Transcript

Transcript for Boyle, H.G. Semi-Weekly Telegraph, 12 Sep. 1867, 1

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 8, 1867.

EDITOR DAILY TELEGRAPH:—

I left Great Salt Lake City on the 20th of May, in company with some five other missionaries, in a small train of seven wagons, under the direction of brother Charles Crismon, jun. Arriving within five miles of Fort Bridger, we organized into a company (partly organized before this), consisting of Riley Judd’s mule train of fourteen wagons, D. P. Kimball’s train of eight, Samuel Holt’s train of five or six, C. Crimson’s of seven, and some few others, making in all 80 men, 3 women, some children, 260 mule and 38 wagons, all under the direction of Capt. D. P. Kimball.

During our first hundred miles travel, we had much to contend with everywhere, from the top of the highest mountain to the lowest ravine, and how much lower it extended, not knowing, I cannot say. We had so much water and mud and were in it so much, that the boys said they had got to feeling scaly and smelt fishy, and that they enjoyed nothing dry, but a very dry laugh now and then. We got along so slowly that we not infrequently encamped within sight of our last encampment.

From Bridger to this end of the trip, we have had comparatively good roads. We arrived at New Julesburg on the 26th of June, without the loss of man, mule or wagon, and without seeing a hostile Indian, although Indian depredations were committed before and behind us. From all I can learn of the treatment they have received at the hands of their pale faced brethren, I am not surprised that the Indians should be hostile.

At the water tank, seven miles below Julesburg, on the 28th, we took passage in the cars, on the Union Pacific Railroad, for Omaha. Below Platte City, the freight train ahead of us ran off the track and detained us some four hours. Nothing further of note occurred to Omaha, where we arrived on the 29th, in time for breakfast.

We left Omaha on the 30th at 4 o’clock a. m., on the St. Jo. steamer, Colorado, in company with Elders John Brown, John P. Lee, W. N. Dusenbury and brother Burrill and arrived at St. Joseph the same day at 8 o’clock, p. m. At 5 o’clock a. m., July 1st, we took the cars on the St. Jo. and Hannibal Railroad for Macon city, where we arrived at noon. Changed cars and at 3½ o’clock p. m., took passage on the North Missouri Railroad for St. Louis, where we arrived on the 2nd in time for breakfast.

I would like to state here that I think the country in the State of Missouri much the same as it was 20 years ago. It is the same grand old forests interspersed here and there with splendid lawns and small prairies, hills and dales, no more brilliant scenery to be found in the world. But its beauty is natural beauty, that which it possessed from the hand of the Great Creator. There is just a perceptible change in improvements. There has not been that progress which I had expected. Considering the climate, the richness of the soil, and the fitness of the country every way for advancement, I was led to exclaim, surely there has been some cause for this delay in progress. It seems that the strong arm of enterprise has been checked, and the State that might and ought to have been like the Garden of Eden, is comparatively a wilderness. In the improvements that have been made in architecture, agriculture, and horticulture, there seems to be a lack of taste an beauty, that one does not like to see. Many of the houses are the log cabins of 20 years ago and many more houses of greater pretensions have a dirty appearance, and are dilapidated and going to wreck. The corn and potatoe fields, orchards and gardens, look neglected and are gone to weeds. The fences are gone, or sadly out of repair.

Everywhere enterprise seems to be paralyzed, the spirit of the people broken, their ambition gone, and an idle dream-like existence only is left to them.

The portion of the State that I have just traveled over was mostly free from the ravages of the late civil war, that swept over this State with its devastating forces, so that other portions of the State would present a darker picture that I have drawn.

Soon after our arrival here we found Elder L. D. Rudd presiding here, and the same evening we held a meeting with the Saints, who seem to feel well, and anxious to hear of the prosperity of the Saints at home.

Elder J. Brown has gone down the river into Illinois to see and visit with his relatives there. Elder D. has gone up to Pike, in Illinois, to visit with his relatives. Elders Lee and Burrage have each gone his way, and I alone am left here, waiting for my traveling companion, Elder Howard Coray, to meet me here, at which time we shall go our way together. I held a meeting at the Saints’ suburb pic-nic, the Fourth of July, another meeting up the river on this side some ten miles, on Saturday evening, where in a gentleman’s fish pond, I baptized six persons, three of them new members.

On Saturday, Elder Holley arrived here on his way to Europe. We held two meetings at St. George’s Hall on Sunday. Elder Holley left here on his way this morning. So along.

Yours respectfully,
H. G. BOYLE.