Transcript

. . . . In the spring of the above mentioned year [1861], we sold our little notions and bought an old light wagon, we had a pair of cows which we got led up so we started, alone to travel, from the above mentioned place [Fort DesMoines, Iowa] to Florence. The two cows were all the team we had, but we got there all safe, in good health. We camped there, two or three weeks and and the Church loaned me a yoke of 3 year old steers, and furnished me provissions for the trip across the plains. We traveled in Joseph W. Young's train. We were about ten weeks on our journey, we had a plesant trip and plenty of provisions, we had a good time in general, free from sickness. We started to cross the plains in one of the poorest outfits that ever croseed the the plains and finally came in one of the best. (You may judge of the inferiority of the outfit, when every body that saw it would stare, and wonder how we dare start on such a joueny with such an outfit. they would look on the wagon, as we thought with scorn, So Father seeing so many looked on the wagon with scorn, composed a verse of poetry, about it, but the verse contained more truth than poetry. the verse is as follows. <E. H. Rhead put in that part between the brackets>

Don't scorn this wagon if you please

Although it's old, it giveth ease

Acrossing o'er these western plains

It saves us having many pains.