| Section 10 Settling in the Valley When we had got camped on the hill whare B. Youngs house now stands or near
it, I went to him and asked him if he wanted me to work for him any more he
said he did not but to go and get me a place for myself and family for
winter. I went strait to the fort and rented a house for my family but I had
not got fairly into it till he came and wanted me to work for him on a house
which I did. I worked 12 days and finished the house with the help of Joseph
Scofield and Adason Pratt, winter then sat in and thare was no chance for
building any more, I was called upon by the owner of the house that I lived
in that I must get out for he wanted the house his name was C. M. Duel I
tried in vain to get one, at length through the influance of sister Cobb
Brigham let me have one of his houses in the fort he found stove and I found
firewood for the rent and sister Twiss lived with us through the winter. I
looked for my ox that I had thought was to assist me either in meat or team
but on inquireing I found that Charles Tuker and Edmond Elsworth had killed
him for beef about a week or two before I got in on hearing this I thought I
would ask them to pay for it but on learning the feeling that it was like to
make I concluded to let it go and say nothing about it I was told that he
was good beef and if I could have had him he would have saved us much
suffering from hunger but I resolved to make the best of everything and
leave the event with the Lord who will always do right
the winter was long and hard. We got out of provisions in Feb'y but I got
some corn for which I paid 2 dollars pr bushel and ownly 3 pecks at that, I
could occasionaly get a day or twos work. I went around the fort repairing
clocks and done anything that I could find to do I could by meat of Vincent
Shirtleff at from 12 to 20 cts pr pound, and now and then a little meal or
flour I drew a five acre to in common with the rest of the people but the
council was for the mechanics to throw up their lots and work at their
trades I was among the number that was ever ready to obey council but many
did not do it for which I felt to think was not right but in the sequal I
saw them do much better than those who did for those that depended on their
trades for a liveing and was disposed to take what the im-ployer had to
spare was forced to live on the leavings or the poorest of the crop for no
man could be found that did not want the best first for his own family and
then if their was anything left the poor laborer might stand a chance to get
a little after it had been culld over and that too after running enough to
earn it a second time I do not wish to be understood here as saying that the
council was a detrament to anyone, but I ownly see things according as man
sees things not as God sees them.
I got through the winter tolerable well, in the spring I had an offer from
Isaac Chase for a job on his sawmill and I moved thare and lived in a little
board cabin 8 by 12 feet, this took place about the 4th of March 1849, and
let it suffice to say that we saw hard times from that time to harvest I
went and drove in one of my oxen he was vary poor in flesh but I was obliged
to take his life to save my own Sister Taft gave me about 25 Ibs of flour
and about as much meal we had the good fortune to find mustard in father
Chases garden which we lived on about two or three weeks brother Taft had
1/2 an acre of peas and he told me that I might have as many as we wanted. I
had hired a cow of Daniel Wood for which I paid one dollar pr week for 16
weeks this helped us out to harvest, in the mean time Brother Brigham wanted
me to build him a mill in the 5 acre lots and * -. went with me and told me
where to set my house so as to be handy to the mill, he wanted me to put in
a twenty four foot overshot wheel at first but after alterd his mind to
small reaction or centre vent wheels I told him they ware not as good as an
over shot but he wanted to save gearing as it would have to be made of wood
and soon would be gone or ware out. I told him that I could soon rig up a
wheel or lathe and turn iron rounds for trunell head wheels which could be
made tolerable good and durable but he did not seem to like the plan the
next time I saw him he asked me if I would have any feelings if he should
imploy another man to take the charge of it in my place I told him I would
not if that was his wish. I asked his reasons for so doing, he however gave
me no particular reasons, But I thought in my mind that he thought he could
get someone that would do better than I which I was willing he should do. So
he imployed Alwin M. Harding a man that could handle his tongue to a better
advantage (as I thought) with a promice to me that I should have work under
him every day Harding persuaded him to move his mill from the place he had
formerly designed to build it which caused me to be again disappointed for I
had built my house and had got to living in it. but after all I was
determined to make the best of it. this caused me a great loss of time and
no man said they would make it good to me
The man that owned the lot that I had built my house on wanted me to move it
off for it was not by his consent that it had been put there I told him how
I came to build there and thought the lot belonged to Brother Brigham he
said that he had supposed that he should have to sell it to him but he had
concluded to build it in some other place and I must take my house away. So
I had to sell it not having a team or place to set it. So I sold it for 75.
