A 1IONEKU IN CALIFORNIA Iotrr < sllrii Kilnlulsctnccs of an Old I Into Krildent of Utah SANTA ANA Cal f Alay 231897 Spencer Olawaou I crossed tao Plains from Missouri river to Bait Like Valley In 1847 with my mother Uagualena Moeaaer and woe Ibo oldest ol live ohlldreo my father Frederick H Mceuer having epoitallzed In Nauvoo coming no farthei I was born lu rutsburg At Ifgbony Cor insylianla1soliiEfrom Pennsylvania lo Onto thea to Mis sourl then to Nauvoo In 183S or 1889 to the belt ol my tecolleellon I was well acqualntid Wlth Joseph and Hyrum Smith I taw them when laid oulaiter being killed at Carthage lu Ihe old mansion II uw In Nauvoo 1 ortied tbe Mliilaiippl July 1816 C3mln well and stepping at Wlmer UuaileiB mil und winter of tame jia aharlug the bardshlpa ol that winter anti next spring I started welt for the Great Bait Late Valley about the 4th uf June 1847 and strived lu Bait Latin Valley Hevieinber 24 1847 traveling lu 1 IorenriueBeuianioO Daniel Span or was oalIln of our 100 ana lilshop Sheets captain of 10 011 ihluk 1 posted througb moil If not all of the trying times of the early Pioneer breaking tno vitfilu roll killing great hoppea and big black crlcketi mil fighting Ind hint and bsortion times trying to ratio enough tu keen son end body toicether for another year Alter lavlug Winter Qiirlera we same to liup Fork topped their about lime weeks or nlalnK for tbe Juroo at1111 tile Plain when Ion again tob up the line of march north nard Talk about bard lime I 1 drua Iwo yoke of Oxon and 0109yoke OJ cow lacrosil the Platoon for qua puo o Ilur a day said Wardell coyest gnu getting a little over 100 pounds lo I my aummeij wurij at it look ua at that time aboui tuirtoen and a bal I months lo make the trip Bat In use sprint uf 1848 1 did tome better lor I gut a patina ul flour a a day and gUD iiirowu Islor uriving three yoko ouo breaking prial lit whlcn I cot aljered doing very well ai flout was worth dollar a found The winter ol 1847 and iprlng ol 1843 was the mOil trying one of II to tte we bad very little to eat and tcircely any clothes to keep ui warm wearing miceailna In tba Ice laud mow and digging roots and eatln tntiit and every part of the cattle that we bad < to klileven their blJer That li bard to Believe but I have done It We fought cricket auu grauhopperi lo eva what lltile we had in int ground sa we could live another year In 18 49 when the great gold excitement was at In height everythiuifcbangeu plenty of money nuoenryiulun in tbu way ul wagoa tool so WjYoii1u sugar etc wen cnea1 W y I have iceu good i et wagon elf lor 10 Kentucky rllo a souch and powder I horu or I 50 ond so un I I was In ivory Indian war lu tarly lime the Back Hawk war Uio Tin Ho war and so u I livid lo tee Halt Like City Krow from a desert plain 10 a flue oily and the Valleys lo blonjm a the rote until now you can have all that any olDer community cnjoyi I There la I one thing 1 lurtut lu mention men-tion and that ti that In traveling alonn The Plane river frequently dilalltd men to go ahead of our wagon auj allies Ills iiuflilu out ul tile war lo wr could paia aion tho I ro d nr I do believe be-lieve that havelesli ItOOOO at one lime Along bUI tot uludle uf the day they woulJ comb > d > wn to the river lourluk and tiieu lay down lui i ow tile tullab oh where li I hi T think I our an ludiaii war velera > e well ai a 1ioceer I am vow liv I i g lu Bantu Ann Orange couui Ca a tile tons of euutnlue nuj Owe but wnyi have 0 friendly feeling for see pcOle of Utah III beautiful valleys and muuutaluM and Oioar running Iuuuulci etrrami neatoHully J H MOESSER