Show ELIZABETH AKER OF lIE CENTERVILLE GIVES I SKETCHES OF HER ER LIFE UFE Mrs Irs Elizabeth WhItaker 03 93 93 year old pioneer of Centerville re- re relates relates re relates lates some of her experiences ot of other her childhood and early woman woman- womanhood womanhood womanhood hood days The following is her story When I was as a young girl girlin girlin in 10 England I was ac left blind for two to ve vears rc from the effects of the tha measles My eye sight was restored restored restored ed through the faith of my par par- parents parents par parents and the elders that brought the gospel to them in 10 England At one time while I was sitting on the doorstep an old gypsy wo- wo woman woman wo man came up and coaxed me away from the house Iwas I was wearing gold old ear rm rings s and when they found me my ears cars were bleeding where here the old gypsy had torn them from flom my ears Another tIm time I recall was af- af after after af after ter we had arrived over sea and were ere crossing the plains I Ican can re- re remember remember re remember member it just as vividly as though it were ere only yesterday I she began while she looked out over the landscape and into the far off distant past We had traveled many weary eary miles over the plains and had hadi reached leached the place about where the Denver Demel is now located Captain Wilkie ledour led our company He had crossed the plains two or three j tImes before Each company con con- consisted con consisted of souls and each com com- company company company pany was subdivided into sm ll er er comp mes of ten each The The day or two preceding we had seen warnings that the In- In Indians Indians In Indians were on the warpath In one place we e found the body of a white man who had been killed by them his limbs had been cut cutoff cutoff cutoff Captain off and crossed in 10 his body Cap Cap- tain Wilkie slid s This was as a sign that the Indians were ere angry and thIs v was vs s one of their forms of revenge Later we e came upon a scene where a whole hole company of had been killed and every Vung t ring the they v had was burned All th t was as left was the scrap Iron of the wagons and the iron bands that encircled the wheels Such sights filled our hearts with dis- dis dismay dismay dis dismay may and anxiety Captain Wilkie ordered all the men to stay at the herds he of their oxen and not un- un unyoke unyoke un unyoke yoke them When it became necessary necessary necessary sary for us to camp each a on was as chained to wagon the the wagon wheel wheelin wheelin in 10 front of it and formed a n large circle of the wagons inside this circle we e unade camp We traveled all night some times to evade the Indians One afternoon we found a place to camp where the oxen could graze and there was as water The men were all away and the women were cooking supper when Indian braves rode up to our camp They rode close and teased the children knocked the lids off the skillets and took the biscUits I was in 10 the back of a wagon watching some children when the Indian thief chief came up to the wagon agon and tried to get one of the children I clacked cracked his knuck knuck- knuckles knuckles knuckles les with an ox yoke where upon he laughed and said brave Then he put his arm around me and drew me on his horse and nd rode swiftly toward tow aid the mountains fortunately for me Ole as we disappeared disappeared disappeared from flom view Ie of the women at camp we chanced to come uno unon father and the other men who had gone one hunting a short time tune earlier rather Father and the other men talked with the Indians an hour trying to persuade them to let me free Then they drove to the camp md and talked for three hours more The Indians finally consented te to sell sellme sellme sellme me back to my people Some gave sugar silt s rice flower er and what what- whatever whatever whatever ever they could until they could spire sp no more The Indians said morel more morel more Then Captain Wilkie became angry fired off ofT a small cannon c This frightened the In- In Indians In Indians a away aay ay but they followed ed us for five days das frightening the horses and c the cattle to stampede Some of the wagons were broken up and several men were ere compelled to walk alk the rest of the way I had a good time all the way ay across the tho pIa plains lOS for this incident Mrs Irs WhItaker at one time walk walk- walked walked walked ed from flom Salt bake Jakc Lake to Centerville carrying her babb babby after she had purchased some medicine for one ot of her children that was as ill |