872.
Rebecca Crane, Born November 15, 1873.
Esther Crane, Born December 16, 1875.
Hyrum Crane, Born March 18, 1878.
Sarah Marie Crane, Born September 4, 1880.
Carrie Crane, Born July 12, 1884.
Brigham Madsen - - = - - President
Roy Miller - - - - - - - Vice-President
Clara R. Fredrickson - - - - - Secretary
Desna Newman - - - - - - - Treasurer
Ralphene Crane Varley
- Program
Committee
Keturah Langford - - Refreshment
Committee
Louis C. Jensen - - - Finance
Committee
Frank G. Varley - - Genealogical Committee
Cornelia Buterfieldd - Genealogical Committee
Earl Poore - - - Genealogical Committee
Vester Rasmusson
- Reception
Committee
Ester Crane Rasmusson Reception Committee
