| Section 13 1854-1855 The 3rd day of October I moved my family into his house and she moved out
the 5th I was then ready to go to work again on the Water Works and went and
talked to Brigham about it he informed me that he had set another man at
that, he had another mision for me I asked him if he thought I was going to
apostatise he said no, but he could imploy me to a better advantage he
wanted me to work on his house as one of his foreman I then set in on his
beehive house and kitchen on the hill I asked him how much he would ask of
me for the house he said it cost him a thousand dollars I asked him if he
considered it worth that now he said no. I told him I should leave it to him
I was not afraid but what he would do right In the spring of 1854 I was
called by him to superintend the building of his big house he gave me some
directions and told me to go ahead and make the drawings and carry out the
work I had no Joiners guide or instruments or drawing paper and I hardly
knew what coarse to take finely I went to the Architects office to Truman C.
Angel and asked him some council but I did not get any but found that he
would perhaps like to do the drawing himself So I went and asked Brigham to
let him do it and told him I would take his plans and carry them out. he
said Truman had too much to do and he did not wish him to do it unless he
wished to but he said he would see him about it. So the next thing I heard
was that he was to do it I commenced the work with two men to help me 1 went
into the carpenters shop according to directions from Brigham I soon found
that thare was a feeling of jealousy creeping in for Miles Romney the
foreman of the shop came in. he had been having some whiskey and he came up
to me and said who sent you here to be a boss I told him I was not his boss
nor it was not my duty to interfere with his business, he said you need not
say that for it was a plan laid to work him out of the shop. I assured him
it was not the case but he did not seem inclined to believe it. he said if I
would bring on the liquor and treat he then might think I was telling the
truth this was not the first time I had felt his spirit. I kept on as I had
been directed and made the most of, the window frames, In the time the
masons came on to lay the foundation I had them to instruct in all the cross
walls and openings and timbers to prepare I tried to get more help but could
not thare was from 8 to 10 masons to superintend and I also had the
superintendance of the city building (the tithing office). And it all put
together made my hours rather more than full. I tried again and again to
hire more carpenters but to no purpose and in the framing of some of the
joist for the tithing office I made some mistakes being called off from them
to attend to the masons time after time leaving the carpenters there while
absent work would be done wrong which created an influence against me among
some of the foremen who chanced to hear of it. Still I kept on doing the
best I could, the season of watering came on and this still increased my
labers I had much business to do in that time many difficulties to settle
with the people I appointed assistant water masters in all the wards in the
city and in the five acre lots doing the business night after the bell and
in the morning before In this way I passt the season I got up the stone work
or bacement story with window and door frames in, and finished off the
tithing office, During the winter I worked in the Carpenters Shop the most
of the time under the directions of Miles Romney In the month of Febuary
1855 I commenced again on the house making window frames and door frames
determined I would take the advantage of times so that I should not be so
much crowded as I had been the season before As soon as the masons came on
the adobe work began I was tolerable well prepared for them.
About this time I had a talk with Truman O Angel he found some fault with me
he said he had ownly shoved me in as foreman to give Brother Brigham a
chance to measure me but I had it in my mind to tell him that it was me that
shoved him in ahead, but did not. I took it all paciently and went on as
well as I could. About this time also Miles Romney discharged one of my
hands he came directly to me and told me of it I told him that he was the
foreman of the shop and if he did not want to quit he must go to Brigham and
if he was a mind to let him at work again he might but I could not do it.
Accordingly he started off to see him he soon returned and told me that
Brigham had sent for me to come over he wanted to see me When I came to the
office he asked me if I had no work for Bro Parker as that was his name I
answered I had a plenty to do but Miles had discharged him he asked what
business he had discharging my hands I answered he claimed to be foreman and
had the privelage of discharging any man in the shop. He said he did not
understand it so I then told him I thought I could tell him what would make
all things right He asked me what it was. I told him if he would put Miles
Romney in foreman over me he would probably feel better He asked me if I
would not have feelings if he should do that. I told him I should not but if
he had it I could get help anytime as I needed but as it had gone the work
moved slow he then said he would come over in a few days and see to it
Accordingly in 2 or 3 days he came over and told Miles Romney that he wanted
him to take the charge of his house. Miles soon came to me and asked me what
I had been telling Brigham about him I said nothing that I know of he said
he thought I had for he had told him to take care of his building Oh yes
sals I that is what I wished him to do so that I could be relieved from so
much re-sponcibility I had the care of the water of the city and that was as
much as I could attend to but I told him I am willing to go on and work
under your direction and do the best I can Well sals he I want you to go
ahead with it and boss the job and if you want any help just call on me and
I will furnish you as many hands as you want. This house was to be called
his big house 45 feet wide and one hundred and 10 feet long, the basement
story was now up and the timbers had been put on last fall this spring we
commence laying adobies of which the rest of the walls of the house is to be
made. I continued on with the work and brother Parker was set at work at
other work as he was rather indifferant and a good hand was supplied in his
place and I still had the same responcibility as before ownly the name and
honor (if thare was any) was given to another. Thus all things moved on
smoothly and the work moved on as fast as material could be obtained
meanwhile I had my troubles with the water as by this time the season of
irrigation had arrived.
