Transcript

Our trip across the plains was much like that of every other immigrant. Everyone had his own wagons and cattle, and I suppose there were a dozen or more cows in the company, so there was milk for all. We bought a big No. 8 Charter Oak stove in Omaha and brought it with us and it proved to be quite a novelty in Utah in those days. Father often expressed happiness for bringing it, as he did like to be warm in the winter.

When we arrived in Omaha we had to buy our outfits, also cattle. The Union Pacific Railroad had been built out to North Platte, a distance of about two miles, I believe, and all the people, excepting those who stayed to bring out the oxen and wagons, came on with us on trains. We camped at North Platte, I think, some four weeks before our outfits and provisions came out. The immigrants knew little of oxen. I don't remember seeing any in Denmark and I know my father had not been accustomed to them as we had used horses. We had a Texas steer in the lot which had long horns, also an old ox, sort of a brindle with worn down teeth so it could not nip off the grass, and it was my job to take care of this old brindle ox. xxx

In our company there were nine or ten returning missionaries and of course each missionary was anxious to influence as many people as possible to locate in his particular section. Three or four missionaries in the group were from Manti or San Pete Valley, and Father had about decided to locate there. However, when we arrived in Salt Lake City on the 5^th of October….