Transcript
Transcript for Jenkins, David, [Reminiscences], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 15:45-46
From Pittson we took the train to Florence, Nebraska. At Florence we met John Morgan and family, who had come from our home town in Wales, there also I saw Indians for the first time. Morgan had one yoke of oxen, but no wagon, so he joined with us, and together we had three yoie [yoke] of oxen, one wagon and one tent, with which to cross the plains. Mrs. Morgan was blind, so she was allowed to occupy the wagon day and night, and my parents slept in the tent. One day about July 4
th
, while journeying along, the oxen became frightened and ran away. For a few minutes we had a pretty exciting time, but the captain, John Smith, and another man on horseback, rode beside the oxen and kept them in the road until they quieted down, so nothing serious happened. (Dr. Young thought this experience of enough importance to give it a place in his History of Pioneer Days in Utah.)
While hunting rabbits one day, I encountered a large rattlesnake, the first I had seen. I killed it and took it to camp, and gave it to the captain, who made oil out of it. It had nine rattles which I preserved.
We saw on the road, immense herds of buffalo, some of which were killed by the company hunters.
We reached Salt Lake in August, and there the company broke up and went to different places.