GEMS OF REMINISCENCE
SEVENTEENTH BOOK OF THE FAITH PROMOTING SERIES
DESIGNED FOR THE INSTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUNG LATTER-DAY SAINTS
COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY GEO. C. LAMBERT
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 1915
PREFACE
"Gems of Reminiscence," the title selected for this volume, is sufficiently comprehensive to include incidents from real life on a wide variety of subjects, so long as the effect is to promote faith.
The articles included in this volume are sufficiently varied as to subject matter to interest most of those into whose hands it may come.
In making this volume double the size—that is, double the number of pages—of its predecessors, we have acted upon the suggestion of a literary friend who has had enough experience in publishing books to realize how difficult it is to secure any profit from publishing small editions of books of 96 pages each and binding the volumes separately at the low price of 25 cents per volume, retail. The opinion was expressed that most of those whose taste would lead them to buy such a book would just as willingly pay 50 cents retail for a volume that contained double the number of pages in the same style of binding. We decided to try the experiment and if this venture meets with encouragement, future volumes issued will probably be in the larger size and the price 50 cents per volume instead of the smaller volumes at the price of 25 cents each, as in the past.
That there is an abundance of material in the experience of faithful members of the Church to furnish subject matter for an indefinite number of volumes, of a faith-promoting nature, and that the young people of the community may be benefited more by that class of reading than any other, is as evident now as it ever has been in the past.
We bespeak the interest of all faithful members of the Church in this work of providing the best of reading matter and at the same time perpetuating a knowledge of incidents in their lives that might otherwise be lost to posterity, and trust that all who have had experience that would be faith-promoting if published, will furnish us the material to continue the publication of the Faith-Promoting Series as long as there is need for it. We can not promise them pecuniary profit for so doing, but to those who will conscientiously and intelligently help in the manner indicated we can promise the kind of reward that has thus far encouraged us, that is, a consciousness of having placed benefits within the reach of young Latter-day Saints that will be appreciated in the future if not now.
CONTENTS
[AMONG CANNIBALS.]
James S. Brown's Experience Previous to Being Sent as a Missionary to the Society Islands—Remarkable Predictions by Presidents Brigham Young and Willard Richards—Perilous Journey to California—Tragic Fate of Most of the Company—Arrival in San Francisco—Landing in Tahiti—Opposition from Priests and Ministers—Governor of French Protectorate Arrayed Against Him—Elders Scatter Out—Lewd Women Instigated by Ministers try to Entrap him—His First Convert—Recognized by a Native who had seen him in a Dream.
Catholic Priests Jealous of his Success—Arrested on a Trumped-up Charge—Tried Before Governor's Aid-de-Camp—Frightful Scene Among a School of Whales—Farce of a Trial before the Governor of the Protectorate—Inspired to Plead his Own Cause—Impression Made Upon the Governor—American Consul's Friendly Act—Banished from Tahiti—Befriended by a Queen.
Land Among Cannibals—Denounced as the American Plant—His Destruction Demanded—Sentenced to be Roasted and Eaten—Fire Prepared—His Defiance of the Rabid Host—Effect Upon the Wild Horde Who Were Eager to Roast and Devour Him—Fierce Fight Among His Opponents.
[PARKIN REMINISCENCE.]
Promise to Pay Money With Only Faith to Back It—How the Money was Provided—Lesson His Wife Drew From It.
Ashamed to Pay Tithing—Loss of Crop—Lesson He Learned By It—Potatoes Purchased to Pay Delinquent Tithing—No Loss of Potato Crop Since.
Farming on Shares—A New Vocation—Future Home Shown in Vision—Home Recognized When First Seen in Utah—Reputation Gained as a Faithful and Thorough Worker—Providential Fulfillment of Vision—Home Viewed as a Sacred Heritage.
Ambitious to Work in a Goal Mine—Day Spent in Mine as a Spectator—Fatal Accident—His Narrow Escape from Being a Victim.
Resort to Mining—Caught in a Snowslide—Carried a Mile Down the Mountain As If Fired From a Catapult—Miraculous Escape—Fails to Find Companion—Return to Mine and Then Home—Companion's Subsequent Escape.
Father John Parkin a Pugilist—Defends a Mormon Elder—Shelters Him From a Storm and Learns Something of Mormonism—Whole Family Embrace the Gospel.
Selling a Load of Carrots to An Ex-Missionary, Whose Parsimony is Exhibited—Some Reflections Thereon.
[A SAILOR-SAINT'S ADVENTURES.]