I must go back one year and relate some incidents which happened which
afterwards seemed to me to be of great importance. Many things hapened which
seemd to annoy the feelings of the Mayor Jedediah M Grant for complaints
ware made to him as well as myself of nuicances on the stream which at that
time passed down by his house. Among the most important was the filth caused
by squire Wells. Women folks doing their dirty washing on the bank of the
creek and pouring the water back into the creek The Mayor ordered me to go
to him and tell him of it and request him to put a stop to it which I had to
do some two or three times. Another thing was Ezra T. Bens on had put an old
bedstead into the creek for the purpose of routing its inhab-itance which
was just in sight of the Mayors house which was a great annoyance he ordered
me with great vahemance to go immediately and cause it to be removed at his
expence as a nuisance. Accordingly I went to Br. Benson and whispered in his
ear telling him that it was considered a nuisance and asked him to have it
taken out which he did And still farther down the stream lived a man by the
name of Hawkins he kept a tavern and company that the mayor did not
altogether fancey and they made a privy of the stream he (the mayor) being
informed of it ordered me to go and tell him that if he did not clean up
around that I should come with a posse of men and burn him out and leave him
neither house or hovel which order I promptly obeyed and on reviewing the
premises in the afternoon as that was the time the burning was to take place
1 found all things neatly attended to and made clean.
Thare ware many things of this kind but I shall ownly mention one more as
considering it the ownly one of much importance, in 1855 President Brigham
Young had a hog pen at the side of the road I was told and a stream of water
runing through it and forming a small pond in the middle of the road in a
low place and the water as it stood in this pond turned to a greenish coulor
and run from it into the creek, I told the complainant he must go with his
complaint to the mayor and any orders that he gave I considered it my duty
to attend to the name of the man was Stringham he kept a butcher shop and
sold meat in a few days I was directed by the Mayor to take the City laws
and go to the President and read the law pertaining to filth on the streams
and to tell him of this water pond and hogpen directing me to the clerks
office for a coppy of the laws. I started for the office and found the laws
as directed and proceeded to the house of the President and found him in
what was called the
room she was dressing his hair After a few passing remarks I told him my
business was to read a short clause in the acts of the city council
pertaining to our sluices and water coa-rses which after I had done he asked
me if he had anything around his premises of that nature. I answered that I
had been so informed and after describing it he said if he could drink his
own filth he did not think others should complain. I then left him and went
back to the Mayor and things went on in the same way for a few days
About this time I went into President Youngs garden to teach his gardner how
to use the water for I perceived he was not acquainted with the best way but
I found it of but little use for he seemed stereotyped. I again heard from
the water and hogpen and had the job of going again and found him at this
time in his office and in a low tone said they tell me that the water runs
through your hogpen and into the creek. He spoke to Bro Orson Hyde asking
him to go out and see how it went He had fixed the water to pass from his
own hogpen over the stream in a spout and the people would find fault, by
this time we came to the spot and found it as I had stated and we both
looked around and saw Br. Hyde was laughing vary harty and said Br. Brigham
if you will build a fence so that the people cannot see them hogs it will be
all right but as long as they can see they are bound to complain, he then
calld to a man by the name of Tune who was working for him and ordered him
to turn off that water Someone had removed the spout who I supposed to be
his gardner which had formerly carried the water over into his garden This
thing seemed to hurt his feelings for he ever after treated me with coolness
and sometimes refered to it as reaching beyond the limits of any duty but I
done as I was ordered by the Mayor but I did not tell him or anyone that he
had told me to do it but I have sometimes thought that I aught to have done
it,
This year 1854 the 23rd day of Jan'y I had a son born which called Vulcum
because this name was given his mother in a dream before he was born he
lived untill the 28 day of October of the same year and died of Colara
infantum
Dec 1853 the 18th I took two wives the Name of the oldest was Polly Amanda
Savage the daughter of the first Mormon Elder I ever heard preech she was 17
years old the 23 of August before. The name of the other was Catharine Me
Cleave an Irish girl she was 17 the 17th of Sept Amanda as we always called
her was somewhat unsteady in her spirit and was som-times sorrowful for what
she had done and finely became alie-anted in her affections and left me and
went home to her fathers and in the coarse of 2 or three weeks I went to see
her and talked to her and counciled her to come home again but she
determined not to do After visiting her 2 or 3 times finding her mind the
same I told her she was at liberty to take her own coarse
I should not trouble myself any more about her and left her to do as she
thought best She left me the 27th of June and came back to me the 23rd of
August on her 18th birthday She appeared to have suffered much for she was
looking vary peeckt but she said she had done vary wrong and was sorry and
if I could forgive her she would do so no more I freely forgave her and do
not wish to think of it more but I write it as one event in my life of some
importance
This I call an eventful year of my life and I may say it was the beginning
of all my sorrows before I took those two wives notwithstanding I was
converted to the doctrine of plurality thare was something lacking on my
part as to testamony I felt it an important step and thought I would ask the
Lord to enlighten my mind which I did and was fuly satisfied ever after The
answer I received I do not write for it has not been taught yet to the
saints through the authorities
I also had a dream about the reserectlon about the same time which I will
here relate the most of. I thought I was walking on the bench above the city
and I met a man looking vary gastly pale but he said nothing but went on to
the west I soon met others and thare came my first wife leading her three
little children that had previously died When I saw them I knew them and
exclaimed in great joy this is the reserection and I am not dead yet by this
time they came in all directions cripples and all sorts and I looked around
and saw a man standing by to whom I said I thought when they came up in the
reserection they ware all perfect No! no 1 sals he we take them up just as
you lay them down but we shall take them over here and feed them some of the
tree of life and that will restore their bodies to a state of perfection. I
saw more but I cannot write it for it has not yet been taught
These things have been of great comfort to me they ware given me in answer
to prayer and a great deal more and I here say to all who may chance to read
this be faithful to Ood and your covenants and he will not hide from you the
rich treasures of heaven Ask and you shall receive Seek and you shall find
Knock and it shall be opened unto you
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