I remained in that locality five days, until the 24th, visiting uncles, brother-in-law, cousins, and other relatives, and also the farm on which I was reared. At Versailles, on the evening of the 21st, I lectured, by request, on my travels and experiences. The schoolroom being too small to accommodate the people, the Methodist church was procured, and was well filled, many of the audience being my old schoolmates. They were glad to meet me, as I was to meet them.
I stayed that night with Joseph F. Vandeventer, and next day, in company with him and his brother Thomas, visited my father's old farm, then owned by William Knox. There were many changes about the place. The cemetery was fenced into a pasture, and I was unable to find my brother's grave. The fruit trees in the orchard were well grown, and I was given some good apples and the best cider I ever tasted, made from fruit from trees I had set out with my own hands.
That day's walk brought to my recollection my youthful days, my hunts through the woods and my adventures, my toilsome labors in grubbing underbrush and clearing the land, threshing wheat in the hot, autumn sun, feeding stock in the cold winter, my cold fingers, benumbed body, and frozen toes—once shedding my toenails through frost, and peeling the skin off my feet—in short, I was reminded of much toil on the part of my parents, brothers and sisters and myself, and of many days of sickness with fever and ague. We returned to Versailles, and next evening, the 23rd, after more visiting, I consented to preach, and was given good attention by a large congregation. On the 24th, I went down to the river landing at the mouth of Crooked Creek, with my uncle and Joseph F. Vandeventer, but learning that the boats were uncertain, I resolved to go to Meridotia and there take train for New York, in order to meet Elder C. C. Rich. To do this, it was necessary for me to borrow twenty dollars, which I did of Mr. Vandeventer. At 9 o'clock that evening I was on my way, on the Quincy and Toledo line, passing through the great Wabash valley. After several changes of cars, and crossing North River on a ferry boat, I landed in New York City on June 26th, without knowing a soul that lived there.
I walked up to Broadway, and took a Sixth Avenue omnibus to Twenty-third Street, where I found the residence of Brother Jonas Croxall, and introduced myself to his wife, as he was not at home. I had eaten but two meals since I got into the cars at Meridotia, and they cost me seventy-five cents. I had ridden over one thousand miles on the cars from Illinois, and had ninety-five cents when I reached the end of the journey. My supper that night was provided at Brother Croxall's. About 11 o'clock in the evening Brothers Croxall and A. M. Lyman came in, they having been on a visit together at Brother Schettler's.
CHAPTER LVI.
VISIT VARIOUS PLACES OF INTEREST IN NEW YORK AND VICINITY—ARRIVAL OF THE GREAT EASTERN—PREACH AT WILLIAMSBURG—NEW YORK'S CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH—MY THIRTY-SECOND BIRTHDAY—SECURE PASSPORTS AND OCEAN PASSAGE—CROWDED IN THE STEERAGE—FOGGY AND WET WEATHER—VIEW OF THE IRISH COAST—FLEET OF BRITISH WARSHIPS—LAND IN LIVERPOOL—ASSIGNED TO BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE—IN BIRMINGHAM—LISTEN TO ANTI-MORMON LECTURE—VISITING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE AS A MORMON MISSIONARY—PLACES OF INTEREST—TRANSFERRED TO NOTTINGHAM CONFERENCE—PREACHING AND VISITING—MISSION TRAVELS—GO TO LONDON—SEE NOTABLE PLACES—NEWS OF MY DAUGHTER'S DEATH—BIRTH OF ANOTHER DAUGHTER—RETURN TO NOTTINGHAM.
THE 27th of June was spent with Apostle A. M. Lyman and J. Croxall, walking about the city of New York. That day F. M. Lyman and Reuben McBride arrived, and next day Apostle Lyman and his son Francis M. left for Boston. With Reuben McBride, I visited the various departments of the place where J. Croxall and his son worked. We then crossed East River with Thomas Miller, and strolled through Williamsburg. We were introduced to a Brother Stone and family, with whom we stayed all night. On the 29th we were made acquainted with many Latter-day Saints in Williamsburg, then crossed over to Brooklyn, where we went through the navy yard and other places; at the first named place we went on board the old ship of war North Carolina. That day we heard the salutes fired for the Great Eastern, as she steamed up the wharf in New York. The ocean monster was hailed with joy and enthusiasm. She had been sighted at sea the evening before.
In New York City, on the 30th, we visited Barnum's museum, Castle Garden, the postoffice, and had a view of the Great Eastern. I received a letter from my family reporting all well. The 1st of July was Sunday, and we met with the Latter-day Saints in Williamsburg. The speakers at the meetings that day were Apostle C. C. Rich, Elder Walter Gibson and myself. I crossed over to New York that night, and the remainder of our stay in the city was the guest of Bernard A. Schettler, who treated me very kindly. During the next few days we visited many factories, ships and places of interest, and wrote letters home. On the 4th, which was my thirty-second birthday anniversary, there was a grand celebration. The militia of New York City paraded, passing the George Washington monument in review. There was a grand fireworks display in the evening; and in the afternoon we witnessed the aeronaut, Mr. Wise, ascend out of sight with a balloon. On the 9th we sent to Washington for our passports. W. H. Dame and I were appointed on the 12th to take the money of our party, secure berths on the steamship Edinburgh, of the Blackball line between New York and Liverpool, and to purchase articles necessary for the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. We attended to this duty on the 13th.
July 14th, our party, thirteen in number, went on board, and at 12 o'clock noon, the vessel left the landing. We paid twenty-five dollars each for steerage passage. There were nearly three hundred passengers, and the berths were all taken up, so our lot was rather hard. Being very much crowded for room as well, it was plain that our part of the voyage was not to be very pleasant; but we were on board and had to make the best of it.
By the 18th we were off the banks of Newfoundland, in a dense, damp fog, that obscured the sun and made it impossible to see more than a few rods from the ship. The steam siren kept up a constant whistling, to warn other vessels of our location and approach. The fog lasted till the 23rd, when it lighted up, but the weather was cloudy, with some rain. On the 24th a vessel bore in sight.