Show written tor for this paper TRIP OF A missionary MARION ill dec 16 1895 it is not long since you heard irom from this part and I 1 almost fear to write lest I 1 intrude upon your valuable space allotted better to others but as I 1 have ome iome i new features of experience to relate perhaps a few items may be at least endurable by the kindly desire of david R roberts who was honorably released from a most faithful two years mission in this conference on december to return to his home in logan utah I 1 accompanied him as far as st louis missouri where he took great interest in introducing me to his relatives and friends I 1 should state that thai a number of them live on the east side of the river and as far south as birkness Birk ners and bellville illinois we also visited and were r received and treated very kind andhor and cor dually bially and when leaving pressing invitations were extended lor for our return while at bellville we were hospitably entertained by the presiding elder of the branch ot of his town joseph E belts he has made more than one trip to utah and was not only impressed with its beautiful new nearess ness and ana the frugality ot of the saints but an everlasting IgL ini was stamped upon his brain that although he may endeavor to talk away time nor ages will not it flace ie that the utah saints have the power the priesthood that binds on earth and in heaven and causes multitudes and kindreds and nations and tongues to be united into one harmonious whole one as the father and the son are one he was so much impressed with the truth of our position that he candidly expressed to us that the on only ay thing he could do was to live in in hopes as he had no dav of knowing which was right I 1 informed him that was where we bad the advantage ot of him jesus says whosoever shall do the will of my father he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of go god 4 or whether I 1 speak of myself we wenho who have embraced the doctrine taught and administered by the authority of heaven know the path that is is marked for us to be the one leading to and through the li strait gate he reminded us that the scriptures inform us that we must live in hope 01 0 1 we called his attention to th the fact that peter eter dec declares ares that at we shall add ao to our faith ho hope e and virtue and to vi virtue e knowledge now ledge we had ad obeyed this and now had that knowledge that the priesthood and power were with us he asked for some cutwa outward r d evidences I 1 told him they were too numerous to be all mentioned in a day or twos conversation but to illustrate some forcible outlines that the observer though merely casual in consideration could not help but see and mentally if not orally acknowledge I 1 called his attention to the fact that while the prophet joseph lived his whole energy souls ambition and struggle was from the very first to gather ther the saints and to build tem p ates C that the work of redemption for the dead as well as the living might go on for says he there is not any too much time pa etc this was the spirit of the prophet I 1 also illustrated this way if you should board the train at bellville to salt lake city with the perfect understanding that there was no change ot of cars that there was only one road and no overs allowed and when at st louis there was a change of conductors but at the all aboard 11 1 1 away the train speeds nothing unusual would be regarded as having occurred by the change of conductors the general tuana management gement and plan had undergone no change or variance on the other hand before the train left st louis some when they realized that there was not much slumber nor sleep enjoyed that it was a through train and being in fluen ced by hotel drummers and sharks in general that they could get a good sleep by staying and take the next tram train were thus led off and had lived on such promises o for over fifty years would you 0 not t irgin begin to think that perhaps those who imbo remained and followed other conductors have boarded the wrong train such is the case with the stone or of kingdom 12 that daniel saw fining filling the whole earth the change of conductors brigham young one other successor 40 the prophet J oseph joseph has made no lull jul or pause in in the work but with great rapidity the stone has moved and is still rolling the saints have continued to gather springs and streams have burst forth in the deser tand temples have not ceased to be built until now the mountain of the lords house is lully fully established in the tops of the mountains and some from every nation are saying come and let us go up to the mountain ot of the lord and to the house of the god of jacob as was clearly predicted by isaiah and micah botito transpire in the last days while those who have slept are now wandering like sheep without a shepherd and as you say trying to encourage a faint hope that perhaps they can climb up some other way etc we then asked our friend it when he could see all this striking contrast he did not feel as though he had missed the train this gentleman is by no means the only one that is candid enough to express a doubt on the same visit while in conversation with ann edwards who once belonged to the church proper in england with an honest expression told rt how warm she then felt and what u unspeakable joy at their meetings and gatherings together then filled her heart while now it appeared calloused or frozen she continued by saying that she hoped the lord would forgive her for what she had done wrong my humble prayer is that the honest in heart among this people may speedily see their error and come in at the door into the sheepfold sheep lold