Memoirs of John R. Young, Utah Pioneer, 1847Young, John R.
History
Memoirs of John R. Young, Utah Pioneer, 1847
Young, John R.
Latter Day Saint pioneers -- Utah -- Biography; Young, John R., 1837-
In the morning I rode eight miles to Bishop Joseph H. Wright's ranch,
told him of my impressions, and said: "Tomorrow morning, before light,
I shall pull for Colorado." He replied, "I will be at your place
tonight, prepared to go with you." The next morning, at three o'clock,
we pulled out, without letting our neighbors know of it.
I had three horses and a big, snorty mule in my team, and my wagon
carried three thousand pounds of freight. About two o'clock, while
driving across a smooth clay flat running parallel with the Dirty Devil
river, I had raised the cover and was looking at a ranch on the south
side, when I heard a moan; and looking around I saw Tamar fall from
the wagon on to the heels of the mule. The team, becoming frightened,
ran two hundred yards before I could stop them. When I finally did so,
there lay Tamar, the nigh front wheel on her breast. I sprang out,
pulled the team back with one hand, and lifted the wheel with the other
until I rolled it off her.
The mule backed until her feet struck Tamar, then she wanted to run
again. I tried with one hand to pull Tamar's body from the road, but
she said, "Don't, you hurt my hand." Then I saw that her hand was under
the wheel. With one hand and my knee, I lifted the wheel and she drew
her hand out; then she fainted.
All this time, little Ray, three years old, frightened nearly to death,
was screaming and threatening to tumble out of the wagon. I lifted him
down, then examined Tamar's hand, expecting to have to take my knife
and cut off her fingers, for they looked, in the blood and dust, as if
they were ground to pieces. I found the bones were not broken. Thus
relieved, I thought of assistance; and called to Bishop Wright, who was
some distance ahead. Luckily he heard me, and ran back. Tamar still lay
as if dead. Brother Wright brought some water from the river; we bathed
her face, and she revived.
We arranged a bed in the wagon, and placed her on it, then drove till
after midnight before we reached a habitation. We finally got into a
school-house and spent the rest of the night in administering to, and
nursing my wife. Her breast bone was crushed in, and her hand badly
lacerated; and I feared the nervous shock and the bruise would bring
on premature child-birth and perhaps death. In the morning she felt so
much better, however, that we moved on to Hanksville, about fifteen
miles.
On the west side of town was a store, in care of Mrs. Dr. Jorgensen,
an old acquaintance of ours. At the store the public road shot to the
north and south. The latter led to Hall's Ferry, on the Colorado; the
former crossed the Dirty Devil and went to Blake, on Green River. As
we drove up, Sister Jorgensen ran out to see Tamar. I jumped from the
wagon and stopped her, telling her she must not see her, as it would
get her into trouble. She prepared some liniment, and told me how to
nurse her; then I bade her good-bye.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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