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Show THOMAS WILSON'S ADVENTURE. A True Story of Early Days in Oar Slate. FRUIT GATHERING 40 YEARS AGO. Party of boys and Ulrls Chased by an Indian With a Pistol. Tom Captured. In tho early days of our slate the wild fruits that grew In the canyons on the margins of the creeks used to be greatly great-ly esteemed by the settlers, and It used to bo a very common thing for the youug people to go miles away in the mountains in search of thera; that bo-lug bo-lug almost the only chance for obtain ag anything in the shape of fruit, an the country had been too recently settled to in alto the Umc fndts obtainable, except to a comparatively few people who lived In the older settlements. At this time there llycd in a settlement about a hundred hun-dred miles from Salt Lake City, Win. Wllbon and son Thomas, who had recently re-cently crossed tho plains in tho famous handcart emigration, and who were at the tiraeof which 1 write among the pooi est of the community. Tho 6on whoso mother had died soon ofter they reached Utah, was not in a situation to make the best of the clothes that tho hard times allowed him to have, and he win frequently obliged to wear his father's old shirts, and sometimes even his pants, although these garments were four or five sizes to large for him, and he even hnd to turn the shirt that he had worn through the week wrong bide out for Suuday, owing to tho fact that he had no one to wash hit. other one, and no other ouo to wash; while in the matter of bat and shoes, either a rim without a crown or a crown without with-out a rim, generally made of straw, did service for head gear, and his feet woro innocent of any covering save the rich accumulation of dirt and sores that were the legitimate result of tho dust upon which he trod, and the rocks and sticks against which ho stubbedhls toes. Clothing was a scarce article in those days amongthe wealthiest, a It had all to be the "workmanship of their own liands," the material being supplied sup-plied by the few sheep that those who were tho best oft were fortnnato in possessing;" but the lad of whom I am speaking had neither sheop nor anyone to make clothing. Of a very sensitive nature he felt keenlv the situation anil this did not contribute to his good nature, na-ture, all of which helped to mako him, more or leas despised by the other young people. lie was not often Invited Invit-ed to the dances and social gatherings that were frequent among the young folks, and when he was, if he went he often returned filled with trouble on account of the slights, either real or fnncled, that had been put upon him To add to his discomfort, not to say misfortune, his father, tired of single blessedness, took unto himself a wife, and with her, two children The lady lost no time in giving her step-son to understand that he was not the equal of hor children, and that ho must not expect any favors. One fine morning In the fall of the year, just when Choke cherries and Service berries were ripe a company of youngsters consisting of three girls of about twelve or thirteen years of age, and two boys, ono of whom was Thomas, the subject of this sketch, started with an ox team up the canyon for wild fruit, The distance that had to be traveled was abont fourteen four-teen miles to tho place where the berries ber-ries grew, and of course as far to re turn. Three miles an hour is fast time to make with an ox team, when there Is no stoppages, but with such a company com-pany as tho one 1 nm talking abou some loitering Is sure to be done, sot that although they btarted at 4 o'clock It was nearly eleven by the time they reached tho fruit. On they way itn they had passed an Indian camp about two miles before reaching their destination, destin-ation, Ono of tho girls who persisted iu loitering behind the wagon, had not caught up when the rest passed the Indians, In-dians, but as she was only a short distance dis-tance back It was not considered nee-essary nee-essary to wait tor her, especially as It was getting late and all tho tlmo left was needed to gather fruit and get get home before dark. So they drove on, but stopped soon after for her to catch up. Tney had waited but n short tlmo whon she came, panting with tho ex- (To ho continued.) |