00 to John Harvey and as it stood it was worth about 150. 00 but it could
not be sold for any more than the materials was worth for it had to be moved
I brought a tent and moved onto the spot whare the mill was to be built
expecting to go to work as I knew that Brother Brigham had advanced means to
forward the work as fast as possible he had promised to build a house for me
to live in which was not done until I took it in hand myself which made it
so late in the winter that we suffered greatly from the cold in our tent but
with the greatest exertion on my part we got into it the 3d week December
but the floor was made of green lumber and it had snowed and froze and the
walls being newly plastered the floor was not dry for 3 or 4 weeks. Phineas
Henry was born the 28th of Jany 1850 I was out of work and went often to
Harding to sit me to doing something for I could not have a concience to
charge my time and do nothing he always answered me that everything was
froze up and he had no business for me I then went to the city and told
brother B how it was and asked him for work in the city, this was on friday
he told me to come and he would give me a job in the city. I went home and
told Harding that I was going into the city to work a few days till business
opened on the mill he started next morning and went and told Brother Brigham
that I had had all the work I wanted and could have from that time on as
long as I wanted On Sunday I went to meeting and saw him he told me what
Harding had said and told me to stay and work on the mill I went home and
Monday morning I went and asked him again for work, he sais it snowd last
night. Yes s*is I but what has that to do with the matter in question I
wanted him to give me work as he had promised he said he had nothing for me
to do I told him I had a family and they must have something to eat drink
and ware and they depended on me and I looked to him for laber and means but
he went away and left me without work having blinded the eyes and stopt the
ears of Brother Brigham so that he would neither hear or see me on the
subject, and for six weeks I had nothing to do to earn anything It would
have been right for me to have charged him my time and then told the matter
as it was to Brigham. And I did once try to tell him of it but he got up and
left me and would not hear my story and I never attempted it again but I did
tell him that I had been at the mill one year and had ownly 100 days work
against him when I ought to have had near three hundred. Ann Elizas father
visited us about the 2 of July on his way to Calafornia to the mines he
stayed with us about a week to recruit himself and company I preached
Mormanism to them all that I could but it did not have any impression on any
of them, they went on in good spirits hope-ing to become wealthy in gold,
and this was all they thought of seemingly
In the month of August Br. Brigham visited San Pete and found the people in
want of a mill for grinding their grain he came home and told me that he had
made choice of me to go and build them a mill, he proposed to furnish the
stones and the cash articles and I and father Morley was to do the work and
we ware to each own 1/2 of it in co I was ready to do anything to suit him
let it be what it might I got ready and put off the day that I was 30 years
old we ware 10 days on the road
Before we went we ware boarding hands that ware at work on the mill, he came
down with two of his wives Margarette Pierce & Lucy Bigalo to board his
hands himself he took them all but one who was still with us I asked him if
he would take him, he said he intended to take all I told him that my wife
was nearly tired out and we wanted to get away as soon as we could he said
he had the advantage of me for when his women got tired he could take them
home and change them for fresh ones I told him to give me time and perhaps I
could do it too. he said he was ready to give me as many as I wanted I
turned the conversation some other way as Harding was presant and I did not
wish to have him hear, that evening I seated myself by him alone and asked
him if he meant what he said, he replied he did and he wanted me to get all
the wives I wanted, and it was his council that I should do so.
The 27 in the evening Orson Hyde came to visit him and I asked them to bless
us before we went away which was done Brother Brigham was mouthpiece for
both of us he blesst us with the blessings of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and
all the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant with the good things
of this world to eat drink and wear, with every good thing that our hearts
could desire, and sealed them upon us in the name of the father and son and
the holy ghost, Amen.
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