12th of May cut up my load of wood and prepared to go to Provo with my seine
in company with Mathew Savage and young Br Bulin fishing
13th not able to go after my oxen which had recruited so that they ware able
to work some. Harriet went and got them for me and I started about 10
o'clock it rained most of the afternoon, on our arrival at Provo river we
found we could do nothing without a boat and soon a man came along and
offered me four barrels of fish for my net to which I agreed they ware to be
dressed and packed in salt for me in two days he was to furnish salt and do
all I had an excelent butcher knife and when he saw it he said he must have
it in the bargain also a bed cord and a hatchet that I had borrowed of one
of my neighbors this he took into his boat and went off down the river
without my know-lage and when he came back I had missed my hatchet and when
inquiring he said he had lost it in the river, he said he would pay me for
it in fish. I told him if the owner would take fish I was willing but. if
not he must pay me another as good, but this he would not do, and finely I
had hard work to get my fish by dressing and packing myself and finding my
own salt but after waiting four days I made out to get the four barrels
knife bed cord and hatchet throwed in or rather he took that much advantage
of me.
I started for home and traveled all night and got home the 19th in the
morning I offered my neighbor Bar son fish for his hatchet but he refused to
take them I told him I had no other means to pay him with he said then he
would wait on me till I could get him another
20 (May) A man came from Cedar City with a letter from David Savage
requesting me to lend him temple garments to get his endowments in which I
did and he loaned me his mule to go to farmington to get a cow that I have
in exchange for one that I let John Young have two years ago.
21st returned with my cow had to leave the calf for the trouble of the cow I
heard that I could sell my fish for flour up in the northern settlements.
While I had been gone my wives had repacked the fish and that night I
dreamed whare I could sell my fish for flour or at least a portion of them
it was a place whare I never had been but I saw how the country looked so
that I could tell the place if I evtr saw it
22nd Started off with two barrels of fish to peddle but sold none until I
got to Kays ward whare I found the place I had seen in my dream I got about
100 Ibs of flour I paid three Ibs of fish for two Ibs of flour then I could
sell no more and thinking that it would be time thrown away I returned home
and I was vary hungry having eaten but one meal which was at the house of
Thomas Grover while I was going out and on my road home I eat 1/4 of Ib of
butter which I had bought for fish. I had no apetite for fish and my flour I
felt was more presious than gold.
24th at night I got home and was glad to eat a light supper and go to bed
sick with severe pain in my stomach took a teaspoon full of black pepper and
rested tolerable well
25th Sunday not able to go to meeting
26th having now a stock of provisions to last a few days I began to prepare
to go south in search of some place for a home or a farm but whare to go I
knew not but as my mind had previously been directed to Summit Creek I
thought I would steer for that place so after getting a load of wood and
cutting it for the fire 29th I took one load of our goods and Catharine my
youngest wife and about 20 Ibs of bread stuff and 10 or 15 Ibs of dried fish
and started in search of a home I stopt at Isaac Chases and got 1/2 a bushel
of corn to plant I went on enquireing as I went but no way seemed to be
opened I arrived at Payson on Sunday the 1st day of June I found that Glenn
had deposited five bushels of potatoes with Bp Hancock for me on the mill
debt at Sanpete When he found who I was he the Bishop desired me vary much
to stop and help him with his public works but I did not like to work on
public works as I was already much in debt and had no way to pay and I
thought it might tend to make me worse off, but he offered me four dollars a
day in good pay and said I should have some breadstuff but I had no
testimony that I should get my pay and I told him I would go on as far as
Summit Creek and if I could not find any better chance I might return and
take him up at his offer.
I started on and got out about half way and one of my oxen gave out and I
was obliged to turn them out and leave my waggon and wife and go on a foot.
When I arrived thare I saw Benjamin F. Johnson and talked with him and asked
him if I could get some land and something to do to sustain myself and
family He said as to land he could not say but if I was a mind to go to work
on his mills he would pay me as soon as he could get sale for lumber.
This However was not as good as Bp Hancock had offered me for he said he
would let me have five acres of land and would plow it for me so as to raise
a crop of corn so I immediately went back to my waggon and in the morning
hitched up and went back to Payson. The bishop seemed much pleased and Levi
Hancock offered to sell me his house and lot and take the bishop for pay and
I need not hurry myself he Levi said I had served the Kingdom of God
faithfuly and I should in the name of God be blessed and said many good and
comforting words for which I felt vary thankful and I agreed to pay him four
hundred dollars as soon as I could pay off my debts already due
I had left my family of 8 at home with 64 Ibs of flour and some fish about
30 Ibs and did not yet know how long before I should return But I knew that
they would do all in their power to help themselves they took in some
washing and some sawing and in this way they got along and lived it through,
and did not consume but two lobs of flour per day they got 3/4 of a bushel
of potatoes of John Young and Bp Hunter I wrote to them the first chance I
had to send and told them that our prospects ware brighter and to cheer up I
would be after them about the 25th inst, I was working as hard as I could
and the Lord seemed to strengthen me vary much so that I could do a great
deal more than I each day antisepated so that in 15 days I had earned over
40 dollars. I got ready to go after my family sooner than I had expected I
got home to them the 18th instant
I sold my share of the crop in the lot to Barson for 30 dollars and
deducting three dollars for the hatchet I took his note for 27 dollars
payable in shoes in the fall. I gave my wood about 1/2 a cord to John Young
and wash bench and such things as I could not carry and loaded up and bid
good by to Thirstin's old shanty on Sunday 22nd Dustin Amy loned me two
dollars in money and credited me with about three dollars worth of tin ware
And I tried all the merchants to credit me a little tea for my wife but not
one cents worth could I get so I had to go without. It was a vary hot day.
