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Mary Elisabeth Draper

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Street, Alexander, Journals and reminiscences, 1895-1898 and 1903, fd. 2

Street, Alexander, Journals and reminiscences, 1895-1898 and 1903, fd. 2, Vol. 2.

We landed at Laremca [Laramie] the termanous [terminus] of the U.P.R.R. in the then teretory [territory] of Wyoming. Where Captain Lovelin of Brigham City was awaiting us with a mule train of I should think 55 or 60 wagons to take us on to Zion. We had singing &amp; prayer in the morning and at night. We slept on the ground with the fermemment [firmament] for our tent the moon and stars for our light. The wagons at night would form a <s>cicle</s> [c]ircle corrall with a small opening at each end in this shape O the horses, mules or cattle would be drove in the corrall to catch them.



When we had got about 100 miles we met a train or oxen about the same nu[m]ber of <s>oxen</s> wagons[.] the captain's name was [William S.] Seeley from Sanpete[.] in coming across Green River 5 of there te[a]msters had got drowned and they asked me to go and take one of the teams to drive[.] My parents consented and I was glad to go[.] I was then near 20 years of age, I must tell of a dream I had before we left England[.] in my dream I saw the wagons as plain as I saw them on the plains wich was a testemony to me. A[n]other dream I had that was fullfilled before we left in Part I thought I went to meeting as usually[.] I went the same path through the same <s>door</s> gate the same room[.] When I sat down I could see through the door into the bed room that some of the saints where holding a other meeting it was not many weeks till a Josephite Preacher came a long and convirted a number of our members and they began to hold meetings. I have seen quite a number apotitese [apostates] but I have got the First one to see that ever amounted to anything[.] they have a discontented spirit contenthus [contentious,] unhappy with a desire to make others as themselves[.] This is a great testimony to me when but a boy.



The first day after excepting the hosision [position] of a te[a]mster the boys c[o]upled 4 of the wagons to gether with 12 yoke of oxen to pull them[,] put a whip about 10 ft. Long with a handle 6 or 7 ft. into my hands and told me to drive them. I got a long farley Well[,] only I did not know what to say to the cattle and as each one had a name[.] 2 names was not learnt in a minute but I could hit them with the whip but after a while the stage came along and I got the Leaders out of the and was going nicely around the stage but as <s>June</s> soon as the Leaders got as far as was there costum [custom] they turned back into the road which pulled the Suting and Wheel Cattle into the stage[.] they all had a good laugh at me both captains teamsters and the people in and on the coach[.] the teamsters came to my aid and knowing what to say soon got the thing righted.



The next day they gave me 3 yoak of oxen and one wagon[.] they told me to say ge[e] when I wanted them to go to right ana [and] hagh [haw]. When I wanted them to go to the Left hand[.] they told me to call the oxen by <s>share</s> their separate names[.] I was a long time before I could call them by their proper names and many times I would say ge[e] when I ment haug, my gratest difficulity was when the oxen where brought into the corrall to be yoked up[,] the yoke was after this shape 'm'[.] this is not a good one[.] the neck was in those loos the yoke on top of the neck a kee [key] through the loo on top of the yoke[.] the teamster would put the yoke on the left shoulder and would aproach the ox on the ox [h]is left side and with the loo[p] in the right hand would slip it under the neck and through the holls [holes] in the yoke and would then take the other and get the ox that worked on the other side. Those oxen got so used to it and to thier drivers that they could call the ox by name and he would come with out any firther trouble[.] being brought up to labor in the mines it was hard for me to learn[.] the trouble was I could not tell my oxen among so many about 360 besides a small band of young steers or cows to kill for meat by the way[.] my whip was a other difficulity[.] I was quite awhile before I could swing my whip and hit what and where I wanted to which was very neccessary to do in order to be a good and safe teamster[.] many a red mark I had on my face and neck from my hown [own] or Kwordness [awkwardness.] I would say not knowing how many times a nice sharp tap with the whip on the right side would bring the ox to the left hagh so suden that the front wheel on the off side of wagon would miss a rock[.] not only would this be neccessary to save the wheel but perhaps some very sick or dieng would be saved a severe shake when one died on those planes[.] they could not have a nice meeting house old Servises [services] in deviated to sute Shuck [such] an event[.] this would be held as before stated with the firmement as the tabernacle mostly in the shades of evening[.] it is then that the boxes that contain what few efects they had would be used[,] perhaps be rolled up in a blanket or quilt where the loved ones would stand and see the dirt put on them[,] weeping often till the train started next morning when they would bid farewell to father, mother brother or sister that lay under the little mound[.] no body knows only those that have passed through it what a sad Expearance some have passed through in order to keep the commandments of God[,] wich Sayes come out of your native land to the place I God have appointed[.] many a father mother brother sister Look back with their minds eye to that lonely spot wishing that body here in our lovely Simeparey [cemetery] to get there share of the decoration day of [w]reaths of flowers but they will have to wait till the resuraction [resurrection] day before they will see those bodies again for many of those mounds have become the same as the other service [surface] of the earth around[,] so that to find the place is next to impossible[.] We had our pleasures as well as sorrows when suitable dansing [dancing,] Singing[,] a Sermon on Sunday. Many a young man and maiden have met for the first time on those plains Sparked and then got married in the indulment [endowment] house when they got to Great Salt Lake as it was then called[.] I got so that I was delighted with that life on the planes[.] I had one more <s>of</s> difficulity on those planes which I would not mention but my history would lack that one to me very intresting part



