Show Prize inning V Written by frank I. I About Early irly Days K S L and Standard Optical Co Dear friends I have been y very ery interested in inthis Inthis inthis this fine program program Builders of the West Vest Since I came to Utah in 1859 I feel that I have been one of these builders I have watched our state grow from the extreme north to the extreme south When I was one year old my parents left their comfortable home in Iowa and made the long trek across the plains by ox team Our first stopping stopping stopping stop stop- ping place was where the City and County building now stands in Salt Lake City In 1861 my parents parents parents par par- were called to go to Utah's Dixie My father had lived in the southern states and knew something something something some some- thing of what would grow best in our southern climate he was also a carpenter and would be helpful in building homes We left Salt Lake City with two oxen drawing our covered wagon We Ve were to make our new home where wh white te men had never lived where Indians roamed freely and called it their land Things went very well till we reached Holden while camping there the Indians stole one of our oxen A cow was put in its place and we continued on our journey The roads were terrible rocks and dangerous s We finally reached the place we were to call home it was in Washington Washing- Washing ton county on the Virgin river My sister Rose was the first white child born there She now lives in Emery Emery county Utah Mrs Edward Hamner Duzett The Indians Indians Indians In In- were so troublesome in this small place that we moved up the river to Rockville My wife Hannah Hannah Hannah Han Han- nah Terry daughter of James P. P Terry was the first white girl born there she was born in a wagon box The men worked hard tilling the soil and after working hard allday all allday allday day must take their turn at night I g guarding arding against the Indians The soil was good they raised cotton sweet potatoes peanuts and sugar I cane How well I remember the molasses mill and that Dixie sorghum sorghum sorghum sor sor- sor- sor made from our sugar cane Every fall tall wagons were loaded mola se anti and ir fruits t to trade for flour we went to Iron San Pete and Sevi Sevier r counties We also took our products to Nevada for some of that Nev Nevada da silver Our nearest railroad station was Milford so getting our supplies was very difficult difficult difficult dif dif- dif dif- for many years The nearest i iway way of getting mail was to bring it over the Long Valley mountains when I was a very young man I Iwas Iwas I was given this responsibility the mail bags were pulled to and fro froby froby froby by means of a pulley the carriers never seeing each other The trip was made through the canyon and andon andon andon on pack mules In 1878 I owned the land where now stands the I lodge in Zion canyon I I spent my I honeymoon n cultivating corn on this land I lived in Rockville till 1893 when many were forced to leave because the Virgin river with its many floods had washed away our lands landL Now we were pione pioneers rs again in the Deseret country on the Se Se- vier river where land was plentiful and lucerne and grain crops were abundantly grown everywhere Im I'm now in my year and perhaps my early hardships were not so bad after all for they were necessary that we might build this great State of Utah the Queen of the West Frank Slaughter This true story written by Mr Slaughter won first prize in a radio contest this past winter in Salt Lake City Shortly before Mr Slaughter had won a winter outfit overcoat hat and gloves on a radio contest by sending in a wish which he wrote in wishing for a hat overcoat overcoat overcoat over over- coat and gloves One day he said he wished he had a fountain pen set and his daughter reminded him that there was another contest contest contest con con- test going with a fountain pen set for first prize on pioneer stories So Mr Slaughter wrote his story and sent it in and won the fountain fountain fountain foun foun- tain pen set His granddaughter here Mrs Rex Bunker brought the story in to us I Mr Slaughter made a trip to California California California Cal Cal- during the winter after he had won his prizes to visit some of his family He stopped in Delta on his return to his home in Salt Lake City for a visit with Mr and Mrs Rex Bunker and while he was here spent the day in Fillmore Saturday March 8 when the Utah Legislature had their session in the theold theold theold old State House He especially enjoyed enjoyed enjoyed en en- joyed the program and to meet Gov Maw again |