| Show R S Cj y PIONE LEADER f PEE Y f In my m 4 i hS some g what of 0 the of Our Uintah Ul tab Bum Basle I 1 real real- reali i It that 4 In aD n of petal j family his his- tory ory may burl ha- ha bete e nn Therefore I rUe o only of those thoM tho W th W UI which bat hate he Influenced my mr lift life through observation and personal o of 01 the very ry I q in each tach character If tf r t quote mla or Twill will solicit a correction J I Wm Wen Workman R R S 8 Collett Colleti rtH Many o ot of ou ou tl Volley Valle Valley I pioneer pioneers are Salt fait fl t dropping ing off of and little or nothing 1 w ib laid bid of their accomplishments The lat lat- latest est Is not least and I refer to the late R S Collett who pass pass- passed ed e ed away recently in South Salt Lake City He came into our ur picture as asa asa a young man just In to his year a tall lanky specimen yet stately In posture arid and move move- movements movements ments of body He had recently returned from the British mission and had been missionary companion of ot the late S R Bennion The story was told that when Pres Prea I Bennion was called by the First Presidency to move out here he suggested that R R S Collett be called as his first counselor which was done Some mar mal mahave have wondered why Import a strange boy bo President Bennion was a ag great g observer and aM and no n doubt in his previous ex hid had ha discovered much ability as a well as Os s signs of lead lead- leadership In and in their sub nub subsequent sequent labors it was proven beyond a doubt that Pres Ben Ben- Bennion nion was inspired to call him himas as all a ft helper help r I He Re was gifted in the art of oratory and was successful as asI asa asa a getter crowd at meetings in ini I every locality of the stake inI I People followed him from ward to ward when they knew he I would be the speaker I 1 know for I was one in such crowds Previous to this time I had never become interested in tn Sun Sun- Sunday day meetings President Ben nion called a meeting me for Mill ward Ma Masser r now now one ne Sunday afternoon and he he h brought with him this ou yeung onano who wore a and low hanging aide Ide limns tl e he od logy log log roof dirt ed- ed edward W ward house wal was field to ti eager aler people to hear tl moice t voice and he held this cr bound spell for ov over r an h ui meeting was one of the timing points in tn my my life and after that I scarcely missed a meeting when I was sure he would speak Our first close contact was inan in Inan an incident that happened at the home of Dr Or Hullinger oh on on lower Ashley river in 1887 1987 He H U had been hunting for f l some som lost horses on Greets 1 ter He want ant ant- anti anted I ed to put in the nt t day on the river but discovered r c that it would be a long Ways to go up I to Vernal for the th night So 50 he found himself not for from the home of the Doctor Dodor and decided to try for a bed or the night I was doing chores when wh n I heard the dogs bark Looking up I saw a tall fellow letting down the I bars I never saw him before in his cowboy or work clothes yet I recognized his face and ana and voice immediately At that time in my life I had never asked for a place to stay stav all night but to any returned returned missionary it is an old story and the way he asked for en en- entertainment that night made an everlasting i l i on me He did not wait walt for them to ask him to stay but he told his pre pre- pre pre- predicament and asked if he could stay all night The Doctor read readI I ily consented Our evening meal was wab over and Mrs Hullin ger prepared him a nice supper of fried potatoes smoked ham I bread and butter buttermilk and three fried eggs He ate ateI I heartily heartHy as it had bad been a day without dinner Near the close of the meal Lady Hullinger bade him eat plenty and noticing one one egg egg left suggested that he should shod eat it He answered Two eggs for a small man mau ma should be plenty and there was a lesson to a rough and ready boy that it was a breach of good manners to lick the 1 platter latter clean and devour every every- thing ling placed before you He and the Doctor talked until past midnight on church government and missionary experiences ex ex- ex experiences Next morning I found myself crowded tight against the wall in bed with the longest man I ever saw I was now ow in my plastic iC age Influences c cow and contacts n were r I making everlasting everlasting impressions on my mind My next close dose con c n- n nI I tact with him was when we were seat rest mates in the first year of the in 1891 n It hwa was Stake begun e n In Academy c cg the g old fd paint ramt shop on West Main street under the teachings of Prof Henry Peterson This school was later moved to a new build build- building building ing on the tabernacle grounds I was greatly gre Uy impressed by his funeral sermons two of which were given at my broth broth- brother's brother's ers er's and sisters funeral in Mill Mil Ward And so he became an all I around i- i iund und practical man man freight freight- freightIng I Ing farming mining dising and postmaster He built a beautiful home in tn inVernal Vernal which still stands and is occupied by Dr Francke Franke When in 1905 the Indian reser was thrown open to en en- en entry try he Joined the westward move and located a homestead At the organization of the Dry Gulch Irrigation Co he became secretary and was employed for several years Then In 1920 1020 he dropped out t of the picture of f the Uintah t Basin Ba and finished rh J the remainder of his days in InI I South Salt Lake City At the ripe age of 82 he passed to the great beyond J WM WORKMAN |