E. R. S. Schnelle's Belief in a Providence Over His Life—Birth and Succession of Accidents—Goes to Sea as Cabin Boy—Gruel Treatment—Pumping Sugar and Water—Ship Crushed Against Breakwater—Reckless Jump—Woes as a Cook.
Embarks as Ordinary Seaman—Captain's Premonition and Sailors' Fear—Amazone Wrecked—Dying Sailor's Vision—Grewsome Seat—a Typhoon—Ship Seized by French—Travel in Russia—Finds A Wife—Converted to "Mormonism."
Sent to Hospital—Blue Jacket Converted—Warned by Spirit to Leave Ship—Disobeys Warning—Narrow Escape When Ship Founders—A Dangerous Fall—Led by Inspiration—Inspired Promise Fulfilled—Work in Temple—Departure for Mission.
[OBTAINING GENEALOGIES.]
At Solicitation of Saints in Utah, Engages in Genealogical Research While Serving as a Missionary—Takes a Special Mission for Such Work—Impression That He Was Receiving Help from the Spirit World—Search for Williams' Genealogies—A Sign and a Mutual Impression—Valuable Data Obtained form a Stranger, Who Was Evidently inspired—Research of Chamberlain Family Record Helped by a Stranger Who Was Also Evidently Inspired to Do So—Valuable Records Providentially Found in Unexpected Place.
[WARNED BY THE SPIRIT.]
Chauncey W. West Sent on a Mission to Asia—Dreams of the Wreck of a Vessel Upon Which He had Engaged Passage—Left the Ship, and Afterwards Learned From the Grew of the Vessel Being Wrecked Just as He Had Dreamed that it Would be—While Awaiting Another Opportunity to Ship to California was Prompted to Vacate a House Where He and Companion Elder Were Staying—House Immediately Afterwards Crushed by Large Stone Rolling Down From Side of Mountain.
Elder James Lawson Inspired to Quit a Steamboat on Which he was a Passenger—Jumped on a Flatboat—A Few moments later the Steamboat Sank, and most of the Passengers were Drowned.
Comforting Assurance Experienced by A. O. Smoot During a Storm at Sea—His Narrow Escape from being a Victim of the Saluda Disaster—His Account of the Explosion.
Series of Escapes Experienced by President Woodruff Through Heeding the Spirit's Warnings—Instance of Failing to do so.
[RECALLED BY ELDER HEBER J. GRANT.]
Excerpts from Discourse Delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 26,1914—Methodist Episcopal Minister Converted to Mormonism—Goes to England as a Mormon Missionary—Calls Upon His Former Minister—His Undignified Reception—Anti "Mormon" Assertion Disproved by Facts—A Minister's Confession—Puzzling Questions Propounded to Ministers, Unanswered—Attitude of Latter-Day Saints Thereon—Unseen Evidence of Power—A Prediction by the Gift of Tongues that was Literally Fulfilled—Truth Only Strengthened by Attempts to Overthrow it—Karl G. Maeser's Conversion—His Pledge and its Fulfillment—Ben Butler's Advice.
[A BUSY LIFE]
Anson Call's Birth and Character—Investigated "Mormonism" to Disprove it, and Became Converted—Impediment in His Speech Cured When Administered to—An Anti-"Mormon" Missourian—Buy Farms in Caldwell County—The Prophet Visits Missouri—Advises Abandonment of Homes—Mob Tries to Prevent their Removal—Flee by Night—Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Far West Besieged.
Suffering from Gold Weather—Anson Visits Elk Horn—Captured and Ill-Treated by a Mob—Treats the Mob to Whiskey, and Escapes—Tiresome Journey to Far West—Visits His Farm Contrary to Counsel—Finds his Property in Possession of Mobocrats, who Assault Him—Apostates Try to Use Anson to Discredit the Prophet—Anson's Fidelity.
Removal to Illinois—A Perilous Journey—Overtaken by the Prophet While Escaping from Missouri Prison—Anson and Wife Visit in Ohio—Locate in Macedonia—Remove to Nauvoo—Mission to Ohio—Prophet's Vision and Prediction as to Saints Locating in West—Judge Thomas' Advice—Service as a Delegate.
Judge Thomas' Willingness to Sacrifice the Prophet—Vain Efforts to See and Report to the Prophet—Perfidy of Reynolds Cahoon and Alpheus Cutler—Prophet's Last Speech—News of the Martyrdom—Its Effect—Atrocities of Mob.
Preparations for Abandonment of Nauvoo—Journey Westward—Winter Near Indian Camp—Test of Fealty—Westward Journey Temporarily Abandoned—Employment in Missouri—Journey to Utah—Choice of Home—Mission to Colonize Parowan—Mission to Colonize Fillmore—Massacre of Gunnison Party.
