Show BIG GATHERING OF PATHFINDERS Members of Famous Hand HandCart HandCart HandCart Cart Brigade Hold No Notable Notable Notable table Reunion TWO HUNDRED ATTEND STIRRING REMINISCENCES OF I MARCHES ACROSS PLAINS For some must push and some must pull pullAs pullAs pullAs As we go marching up the hill hili So merrily on the way we go Until we reach the It was the chorus of tt tile handcart art men and 20 veterans of that grim zi m march across the plains many of them still hale hate and hearty although in the winter of life made the rafters of the Fourteenth ward assembly house ring yesterday afternoon as they caught up the refrain and thrilled with memories of the long ago when they in the vigor of manhood pitted their strength with the bleak bieak and pitiless wilderness It was a reunion of the Hand Cart Vet Veterans Veterans Veterans erans organization and points from St StGeorge StGeorge StGeorge George to Canada were represented all allmen allmen allmen men who In 56 55 57 59 and 60 6 crossed plains and mountains from the Missouri river pushing hand carts containing their belongings Chairman S S Jones of Provo presided He Introduced William Burton son of General R IL T Burton who read an ad address address address I dress prepared by his father for the oc occasion occasion occasion casion General Burton had charge of the party of rescuers who went out in inthe Inthe inthe the winter of 56 6 to save the first hand handcart handcart handcart cart party meeting the survivors at In Independence Independence Independence dependence Rock Wyo Ills His address was full of interesting reminiscences of the rescue expedition and of the men who were prominent at that time George D Grant General William Kimball and oth others others othera ers era A flood of reminiscences was stirred by General Burtons address and for hours the veterans lived their youth again in the recalling of details of that remark remarkable remarkable remarkable able march to Utah Captain Dobson Dabson Sings At the conclusion of General Burtons address Captain Thomas Themas Dobson of Cen Centerville Centerville C n terville sang the Hand Cart Song It was a melody that had cheered the tho weary way of the pioneers over many a rough places The veterans listened to the first verse with brightening eyes and quivering lips and then when the chorus was reached Joined in with vim an en enthusiasm thu Hardship and long long days of weary marching had written the words of that song so deeply upon their memo memories memories ries rica that age and the thc passing of years could not efface them Every man re remembered remembered the quaint old lines and every everyman everyman everyman man did his best to sing them as heart heartily heartily heartily ily as In the days when he sang them far out In the wilderness At the conclusion of the song the vet veterans veterans veterans erans cheered the melody and Captain Dobson for singing it James G Blake of St George next spoke He was successful in bringing the six members of his family across the continent but spoke feelingly of at those who perished by b the way The party of that started out push pushing pushIng ing lag hand carts had dwindled to when Independence Rock was reached Death from hunger exposure and exhaustion had claimed the others When the rescuers rescuers ers era arrived on November 30 SO 1856 the sur survivors survivors survivors were in a pitiable condition Only a few of the stronger and more resolute members of the brigade still sUli clung to their hand carts The others too weak to drag I Ithe the carts had abandoned them It was I Ian an early winter and the weary march had I Ifor for days been through the snow in the face of biting winds Names to Be Se e Compiled Complied The rescuers brought clothing and pro provisions provisions visions for the famishing pioneers but if It was not until Fort Bridger was reached that the last of the hand carts were aban ahan abandoned abandoned At that point the eager hospital hospitality ity of the Salt Lake settlement made the final hundred miles of the journey journel easy and comfortable I John Y Smith and a number of others then spoke recalling the names of men and places which are but shadowy things In history to the younger generation The arrangement for the reunion were under the direction of Captain Thomas ThomasD Dobson D Langley Langle Bailey of Nephi Albert Jones of Provo and Mr Gardiner of Gosh Goshen en enIt enn It n was such a great success that it was decided to gather the names of all the veterans of the various hand cart expeditions expeditions so that they the can be preserved and so that the men of today who are enjoy enjo enjoying enjoying ing the rich abundance of ot Utah will wUl re remember remember remember member the tho hardships and sufferings of the men who paved pave the way for them |