Transcript

Elder George Hilton of Salt Lake City, who crossed the mountains as a teamster in Capt. John J. Holman's train wrote the following under [the] date of June 10, 1894:

"I left the Sugar House Ward (Salt Lake County, Utah) in 1868 to cross the plains for emigrants in Capt. [John G.] Holman's train. On our return journey in traveling through Echo Canyon one afternoon I broke the hind axle of my wagon. The train left me and went to Grass Creek to camp. I left my wagon and two families on Echo Creek and took my cattle to camp on Grass Creek. Here Capt. Holman gave me another wagon with which I went back. Returning to the family which I had left in Echo Canyon I found a little girl dead. We buried her by the creek. The two families mentioned were Danes and could not talk English. I brought them to the Tithing Office in Salt Lake City. This little circumstance brought about the story that I brought the last family of emigrating Saints to Salt Lake City of the many who had crossed the plains with mule or ox teams, as ours was the last train that ever crossed the plains with emigrating Saints I appreciate this experience in my life and if the statement is anything to the historian or to our people, please give me credit.