| Show I I I I r THE TEE HAND BAND CART CAn JOURNEY The first Scandinavian hand cart company arrived in Salt Lake City on the of September 1857 led by Elder C. C now v a resident of Manti He had performed performed performed per per- formed a mission in the States Stales for about aboul two years when this company was entrusted to his care and guard guardianship from Florence near Omaha to the City of the Saints At the time he took charge of the company company company com com- pany the people had traveled nearly three hundred miles through the State of Iowa of-Iowa Iowa suffering a great deal dealon dealon dealon on account of the unusual hardships they were exposed to and the lack of judgment of their former leader a Sc Scotchman who could not under understand understand understand stand their language nor did id he exhibit any great interest in their weal eal or woe Many of the company had bad died and others were disheartened disheartened disheartened ened on this When they arrived on the banks of the Misso Missouri un uri river some gave the journey up fo for forthe r the present But when this good and md well wel known Elder was appointed captain for the company it il inspired new V newhope newhope hope and reliance in their sinking spirits and it was Vas almost as if a deliverer deliverer de de- de- de had been sent them in their gre greatest test need neeti ar anti and I smiling milin forces and cheerful songs took the place ilac of th the former downcast do and glo gloomy mr feelings of lh these s people I am not in a coc condition at 1 t Ito to 0 give glY the exact d dates tes and numbers but I believe we were neail four hundred person young and anti old when we commenced our journey journe from Iowa City This number was wai however decreased perhaps tw twenty nty per cent by deaths and those who remained behind El Elder er started out from rom Florence Flor ence on the he or the of July We Ve had in in our company 60 63 01 Or 6 65 hand carts and three mule teams that were given in charge of some returning American missionaries among them our former ormer leader and they were intended to carry part of f provision our tents Jy ly the ibe sick sick sic also and were the property property property pro pro- perty of the emigrant company But Dut poorly did these teams serve the people on account of thes mens men's indifference to their needs in many cases They have not left a very good impression upon the memories of those unfortunate sufferers who were in vain looking to them then for help and assistance on the long an and i dreary journey Our provisions were entirely insufficient for or such a a journey and already when near Ft Laramie we had to divide them over again those again those families who had sickness sickness sickness sick sick- ness in their midst having some to spare for those who had had a good appetite and had consumed their their all The greater part of the journey we had only flour and and nothing but flour flour of which to make cakes bread gruel mush coffee and we wished of Sugar and coffee bacon and beans had been provided but in such uch quantities that it only lasted us two or three weeks and although we wc saw hundreds of thousands of buffaloes passing along the Platte river we wc only y obtained one of them as we dared not attack them for or fear of being ourselves by their great numbers numbers- Oth Other Othir r game galle was very scarce and amI our hunters were so much needed by bythe bythe bythe the hand cart and in ia camp there was not much time fo for any such suche e exploits elOit f. f 1 ofT 0 1 id We had man many small children in j jour our company who walk walked d for miles s sin in n the morning till their strength I i gave out and their parents w would pick lick them up and put them on their hand band carts the thc mule te teams ms being ahead generally We had one aged had been totally blind for lor 17 y years ars who with her daughter cheerfully performed that journey and lived in Mt Pleasant thirty years years years' after coming here One lady gave gavi birth to a child on the way and had pulled the last moment be before before be I fore her delivery and both the i brave mother and babe baLe are re yet living living liv liv- ing in Monroe Sevier evier County We had one young lady who was a cripple with a sh short rt leg and she also lived many many years after she arrived in Utah and may be be alive yet In short it WitS a company made up of the most patient people that could be trus trusting in God and loving and assisting one on another und under r the most trying circumstances that men men could be placed under and our good leader walked all the way vay himself so that he could better feel an and judge about the people and th their ther ir streng strength h yet he had to rush us through as fa fast t as possible so that we should not nol starve and be caught in the snow and perish Had it net not been or the fore ore sight of President Brigham Young we we would have starved but he caused several stations stations sta sta- lions to be made along the line as asfor asor asor for or east as Deet Deel Creek four our hundred miles from rom Salt Lake and at these stations we c obtained a fresh supply of flour at very ery high prices for which we paid with our teams when we reached Salt Lake for fo- fowe we had no money 1 When we Lake City we struck our last camp on the very spot where now lIOW the University Stands glad to end our journey jouney after traveling raveling about 1300 miles in thirteen weeks I believe that there are yet Jet et fifteen survivors of that company living in Ephraim and some that were Herewith with us and lived here arc dead but abI as ab asI I 1 have n not t at present called to mind all ail who are living now no I will not name nn any this time tim but play may may do doso so z hereafter C. C C. C Ck A A. A CJ J S 'S N. N |
