| Show WOW f for thu paper A MISSION ARYS INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAMS pullay 15 williamson William gon co ill III january there is ia such each a manifest change ef cf feeling among the people not dot of the faith of the saints sin ce I 1 left my two years mission to the southern states seven even years yeara ago that I 1 felt it would be only a matter of justice and perhaps interest to mention my pleasant experience peri ence among them up to the present prea ent having been called by the prophet of god 11 aa was waa aaron and set get apart on the ath day of january 1895 by elder heber J grant to labor in the northern states inis mission sion bade adieu to jair fair utah and forsook houses and lands land family and friends and all that was dear on earth to prove my faith to in the by my work on the following day the journey was wag very plessant made so 0 o largely by ane congenial and very gree agree aole sole company of elder samuel W richards being on big bia way t tj preside over the he eastern states mission whom I 1 had the pleasure ot of ac C comp comparing aning as ae far an council bluffs via U P he be continued to now new york and I 1 called upon president stout who on account of ill health haa ban beeb released to return home I 1 found elder stout to be a humble kindhearted kind hearted intelligent man tor whom I 1 could not help but show the sympathy and brotherly love much could also alao be said alil of kindness and credit due the saints sainto who were kindly administering to him A mr huntington Huntin gion now deceased kindly gave the mission the use of a large hall situated at broadway couo coun oll cil bluffs where the saints hold bold two meetings mee tinga every sunday which are gratuitously advertised by the kind now of four leading newspapers which are re generally pretty well attended brother joshua B R dark clark of grante vilie tooele thoele county having been called to fill all the vacancy caused by the release relea of brother stout reached here the evening of the same day that I 1 arrived january it was wai conjointly agreed by she be two wo brethren that I 1 should bould labor in williamson Willlam aou county J if 11 and suggested that I 1 go by the be historic nauvoo and carthage I 1 was truly thankful fir this suggestion as aa I 1 always have had bad a great desire to see these places of sorrow morrow and spoliation january esth I 1 bade good bye to my ay nw new friends siad and bought a ticket to burlington Burling tOD ohio from there I 1 went to montrose just juat across acront the river west opposite nauvoo the river was waa frozen over ly to afford th the passage of pedestrians ped estriana two gent gentlemen gentlemen leme are running opposition band sleighs on en which they carry what little express passengers or luggage there maybe may be fir nauvoo brode I 1 rode on am mr vla sleigh himself skating abating and pushing the sleigh in about ten minutes we were across the river we then took hia big conveyance and rode up the rising hill where the once beautiful town of nauvoo stood I 1 could not help the feeling ot 0 awe that seemed to creep over me as house boube after house was pointed out to me where the doar trodden robbed driven and murdered servants ser vanta ot of god onoe onee lived among them being we the house of the great latter day prophet joseph smith the houses bouses that are remaining which the saints built are among the best beat average buildings of today 1 I registered at the arlington hotel from salt lake city and I 1 soon made my business busl nesi known and was introduced to an old gentleman who lived here in the times of trouble by the name of thomas E kelley who received me very kindly and spared no pains in giving me all the information he be could command we visited all the houses bouses of note now standing and I 1 carefully made a note of the history ot of each as an given by him he condemned with the mod most severe emphasis the way the mormons cormons had bad been treated he said he was only a coy boy then but was wag eye witness to jack cormons mormons stealing from parties and hiding it upon the places of mormon leaders and then going to the parties whom they had stolen from and telling them beathe bet the mormon leaders had them 20 he said he never belonged to the church but bis big father once did but bad apostatized in the days ot of joseph smith because of polygamy I 1 next called at the nauvoo rustler rustier printing office and gained what information I 1 could of the present feeling i toward the he mormons Mor mons the people here her p universally acknowledge we the mistake of ef those who drove the mormons cormons Mor mons and agree that it was one of the most wicked things that ever happened with an expressive sigh they tell of the time when nauvoo had bad about chicago at that time had inhabitants nauvoo then they hey are careful to rew remark sark had no saloons loone sa now with about 1200 inhabitants it has bas several saloons leavin leaving these people with a kind interesting feeling fading towards the mor mons I 1 departed for carthage having to reckons the river and take train to keokuk la in and from there to carthage I 1 registered at the grove hotel mane made my business known and was soon introduced and kindly received by the people I 1 called at the place where the prophet and patriarch were killed and found that I 1 had learned mure more about the building build ingin in a moments moment is view I 1 had bad ever found out by reading the place to is now used for a dwelling and the he kind old lady to is very hospitable in showing strangers through the house and giving liberally of her bar beautiful selection of flowers I 1 also secured a piece of stone from the build ng I 1 next called on sergeant williams I 1 found him still bitter in his bis epithets toward the man whom he saw killed P he said htwe we all wanted him killed we held a meeting the night before and decided to kill him we loaded our cartridges blank and agreed upon the plan carried out 21 he then continued to say joe smith was a bad man MAD he taught the people to steal one of his teachings I 1 remember now was the earth la is tue the lords lord and the th erbol therefore take whatsoever you good 3 such doctrine tri as that would make bad people 22 so do williams went on OD he then asked we me where I 1 was from I 1 told him from salt lake city he would not tell me any more and won was seized with such a violent shivering and shaking that his daughter politely asked me it if I 1 would not defer further conversation sergeant Wil billiani liani as he calls him self lives in about the poorest house in carthage the forest their native wildness wild nesa remain with the greatest possible dullness an I 1 everything every thing both within and without bears beara the frown of a ajuan il u at god I 1 found people in both of these towns towne who would look at ther the views of salt bait lake city which I 1 had with me and with a suspicious euspicio ua moisture in their eyes express surely the lord la is with wase bebe people or they could not endure and what they have P january met brothers bentley and roberts roberta at marion williamson Wllliam Bon county ill there seems to be a great interest ibbe gospel by many of the people or of this and adjoining counties many houses are being opened for us to preach A number of baptisms have occurred occur reO and many more persons desire to be baptized just this weeks week oue one of the largest largeant hou bouses in the vicinity has been opened for us to hold a series of meetings in and at least one has been permanently opened ministers apparently have become convinced that they have no argument that will stand against the pure gospee gospe as taught by the kie mormons cormons Mor mons and in some instances are making us a home at their houses and speaking to our praise in their churches this has been done especially by a rev johnson Job of the presbyterian church who happened to visit salt bait lake city and the tabernacle hearing president joseph P F smith preach when he be was traveling travel log with the presbyters presbytery Presby last summer he pronounces the mormons cormons a good people with a good religion jf 22 and that they have the most moat beautiful lul singing he ever heard board pa the saints and the people generally are very kind and hospitable to us and we feel to bless them and explain the pure gospel of jesus christ freely ns an we have freely received of it the harvest truly to is great but the laborers are few elder bentley informs me that he now has room for twelve elder and cannot get thera them we therefore pray the lord tf if the harvest that he will send forth more laborers M I 1 hope the elders will notice this for I 1 understand people are mes measurably anxious to bear all through the mission and indeed I 1 may say bay the united stacee and that the elders will not think the missionary work ended SAMUEL G Q SPENCER |
