Forty Years Among the Indians: A true yet thrilling narrative of the author's experiences among the nativesJones, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster)
History
Forty Years Among the Indians: A true yet thrilling narrative of the author's experiences among the natives
Jones, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America; Latter Day Saint pioneers -- Biography
The following names, with their families, were soon enrolled for the
mission: P. C. Merrills, Dudley J. Merrills, Thos. Merrills, Adelbert
Merrills, Henry C. Rogers, George Steel, Thomas Biggs, Ross R. Rogers,
Joseph McRae and Isaac Turley. Notice was given that we would meet
at St. George about Christmas and there organize, President Young
intending to winter there. I had to work hard and make many shifts and
trades to get an outfit sufficient to move my family in comfort.
I was a little late in starting on the road. P. C. Merrills and his
family overtook us at Sevier Bridge. We traveled together to St.
George. On arriving there we found all the company in camp in a
school-house yard, with the privilege of using the house when needed in
case of storm. It was now about the first of January and the weather
was quite disagreeable. Here a Brother Williams joined us.
On looking over the outfit I soon found that many of the wagons were
overloaded and that much of the loading being taken could be dispensed
with. I advised the selling off of such as old stoves, sewing machines
and many other heavy articles; but no one seemed to think but what they
could pull their load.
My loading consisted of bedding, clothing, provisions, horse feed and
such articles as were absolutely necessary. We had not ten pounds of
anything that could be dispensed with. I considered it my duty to set
the example, knowing that we had a hard trip before us and could not
afford to haul anything but the actual necessities with the outfit on
hand. I spoke to Brother Brigham about the situation.
He said, "Get your company in the best shape you can and as soon as
possible move out. There is a nice little settlement, Santa Clara, on
your road. There is a beautiful piece of sandy road from here to there,
just such as will help you get the brethren to see the importance of
lightening up. When you get there you can set up an auction store. The
people are pretty well off and will be able to buy what you have to
sell."
When all was ready we started out, and, as President Young said, when
we got into the Santa Clara settlement many of the company were not
only willing but anxious to lighten up.
The people of Santa Clara traded readily for the stuff, paying dried
fruit, grain and some money. Sometimes the loading traded for was as
heavy as that traded off. Brother Isaac Turley, who had traveled a
portion of the road and who was an experienced traveler, was elected
wagon-master. He advised the people not to be afraid to trade for corn,
saying that he was willing to roll at a wheel to help get a sack of
corn over a hard place, but did not like to strain his back to move an
old stove along that was not worth hauling.
At this place we bade good-bye to President Young, who drove out to see
us. He gave us his blessing and a few words of counsel. This was the
last time I ever saw Brother Brigham--to me the best and greatest man I
have ever known.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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