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Show 1 X- Lli42alK Box ccr V BfBWS-JOVKBtA- nmxt ear letit was L. September 3, 1947 EARLY DAYS OF CORINNE WERE BUSY ONES FOR TOWNS MAYOR Alexander Toponce Recalls They'd Say "Go See The Mayor' by J. E. Halverson The City of Corinne is located on the west side of the Bear River where the Central Pacific crosses. It was named for the daughter of a Mr. Wil- liamson, who located a homestead on the east side of the river. The courts decided that as he had located after the railroad line was surveyed, the grant from the government was prior to his homestead. Years afterwards, Williamson was Secretary of the Interior, and made a ruling that was just the opposite to the one that had lost him his homestead. Among the first settlers of Corinne were the following: George A. Lowe, dealer in implements, later had stores In Salt Lake and Ogden. Among his employees were William Turner, later mayor of Ogden Tom Turner, still with the firm at Ogden, and Gardner A. Bruce, who also moved to Og- Everybody that had any grief of any kind brought it to me to fix up. Sometimes I fixed it up with Masonic funds and sometimes I could use the Odd Fellows funds and sometimes funds the city had in the treasury, Corinne was the first station west of Ogden on the Central Pacific and when people tried to beat their way to California, the conductor put them off at Corinne. The first thing that the first man they met would say was, See Alex Toponce. Very rarely I could get help for these people from the county, and very often I could arrange with the railroad for cheap rates to get the people to California or to some other point where they had friends or relatives. Sometimes I had to go out on the streets and take up a collection. I recall one occasion when a womary and four children were put off the train because of some defect in the tickets. She was promptly advised to call on the mayor. By consulting with the local station agent, 1 found that it den. Jodn W. Guthrie, president would take fifty dollars to of the Bank of Corinne, known get the woman and her chilall over the west as "Guthrie dren to California, so I went of Corinne"; Sam L. Tibbals, out and raised the money while wines and liquors; J. W. Me they waited. 1 would go into a saloon and Nutt, druggist, later the city recorder of Ogden, F. B. Hurl step up to the bar and throw but, druggist, later moved to down a dollar for the barkeeper Ogden; Stenley Bros., W. O. and say, Everybody come up Stanley now lives at Ogden; J. and have a drink on the may H. Garrish, hardware. or." J. D. Farmer, who moved to The men in the saloon would Salt Lake City and was later all line up and order them drowned in Great Salt Lake; choice drinks and when they Fred J. Keisell and Leon Gold- had tucked it under their belts berg I first met Keisel in Salt I would then tell them about Lake and Goldberg I knew in the woman and four children. Colorado in Then I would say, "Now boys, Gulch, Georgia I860. it is up' to the City of Corinne John S. Lewis, jeweler, fa- how much will each of you ther of John S. Lewis of Og- chip In?" I would pass the hat and den I knew him first in French take up a collection and then Gulch, Colorado. Hardenbrook and Landon, go to the next saloon and re livery stable; John Kupfer, peat the program. Very few jeweler, moved to Butte; E. P. of the men would refuse to later donate after having a drink Johnson, attorney-at-law- , probate judge, and later grand with the mayor, and some of master of the Masons of Utah. them would chip in liberally A. Kuhn and Bro., dry goods, because they were in town to moved to Ogden; Wells Fargo spend their money. In an hours time I had and Co., express and stage; Dr. John W. Graham, first mayor raised the money for the ticof Corinne; J. Black, who was kets for the woman and her first master of the Masonic four children, and they left on the next train. lodge number five. G. A. Hogeman, harness dealAbout the same time I was er. later receiver of the lalnd mayor of Corinne, Governor office at Hailey, Idaho how of Emery appointed me a sherOgden; Berryman and Rogers, iff of Box Elder county. It was Jim Williamson, Hugh Kirken-dall- ; pretty wild and wooly loChas. Ducheneau, dealer cality in those days, and afin horses and cattle, later a ter my commission arrived, I decided to thank his excellency