Show Know ow Utah By ALBERT F. F PHILIPS i. i In June 1847 there had assembled on the banks of the he Elkhorn river rl in Nebraska 1553 1353 persons more than han ha hall half of whom were women and children They were ready and anxious to make the start for the valley alley of the dead sea more than 1000 miles away C I 4 Can you visualize the picture SL Six hundred wagons waiting to receive their load Each wagon to be bo drawn by y two yoke oke of or oxen Each wa wagon on to carry three thre hundred pounds of bread breadstuffs stutts Each man to c carry a n. gun and one hundred rounds of amm ammunition Each Bach family to carry seed grain and implements Each family to carry their belongings in addition to those named According to Mormon rule nile the lull full team consists con- con of one wagon 12 feet long 3 feet 4 Inches wide 18 8 Inches deep two yoke of or oxen and two mUch cows It t was a picture the like of or which has never been seen since This caravan was in reality the one that paved javed th the way for the thousands that were to come Then Thel Thelin in addition all these was carried by each fifty persons a blacksmith shop op with tools for shoeing oxen and for repairing wagons 4 4 There has just come from the press a a. copy of the journal of or the Bennion family which has been written written writ writ- ten en by Harden Hanlen Bennion head of the state agricultural department in which the details are arc given of the trek across the plains the settlement In Utah and of the trials rials and suffering wl which ch were endured by the people in n the way of ot building up this great empire 8 0 4 Fortunately Fortu says the record the arrival in hi the thc alley valley was earl early enough in the season to enable the fan family amily ly of at Bennion to build for fol Itself a comfortable two story house the same being constructed of logs The house was built on the southwest corner of the block situated diagonally acro across s from what is now known cnown as Pioneer Square And this was as the home for or the winter of 1847 48 Then the family moved to the he five-acre five survey locating on Parleys Parley's canyon creek just west of Fifth East street Farming in a small way the first fruit of oC their labors In their new home was flour made the first summer from the ripest heads of wheat selected from their standing grain and nd ground in a coffee mill mm C S 4 During the first summer the family endured man many hardships Ditches were dug water water- turned t on the thirsty hirsty soil SOU crickets were fought and vanquished houses louses built roads made and a constant guard maintained main main- tamed to prot protect t the people from depredations by the Indians Food was scarce and the thc utmost economy was practiced in order to keep want and starvation from the he door This and sego roots milk and a very ery small mall portion of oC flour lour says the Journal are remembered remembered ered by men and women still thing living as the portion doled oled out to them I a |