Show EARLY reminiscences A A quaint description of pioneer days in utah utah august 10 1888 editor deseret news v reminiscences ot of early lays days and pioneer times in this territory are of interest now and will be more interesting in the future it may iday not be easily determined whether the pioneer even events tsin in the settling of these valleys are more engaging to the atte attention ution of those who re relate te them or those who isten to the recital of events that thac transpired before they were born be that as it may I 1 am free to confess confes 4 that I 1 recount from experience events of 1848 and 1819 and history further down the stream sart am of time in this territory with a great peal deal of satisfaction it if you are willing I 1 will give to thie the children who enjoy tue very advanced advance d privileges of 0 tile ane schoolhouse and school facilities in this territory now an idea and perhaps an amusing idea of THE FIRST schoolroom in this territory it was located in the north string guear near the northwest corner of tile the old fort in the site of salt lake city rne clie houses were all built as a part of the fort wall with i portholes port holes for defense in case of an attack by indians and generally with a six lil light ailt window opening to the inside of the fort the roofs co consisted insisted of poles or split logs laid close together and covered wl with cedar bark or rushes that grew the marches suca was tue tae general makeup of the first schoolroom with an immense quantity of dirt piled on the atit roof as a provable able protection V vom foin f om oin the rain for q a floor we had a sim similar ilax but more solid material than that of the be roof hardened clay the one window was just large enough for six pan panes es of glass but we lacked the glass it was not to be had bad for there was not a store in all this territory and while I 1 think of that matter we did not need any glass for we w had no sash and there was NO SAW MILL to be found anywhere west of the missouri river so we were wont to take some thin cotton cloth and oiling it or rather rathar greasing we would it to wast primitive window frames we had bad where baere the cloth or grease came I 1 cant remember but our main dependence for light was on fair weather when we could have the door open adfor writing tables some mans wagon bax was torn to pieces and laid on i trestles isetts or benches were made in the same way our stove was a fireplace a real spacious liberal fire i place in which we burned cedar or sag sae ge brush but we were so healthy tand an d warm blooded then that we needed but little outside lire to keep us warm books then as now were the main objects of interest in the fitting out of a schoolroom could students td in the B Y academy see ow stock or SUPPLY OF BOOKS la in that first school it would afford chenk unlimited amusement school book were about as useless then as one could imagine alien preparing to ibave the civilized civilised civili sed world and plunge from persecution into the unexplored I 1 regions of the rocky mountains there to fine a stopping place where here we I 1 could be at peace then instead of books the first great problem to be was can we obtain a living there from the products of th the ground the first interest was to prepare themselves with materials lor for tte the solution first of that problem im providing pio viding ding a necessary outfit to wove move from illinois to the rocky mountains so 89 the book of mormon bible boc trine and covenants voice of warning townes reader and speller GOODS coobs speller the english reader and three other kinds kind ot of Kirk bams hams and mur rays grammars and in fact any kind of book that escaped the fire to keep from overloading the teams or toe the perils penis of that lout long journey were used the room I 1 I 1 was to te teach Achin in in size about was furnished and fitted up by my brother dimick and aad in the agreement was mentioned the allowance of his board tor for the privilege of sending his children together with the benefit he might prove to others I 1 commenced the school in november 1848 closed ju in feb 1819 1849 and had between 30 and R 40 scholars judge W W phelps commenced a school in the north fort in dec 1848 in my school room curtis E bolton taught faught of evenings ta eFrench ian lang aage and for the use ase of ray my room I 1 h bad a gd the liberty of the school and the benefits of his bis instruction respectfully y yours ours OLIVER B huntington |