PIONEERS S OF 47 MEET FOR THEm THEIR ANNU ANNUAL L CELEBRATiON Old wine to drink old oM books to read ol old friends to lo love iove This Is an axiom Which reflects the dependence that ma may bo be placed upon tho the tried and the tho true Ol Old OK friendships were renewed today bythe by bytho I tho the gray haired men and women omen who Vrho made their mark upon the tho history of the tho the West Vest when the tho pioneers of oC 1847 ISH assembled assembled assem assem- bled In the tho tabernacle s-roun s grounds s. s to prepare for the sixty seventh anniversary annl celebration ion tion of the coming of ot the Mormon lormon pioneers Into tho the valley alley of oC the tho Great Salt lake Jake Friendships of oC a half century are not nol considered old time friendships by these I men mon and amid women of another century Their standard of ot friendship d tried by the storms and vicissitudes of life Is from the tho sixty years years' rs' rs mark Pioneers Meet And there were men of ot more than fourscore fourscore fourscore four four- score y years and women from who whose c checks cheeks the tho bloom of or youth had faded more than sixty years ago who met this morn morn- log and with heart hearty handclasps and cordial cordial carIlla cor car dial Illa I greetings recalled the tho days of oC their youth and the hours of at their association Uon and friendship In the long ago Where Is brother Henry Henn asked a I feeble little woman whose white hair was brushed tl tightly back upon her hr head ld but whose brow regardless of ot her age was clear and unwrinkled Why Vh Sister Mary a b bent nt old man replied his voice hu husky k Brother Henry Henrj has gone bone Gone where I did not see flee him today No Sister Mary far you ou will not see CO him again on this sl side e. e lie He passed over O last month And there was a pathetic silence as thea the a aged ed mans man's heart was touched b by the pinprick pinprick pin pin- prick of ot sorrow for tor or his brother who had been his companion for tor more than three three- quarters o of a century And the little old white haired womans woman's eyes were misted because e she he had touched a tender spot In her friends friend's heart But It was not all aU sadness In tho the re reunion reunion reunion re- re union this morning There was laughter there was wab the Joy Jor of renewed friendships the happiness 0 of reunion the delight of ot reminiscence and the eager almost childlike childlike child child- like pleasure and excitement of ot the bi big event Delight in Meeting The pioneers of or Utah delight In their reminiscences The They delight to recount their experiences on the plains and In the mountains rhe They find p pleasure In telling of ot the barren outlook that greeted them upon their arrival In the valley alley of the Great Salt lake and they express amazement amazement amaze amaze- ment merit even e today In contrasting the conditions condi condl that existed then with those that exist tada today I 1 am a pioneer of at not from choice but because I was wall forced to be MI said J. J II Armstrong J of Cedar City who Is one of or the guests of or honor today I was stubborn In m my refusal reCusal to come from my old home and was as forced b by those about me to Join In the exodus But even en then I gave Eave them as much trouble trou trou- bl ble blO as It lay within my power to give ghe I refused to walk a step I would give gho no help with the tho cattle I would have o nothing noth InS ing to do with the tho work that was a part of ot the dally daily program I was rebellious to the limit of or my possibilities Even during the services the spirit of or rebellion would not leave me and I often otten i Interrupted the tho preachers But that was waR because I was so 80 young oung I believe c for tor I 1 Iwas Iwas was less than one year old when m my parents parents par par- left let Nauvoo and rn my mother carried ron me all aU the Va way across tho tIme plains We Ve e arrived In the fall taU of 47 47 Horace Drake of or Centerville was 58 years nars of or age April 19 19 1911 1 He arrived ived i In n this valle valley September 19 19 and was the first fint man roan to reach tho the valley alley after aCter the arrival of ot the original nal band of ot who arrived JuI July 24 4 24 1847 ISH Saw Baw Joseph Smith I I 1 was as a n. member of ot Daniel Spencers Spencer's company of or of Ira Eldred Eldredge's es e's fifty and ana of or Geor George e Boyce's ten ton Mr Drake said paid I 1 am tho oldest man living JIving who arrived cd after the fir first t band and arid was as the first man to enter the valley after arter their arrival My of home was 18 twenty miles east cast of at Nauvoo and I saw and conversed with the tho Prophet Joseph five fi days before his assassination and he gave me mo his bless bless- lag Ins when I parted from him The trip across tho the plains was a attended attend attend- ed b by hardships that tried our souls but butth th the tho peace and happiness found In tho valhey valle val val- le hey ley of or the Lord was vas compensation for tor allour all allour allour our trials George S S. S Rust of Mantl ManU Is 90 SO years yearn of age But his eyes CYCH aro are bright lila his hearing hear hear- ing Ing- perfect and his bis step elastic His Ills handclasp Is 18 firm and his voice clear and resonant I came across the plains with Brother Drake he sal said with pride In his voice I was as IS 13 years of ago age and walk walked d virtual vir vir- all tho the way from Illinois to Utah It was a wonderful experience Bishop Harry Barry Sperry err who played the fiddle for tho the pioneers when the they danced to forget their cares arrived hed In the valley In ln October 1817 In Jedediah M M. Grants Grant's company There wa was waa no city here bere then thon ho hI Still Mid this morning There a n. few houses In the ten acre fort where where- Pioneer park now Is There wore two tO other torts forts south of the Pioneer fort tort and tho the next year car we built another fort tort north of ot Pioneer making a row of four tour forts torts of ot about ten acres acree extent each Soon on after I came earns they began to survoy survey sur sur- Toy vey the farms and allot tho land to the settlers settler I saw stuv the city survey by Sher Sher- wood and watched the In men n drive o the stakes for Cor tho the principal corners of the tho I ell city Then they divided tho the blocks Into lots and the the- apportionment of ot tho the land was begun be Tho The people began to move from the tho forts to tho the city lots tho the following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing year I was a herd boy 00 attending the tho cattle of ot the tho settlement The Tho Indians stole ptole our stock In Iii 1848 1818 and a company compan of men was as organized or to pursue them V We c e overtook o them thorn In Battle Hattle Creek canyon canon where Pleasant Grove Groo was afterward built hullt and gave e 1 hattie battle to the tho redskins Wo We 0 retook nil our cattle cuttle In ISoO we lund had another and more moro se severe se- se veto vere battle hattie In Provo Pro when quite a r few w of the time Mormon people were killed We Vc 0 routed tho the Indians however howe r. r ani captured cap cap- all their squaws und and e We divided the tho squaws and es among the families In the I settlements that they might be bo cared carell for Cor and nud edu edu- I 1 dont don't know what became of I the tIme squaws s afterward but some omo of oC tho children chil chii- dren ren grew to manhood In the families of I the tue Mormons j I