We drove out on the state road opo-site of the sugar works and turned out
the oxen to eat while myself and Harriet went thare and got some wool roals
at the carding machine. We went as far as the warm springs and camped for
the night Ann Eliza is vary sick with the headache. I went to the house of
Even M. Green who was living here a short distance off to get a little tea
for her Sister Green had just put the last she had in the house in the pot
for herself as they ware just sitting down to supper but she insisted on my
taking tea pot and all. she did not take even a drop herself My heart
swelled with gratitude for such kindness. After Ann Eliza had drank some tea
she felt better Towards morning the oxen began to ramble and I concluded to
hitch up and go on, as I went by I stopt at Green's and left the teapot on
the steps. We got to American Fork to George Warehams to breakfast they ware
vary kind to us She made some tea for my wives and gave me some bread and
milk She went around to some of her neighbors to get something for us to
take with us to eat one gave us some greens and another some potatoes the
name of one was Mott We went on as soon as we had ate and bro Wareham went
with us as far as his farm on the road and turned our oxen and cows in to
bait When we started on the cows did not like to go and they ran through the
fence which was down in many places while I was chaseing after them to get
them into the road a man came along and vary taunting said if you was a
brother you would put up the fence. I told him I did not pull it down and if
I stopt to put up all the gaps it would hinder me a long time9 he said you
could find plenty of time to pull it down and turn my cattle in to bait I
said I did not pull it down but it was the man who owned that portion of the
field he asked what his name was I told him that it was George Wareham He
then said he never owned it or any part of it I afterward (found) this
impertanant man to be Squire Mcarthur of battle creek We camped about 2
miles south of Provo at a spring The next day about noon we arrived at
Payson all well but the two women Ann Eliza and Amanda are vary tired and
weak liveing so short for food We found the house that I had bought to be
full of bugs and we had much trouble to get them thinned off so that we
could rest nights
I worked most of the time for the Bishop and got some flour and butter flour
at 12-1/2 cts a Ib and butter at 25 cts We lived on vary short allowance
until harvest but we generaly had a little bread every day I do not remember
of being without bread but 7 meals at once and we lived principly on greens
of beets cabage or mustard and some beans and peas that I bought at 10 cts a
quart
4th of July I hired a young man to work with me at 15 dollars a month he had
no home nor nothing to eat I felt sorry for him and told him that while I
had anything he should share his name is Mosiah L Hancock son of Levi W.
Hancock He began to work the 7 of July on a store that I was building for
George Hancock in the name of the Bishop.
19th I went in company with George to the Indian farm at Spanish Fork to see
if I could get the job of building a farm house as thare was talk of the
agent building a station of considerable size and it would be a cash job.
When we arrived thare we found the principle agent Doct Hurt was gone to
California but would be home in a month or so and and no doubt I would get
the job At any rate I was employed by the subagent to make a plan of the
building and make out the bills of timber and lumber,
23 out of bread and nothing to eat had some bran made a loaf of bran bread
and we all ate of it and it made us all sick
24 got 3-1/2 Ibs of flour The first barley that got ripe was dealt out by
the peck and half bushel I got a peck and took it to mill got it ground and
had a feast of fat things The Harvest has at last began to feed the hungry
and destitute and many thankful hearts are now rejoicing in the prospect
before them of haveing once more enough to satisfy the craveing of nature By
this time I had resorted to every scheme by honest means to get bread or
something to satisfy hunger that I was master of, but thank the giver of
every gift we are all alive and well and thare is no prospect of starvation,
I called to see James Pace and he abused me by calling me a thief said I
stole his wood and when I found out what he meant it was that the day that I
started to go for my family I went down to the hay field to get some grass
to feed the oxen on the way and on my return passed by his field whare a
great many brush such as willows and trimmings of trees ware lyeing and I
took up three or four willow roots and put them on the waggon and as I
wasabout starting on I looked out on the field and saw him coming I thought
by his gestures he was angry and said to the young man that was with me if I
take this I am affraid that he will accuse me of stealing and I threw it off
and started on. he then circulated the story that I was a thief3 but I did
not immagine any evil for Levi Hancock had before told me that I could get
as many as I wanted but I knew that he was not the owner of the field but
had ownly had individual permission so much so that he concluded that Pace
wished to get rid of them as a nuicence on his land. When I heard it I went
to see him to explain how I came to do it but he was not willing to hear a
word but bore down on me vary hard so that it was a long time before I could
get the matter settled.
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