Show Echoes from trem the dust Autobiography of Charles Allen Hardy It was while I worked at the Ashley Valley op Co-op that I received a letter from Box B In Salt Lake City calling me on a mission for the Church This call came to me on 27 11 May 1897 and was signed by Wilford Woodruff then Pres of the Mormon Church The calling was to the Eastern States Stales Mission My departure was to take place at Salt Lake City on 16 10 October 1897 In pursuance of this call I went to Salt Sall Lake City accompanied accompanied ac accompanied companied by Mother and Ernest Eaton and on of October 1897 I was ordained a Seventy under the hands of ofElias ofElias ofElias Elias S S. Kimball and set apart to the Eastern States Mission The next morning following my ordination I left Salt Lake City in company with Parley P. P whose call and destination was the same as mine We arrived at our destination after about four days of travel during which I stopped off at Chicago to buy a n asuit asuit suit of clothes presented to meby me meby meby by Stanley Ashton of the Ashley op Co-op Store In those days the missionaries were required to wear Prince Albert suits We arrived at 50 Concord St St. Brooklyn New York Mission Headquarters which is across the he East River from New York City ity We crossed the river to the Brooklyn side on a boat called the We Brooklyn Annex Alonzo P P. P Kessler was then President resident of the Eastern States Mission which took look in New NewYork NewYork York fork Delaware Pennsylvania Maryland aryland West Virginia and bout about eight counties in Virginia We Ve remained at the Mission Headquarters under training for Cor about a week living on bananas which could be purchased purchased pur pur- chased for 5 cents a dozen I 1 was then appointed together with Lemuel D D. D Brown of Ogden to the Maryland Conference of the Eastern States Mission Leaving the Mission Headquarters we crossed the East River to the New York State side and took a train for Baltimore Maryland We detrained at Baltimore and taking out missionary equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment we turned our faces toward the wilderness to make our debut as full fledged Mormon Missionaries Our equipment consisted of of or ofu u a parasol a small satchel loaded with the Bible Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price and a copy of Orson Pratts Pratt's works and anda a supply of gospel tracts Here we turned loose upon our own in a strange land and among a strange and unsympathetic people We followed our noses and finally tired and weary we arrived at the home of a Mr Risden Crosley who lived with his wife and son Clarence near an extension of the Chesapeake Bay Hallelujah I They agreed to keep us overnight This was our introduction to missionary work We slept and in the morning we arranged for Mrs Crosley to todo todo todo do our laundry and arranged to return there about once a week for a bath and change of clothes We worked here for sometime returning occasionally oc- oc occasionally oc oc- for a bath It finally became my good fortune to baptize this family the first fruits of oC our missionary efforts in this little extension of the Chesapeake Bay As before stated Elder Lemuel D D. D Brown of Ogden was my companion and was older than I 1 and therefore the senior Elder Other Elders had been sent in to this region which was known as the Maryland Conference Con Con- ference As winter drew near and working in the country districts became very difficult we decided to combine our efforts and work as a unit from the city of Baltimore as our headquarters Pursuant to this decision we pooled our resources rented rooms and established our headquarters at Lexington Ave Baltimore Our senior Elder was Robert Hobert T T. Robertson and he became director of the group The names of the Elders follow Robert T T. Robertson Spanish sh Fork Utah presiding Elder Peter Gillespie Arizona Francis A. A Hanks Utah Lemuel D D. D Brown Ogden Nathan Thomas Salt Lake City Utah Charles A. A Hardy Vernal Vernal Ver nal Utah Fredric C. C Loa Utah Brother Hogan name and address not known So it was that during the winter of 1898 we combined our efforts and worked the city of Baltimore Baltimore is a very cosmopolitan city the weather was pleasant and living prices were low Beautiful large bananas sold on the streets for 5 cents per dozen fish 4 cents per lb Ib and strawberries 5 cents per cup While working on the street in Baltimore one day Imet Imet I Imet met a girl student from Spanish Fork Her name was Susie Lyell and she was going to school there I 1 never saw or heard from her after I 1 left Baltimore |