HANDCART VETERANS UNITE T TO STRENGTHEN Tl I OLD BONDS 1 RECALL DAYS Of HARDSHIP Stirring Scenes at Reunion of ot Grizzled Pioneers Who Traversed Plains to Build Homes in iii Salt Lake Valley p GOVERNOR WILLIAM SPRY COMMENDS THE SPIRIT Fear of Wanderlust Has No Terrors for Men and Women Who Trekked From the Mis Missouri Missouri Missouri Half a Century Ago Agol NEW FORMATION IN FALL FAllT riv ODAY ODA Y the semiannual semi annual T I i conference of the Mor Mormon Mormon or ormon mon church will be at an end but those who attended the re reunion reunion reunion union of the Veterans of the Handcart old men and wom worn women women en who more than half a cen century century century tury ago trundled their carts across the bleak and sun bleached plains from the Iowa banks of the Missouri river to the valley of the Great Salt Lake will carry home with them a lingering recollection of the hardships and vicissitudes vicissitudes vicissitudes tudes which made the beautiful beautiful beautiful ful city of today possible It was not an ordinary gath gathering gathering gathering ering at the Fourteenth ward chapel it was extraordinary j It was a gathering of old men and women who stand in the shadow of life tottering from the inroads of the privations I of youth and of the hardships aused by a trek of 1200 miles across a barren waste of pral prairie prairie rie tie in the teeth of the violent blast of winters of fifty years ago which swept mercilessly across the plains Gray hair and wrinkled faces were everywhere in the hall hail Old men and women told experiences of the days when they pushed a handcart to Salt Lake half starved and illy clad until the word fortitude blushed because inadequate Despite all they the had gone through th Ir spirits were as bright and cheer cheerful cheerful cheerful ful as a Sunday school class of ot boys boysa a nr r 3 i girls They sang with the fervor c and praising God that Continued on Page Seven HANDCART VETERANS STRENGTHEN OlD BONDS Continued Con From Page One they had been seen spared to the glorious present day they did so In a mariner manner which seemed to say We have fought a good fight figh and have h ve kept faith Inspired by Song SonO Tears glistened in the eyes of the old men and women of pioneer days in Utah when Thomas J Dobson one of the oldest handcart pushers sang the song that so often otten inspired the weary pilgrims Some may push and some may pull pullAs pullAs pullAs As we go marching up the tho hill hlll So merrily we go until we reach th the Valley ho 1 And with what spirit did the veteran men and wom n enter into the slogan song One could almost fancy he could see sea a bedraggled band of ot men women and children beating their way through the desolate d plain where those less secure In the belief bellet of ot reach reaching reachIng ing tug a goal of rest test and plenty might have despaired d paired and fallen by the weak leak roadside When Mr Dobson stood on the plat platform platform platform form and told how he had walked miles in III the dead of or winter across the plains barefooted with his feet swollen with biting frost and stone bruises his story carried with it but one ono Incident of ot the many days of long patient suf suffering sUffering suffering fering And when James Gardner In defiance to the general trend of or the speeches made so 50 often during the th general con conference conf ference f rence imploring the Mormon M rmon children to remain by their own fireside and not leave their parents and go to the four winds winda of ot the earth said Dont Pont worry our chickens will como come home to roost he manifested a spirit of the undaunted days of ot his youth Membership of Company Of or tho the ten companies of handcart pilgrims who crossed the plains to the total number of about during the years ears 1856 1857 1859 1650 and 1860 there re remain remain remain main about old men and women all aU of whom are numbered in the member membership membership ship of ot tho the Handcart Veterans association assocIation association tion of which J J Jones of ot Provo Is president It was with apparent and justifiable pride that Mr Ir Jones called the meet meetIng meeting meeting Ing to order at yesterday afternoon He introduced Harvey H Cluff who In a fervent prayer said and sisters we have as ns assembled here today for the purpose of ot reunion of the handcart companies and we raise our voices in praise of th courage which inspired us in the glo glorious glorious gb rious undertaking which safely brought us to the beautiful valley where we found rest and comfort secure in Thy blessing We thank Thee Heavenly Father for the integrity Thou hast in inspired Inspired Inspired in our church We thank Thee for the intrepid men who have been called to lead our people out of ot wilder wilderness wilderness ness into light and promise We thank Thee for the tha Joy that has come conic with the fulfilment of ot Thy promise We be beseech beseech Thee Theo to ever look book with favor on this great and Independent people of the government of the United States and lastly we ask that Thou bless the officers of ot our commonwealth and guide them In the thO carrying out ut of at the covenant of the tho Lord In the way of introductory remarks President S S Jones said in part I take pleasure in meeting with you ou again and while we have hav met to shake hands and recall the heralds of the past we should not forget the spirit of the ever living gospel of ot Jesus Christ which has made It possible There is a solemnity In this meeting which casts a 0 shadow of hope and life lite and reflects the story of the troubles and dangers which we came through Our faith knew no fear We have fought a good fight and if It our course is not run we have kept the tho faith and henceforth for us there Is a crown of glory It was not for dreams of that we vre journeyed through the wilderness but because of ot the abiding faith we had that Mormonism Is the true religion reli lon President Jones then introduced Gover Governor Governor nor Spry It Is needless to express my gratitude for the opportunity of participating in this reunion said the Governor In a meas measure measure ure are I feel Ceel that I am a veteran myself My parents left England to Join a company of handcart people but owing to the death of ot one of their number at Coun Council Council cil cli Bluffs Iowa the Intrepid trip was not made by them I want to say that thero there la Is no greater evidence of faith In God than you people showed when you made the Jour Journey journey journey ney across a wild and dangerous country under such trying circumstances You certainly have kept the faith have fought the tho fight and are entitled to the reward I dont know of ot an example of greater fortitude than you undertook when you trundled your carts across the tha plains It stands even against the history of ot the Crusaders You people are ore entitled to live as long as aT n there is any pleasure In life for you Your children owe you much They owe It to you to take up the tho bur burdens burdens burdens dens when you lay them down The younger generation need your our counsel your oUr advice and your warnings for you alone alono know the danger of the paths of life L 1 A Bailey of Nephi briefly outlined his experiences with a handcart company which came to the state In 18 lS 8 1 I was 18 years of age uge when I arrived In the Salt Lake valley said Mr Bailey and I may parenthetically add odd that I weighed 60 0 pounds So it can be seen that the hardships of the trip and a ratiOn rati n of four ounces of ot flour did not agree with me I crossed all the rivers Those Thosa I could not ford I swam We Ve were not blessed like the children of ot Israel whose clothing never wore out and who were fed fedon fedon fedon on manna but we defied obstacles hun hunger hunger hunger ger and famine and triumphed for we had bad the abiding courage coura e of our religious reU ous convictions Before the meeting closed Mrs Hannah HannahS S Lapsin was introduced She Sha too was one of those brave women who with weary feet teet followed follow d in the wake of the handcart She proposed that the wives and daughters of ot members of the Hand Band Handcart Handcart cart Veterans association form a womans auxiliary Her suggestion was taken up spiritedly by the many women present and when the veterans meet at atthe atthe atthe the October conference it is expected that the Daughters of Handcart Veterans will have a perfected organization to work In Inharmonious Inharmonious inharmonious harmonious conjunction with the men