when we got to the Plat[te] River close to what was known then as Fort Steel some desperadoes serounded our captain as he had gone about ½ a mile ahead of the train to examine the fort ford gust [just] at the edge of the river[.] they were in the willows but they did not have time to hurt him for the Chaplen [Chaplain] for some cause followed and when he saw the captains condition[,] the teamsters soon knew it and as the desperadoes where around <s>them</s> captain the temsters were around them as the desperadoes were well armed so were the teamsters[.] they wanted to get some money out of the captain on some pretence of a pair of mules which the captain found and turned over to the railroad camp near to that place and the[y] thought the[y] could frighten the captain out of some money as they claimed the mules had been turned over to the wrong party. But the captain did not scare like they thought he would and when they saw the crowd around them with bussiness stamped on their faces[,] they concluded to let the captain go for the time being but they told us to our faces that they would either kill the captain or steal the cattle before we got to green river and at this the excitement ended for a time.



That night we camped on the river about one mile down the river. The next day being Sunday and also a very sick child which died that day belonging to Bro. Charles Draper the captain concluded to lay over and the child was buried in that place as above discribed[.] Bro. Draper buried two on those plains[.] as those desporadoes [desperados] had warned our captain so he took the warning and put a double guard night and day both over the cattle and camp as the cattle was always taken a distance away from the camp. and I was one to go out and herd that Sunday which was my first expeariance [.] we saw those men at a distance several times through the day but they gave us no trouble. But about sundown a bunch of cattle came over a pas[s] and run into some of ours and they got the spirit of it and away some few of ours with them. The other herders saw the dificulity as well as my self and some one had to go and try and keep tract and bring those cattle back so the other herders asked me if I would go. I consented to go and being very young and a good runner I was soon on their trail which was no trouble to follow. How far they ran I do not know, but I got around them as they were tired and had ran all they wanted. I gently drove them back. surely the lord answered my prayers as I ran after those cattle which were many. I prayed as I ran in my heart for I had no time to stop. The threats of those men rang in my hears for I knew well that if they were on the water[,] they could have very easily accomplished their threat. Why asistance did not come to me I did not know but they were sent[,] that is[,] the night hearders but I [they] could not find me, but I got the cattle back to the place where they started from. Then I met a man on horseback. I saw he was not one of our men and he had his hand on his gun or pistole. My hand was on mine, but I was glad that I had no use for it as it turned out to be one of the night herders of a other train which was no others than Bro. Robert McMicheal of Hoytsville after we for he helped me with the cattle had got <s>stem</s> them in a good place[,] he proferd to take care of them till I could go to Camp and send some one to take them to the herd and I was not long in getting to Camp[.] the Captain and temsters where still up[,] mighty glad to see me and receive the good news of the cattle being safe[.] it was not long till they got to the cattle and reported to the Captain back and I was thankful that I had been the means in the hands of God in doing so much good[.] I was very thankful for a nother thing I only had a Cap to wear and my skin on my face very tender and the sun very hot my face was very sore big scales on it[.] the next morning the captain gave a new Brode [broad] brimed hat[.] I had the respect of all after that[,] the Confidance of the captain and my fellow temsters and my journey to Utah was one that I look back and thank God I had the privilege of making with oxen teams.



Bishop Wm Sargant[,] His Father [John Sargent] &amp; mother [Elizabeth Farrow Sargent] Brothers Nephi &amp; Amos their sister Esther had a independent Wagon in the same train[.] there is one more insedant [incident] I must mention[.] after we had come through the Pass called Devils Gate we droped down a gentle slope to the sweet water [Sweetwater] where we found a man that had been killed by Indians[.] he was badly shot both with bullets and arrows. I helped to dig the poor fellows grave, roll him in his blankets and put him in and cover him up. We also had quite a number of our oxen die at a spring[.] I think it was the mud[.] We got through all right with Captain safe and cattle also.

Transcript for Street, Alexander, Journals and reminiscences, 1895-1898 and 1903, fd. 2, vol. 2, 11p

Street, Alexander, Journals and reminiscences, 1895-1898 and 1903, fd. 2.

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