resident of Ogden. Wyall and Garrison, freight- and pass the honor to some one ers to Montana and George else. So that is an office I never held. Williams, also a freighter. Stubblefield, who operated the ferry over the Bear River What Lot Smith and his Morat Corinne prior to the build- mon cowboys did to the wagon trains on the Sandy put a crimp ing of the railroad. The city council of Corinne in in our trip to Utah. For the first 1874 was Gardner A. Bruce, time Johnston and his West J. H. Garrish, J. W. Guthrie, Pointers woke up to the fact Hiram House. Samuel Howe, that they were engaged in a W. H. Munro, Julius Walsh, real war. Their scouts and spies John Stanley. Sam L. Tibbals brought them the news that the Utah militia, still known as the and Alex Toponce. the city officials Nauvoo Legion had 6000 men Among when I was a member of the under arms to oppose his 3000, council were: W. F. Field, re- and had ali the mountain passcorder, O. D. Cass, treasurer, es fortified and mined. Fort Bridger was not exactly and D. D. Ryan, marshall. I also had the honor of be- a winter resort but Johnston decided to winter there while he ing mayor of Corinne once. During the time I was may- sent back for more men and or of Corinne, I was master of supplies. We spent a miserable the Masonic lodge number winter. We had insufficient five and Noble Grand of the shelter and nearly froze. Then Odd Fellows. I came pretty we were short of grub and we close to being the whole thing were on short rations. Even what grub we had we that year in Corinne. I had as much business as a cran- were compelled to eat without berry merchant and not a cent salt as our salt was burned up. of profit In it. There was some salt that came l! fwjJsoned. The next sprang 3000 more soldiers arrived and plenty of supplies and late in May, 1858 we began to advance. Meanwhile, politicians got busy and appointed peace commissioners to negotiate with the Mormons. Because Echo canyon was fortified, we cut a new road down Chalk creek and struck Weber river where Coalville is now. There we followed up the river and across to the head of Provo river and down to the valley. About this time the Mormons made their move south. They abandoned all the towns in northern Utah, and taking their families and stock, started south. Some said the plan was to go to Mexico and some that they were going to locate in the far off canyons of southern Utah. But they did make a start and came back when peace was arranged. They left men in ev- - When we came out of Provo canyon we found the camps of the Mormons scattered all along the east shore of Utah Lake, thousands of people. One could not help feeling sorry for the women and children. They were poorly clad and fed, and were living in wagons and buggies, tents and shelters made of willows. They were really scared of soldiers at first, until they learned that no harm was intended against them. We marched around by way of Lehi to the south side of Utah Lake, where we built Camp Floyd, named in honor of the old rebel who was then secretary of war. There was a story among the soldiers of how Johnston acted when he heard that the war was to be settled peaceably. When an official arrived from Washington with a special message that there was to be no real fighting, Johnston and ston tools off hla hat with the at a general on It. Insignia to threw it the ground, stamped on it and said, Damn such a government. Here we have starved and froze all winter and now ive have these fellows right where we want them they are going to get off without shedding so much as one drop of blood. Damn such a government. I do not know if the story is true or not, but three years later, these same officers sided with the south. About 1873, I sold Brigham Young forty mules to pull the first street cars ever operated In Salt Lake City. The tracks were laid and the cars had been ordered. Brigham wrote me at Corinne for the price on a bunch, of young mules I had. I replied that I would sell forty out of the top of the herd Continued On Following Page A Teach" of a Warm Weather Dish At The Peach City NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS ICE CREAM FOUNTAIN SERVICE CAKE ROLLS ICE CREAM AND PUNCH SOLD BY BULK FOR PARTIES AND ENTERTAINMENTS At The Hollywood FOUNTAIN SERVICE SHORT ORDERS SANDWICHES DELICIOUS ICE CREAM CONCOCTIONS MERCHANTS LUNCH i , |