on saturday december ath elder roberts and I 1 bade each other a farewell ell such a one as only mormon missionaries can he for home and myself having conference and other business to call me also to try and improve my health lor for chicago leaving st louis at about 8 p m on the C and A road I 1 reached the famous city at about the same time sunday morning the city was a grand sight to me with its many people cars and large buildings As I 1 wended bended my way toward madison st I 1 beheld the smoke and fire raging from a six or eight story building it was not long until about thirty five fire engines were on every side and corner of the entire block and how they did pour huge streams stream of the cold sparkling water into that building from every side and still the fiery serpent hissed forth from roof doors and windows a perfect sea oi of sparks and glaring flames until the building was perfectly shelled what must the fire of vill 71 have been when there were 2100 acres of land burned over with buildings consumed rendering people homeless n arly double the entire inhabitants ot 01 salt lake city and actually destroying about worth of prop property arty making a grand total loss of but business iness etc of not less than this sight fed and appeased the curiosity but I 1 realized more physical strength in partaking of bread and cheese at elder andrew A bahles abode 2916 calumet avenue himself wife and daughter have a comfortable abode here and extend a general invitation to all saints and friends who may visit chicago to call on them elder dahle dable is the only elder we have laboring inet in chicago and when it is considered e that at it would take just about twenty cities the like of salt lake to make one chicago our young elders at home can see that we have plenty of room for them even in this great city I 1 remarked to elder dahle that I 1 believed that when he had called on each family in his town and left a gospel tract the lortt lord wi w uld be willing for him to be honorably released and return to icah he did not seem to be favorably inclined to laboring by piece work on the monday we were on business and sightseeing sight se seeing ing not forgetting to visit the masonic temple with its twenty on one stories nor the stock yards and the board of trade which looked to us like a chaotic gambling pool on tuesday we took the chicago andl and north nonh western train to elgin illinois and when at the depot walked about one mile to the asylum where we had the opportunity ot of gand conversing with the prophets youngest son david hyrum smith who was abed with our coming he conversed quite freely and with peculiar intelligence and acute memory and it was only occasionally that he would lose his threads which he was always co cognizant agni i of and would seek to bridge with supposition bup tup position he would speak of walking with brother steven stevenson on and sitting on the grass plucking flowers and the correspond correspondence ance received from him headed snowflake arizona 0 with a misty eye he mentioned the fact that brother stevenson had sent him a sermon preached by elder F M lyman on church organization which he be said was simple and very beautiful when we opened before him the views fr of salt lake city he became warmly interested and mentioned his visit to salt lake remembered the foundation of the temple also where stale Stat street estreet the state road asand of going in bathing at black rock her he recognized the aces of presidents george Q cannoo cannom and joseph F smith said he had met them at the Wor worlds lis fair he appeared to be so rational and pointed in his conversation that I 1 ventured to power oi of thought and views to wit in your opinion which do you believe the lord intended to lead the church brigham or joseph his only answer with a smile was that is a aa strange question we let the matter rest there but to us his simple answer meant volumes he be knows more than he cares to tell after remaining about two hours we parted paned having secured his autograph in a very neat legible hand he almost made us promise that we would corner cornea again and eider dahle promised to take his wife and visit him during the holidays he also expressed a desire to have presidents cannon and smith visit him and hopes some day to go to utah says he believes it will be more healthy neall hy while at elgin we did not fail tp to visit the great elgin watch factory about 2200 men and women are now employed before the hard times came they employed they now turn out about 1400 watches per day and have turned out 2000 per day every emery individual gets paid by piecework piece work and some handle about pieces per day some parts of a watch are handled and worked by eighty seven persons before they are ready to place in position no coal is used for tuel fuel petroleum petroleum etro leum in its crude state and some little ittle gas is used the works are super intended by george hunter esq with his son as assistant all ministers are permitted to go through the factory guides are furnished by the kindness of the president mr maj J B coughey took unceasing pains to impart information which he amply proved he abundantly y possessed regarding the factory and its workings six p in found us again in chicago wednesday the art institution being free ot of admission we did not fail to call and nd curiously gaze on the works of man that therein abound but space forbids further mention begging pardon for being so lengthy I 1 close lor for the year by wishing my friends and all lovyrs of truth a very merry christmas christma and many happy returns of new years day to be supplanted only by the grand millennium SAMUEL G SPENCER |