Call's Fort Established—Acts as Deputy U. S. Marshal—Mission to Colonize Carson Valley—Prepares to Burn Home—The "Move" South—Brother Killed by Indians—Call's Landing Established—His Last Days.
[ELDER BROWN'S EXPERIENCE]
Frigid Trip on Lonely Road—Team Exhausted—Agony of Freezing—Prayer for Deliverance—Friend Inspired to Go to His Relief—Sheep Herder Inspired to Move Camp—Effects of Freezing on Feet.
Sent on a Mission—Stricken with Chills and Fever—President of Mission Proffers to Release Him—Unwilling to be Released—Instantly Healed when Administered to—Twin Boys Healed in Answer to Elder Brown's Prayer—Elder Brown Has a Relapse—Instantly Healed when Again Administered to—Again Urged to Accept His Release—Field of Labor Changed—Health Fails, and He is Sent Home—Reproved by President Woodruff—Victim of a Street Car Accident—Healed in Answer to Prayer.
[REMARKABLE PATRIARCHAL BLESSING.]
Dr. Gledhill's Wife Operated Upon Repeatedly for Internal Tumor—Blessed by a Patriarch—Promised that She Should Recover and Give Birth to More Children—Scientific Opinions Upset by Fulfillment of Inspired Promise.
[LAMBERT REMINISCENCE.]
Applies for Work Upon Nauvoo Temple—Accepts Work Without Prospect of Pay—His Hat Stoned—Offered Work by Lucifer, who Displays Abundance of Gold—Journey Westward—Money Providentially Furnished for Completion of Wagon—Money for Medicine Obtained in Like Mysterious Way—Arrival in Winter Quarters—Ambition to Go West With Pioneers—Plan Foiled by Indians Killing Team Animals—President Young's Confidence—New Shoes Providentially Found—Dislocated Arm Providentially Restored to Use.
[A TIMELY WARNING.]
Visit to a Volcano—Madam Pele's Hair—Narrow Escape from Falling into Volcano.
[ONE OF NATURE'S GENTLEMEN.]
Fine Specimen of Maori—Effect of the Gospel Upon Him—His Excellent Family.
[PRAYING TO DEATH.]
Attempt of Hawaiian Priest to Pray Mormon Elder to Death—His Failure and Hawaiian Discomfiture.
[AMONG CANNIBALS]
[CHAPTER I.]
JAMES S. BROWN'S EXPERIENCE PREVIOUS TO BEING SENT AS A MISSIONARY TO THE SOCIETY ISLANDS—REMARKABLE PREDICTION BY PRESIDENTS BRIGHAM YOUNG AND WILLARD RICHARDS—PERILOUS JOURNEY TO CALIFORNIA—TRAGIC FATE OF MOST OF THE COMPANY—ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO—LANDING IN TAHITI—OPPOSITION FROM PRIESTS AND MINISTERS—GOVERNOR OF FRENCH PROTECTORATE ARRAYED AGAINST HIM—ELDERS SCATTER OUT—LEWD WOMEN, INSTIGATED BY MINISTERS, TRY TO ENTRAP HIM—HIS FIRST CONVERT—RECOGNIZED BY A NATIVE WHO HAD SEEN HIM IN A DREAM.
The late Elder James S. Brown, who for many years was a resident of the 17th Ward of this city, (and who died in 1902) had a most interesting and eventful life, and a few incidents therefrom, in which a special providence was manifest, are here given, the facts being mainly culled from his autobiography published under the title of "Life of a Pioneer."
Elder Brown was a member of the famous Mormon Battalion, and on being mustered out of service in California in July, 1847, he journeyed to Sutter's Fort on the Sacramento river, and became one of the original discoverers of gold in California. After working in California for an outfit, he with others made a hazardous journey eastward in search of their friends the Pioneers, who, under the leadership of Brigham Young, had located, as they understood, somewhere in the rocky mountains, but just where they were uncertain. He arrived in Salt Lake valley on the 28th of September, 1848, and found the pioneers living in a fort on what is now Pioneer Square. There he was warmly welcomed by relatives and friends and settled down to help develop the country.
In the summer of 1849 he witnessed the threatened destruction of the whole of the crops being raised in the valley by the onslaught of crickets, and the miraculous saving of the crops by swarms of seagulls coming from the west and devouring the crickets.
Then he was called to go upon a mission to the Society Islands. President Brigham Young said to him "I promise you in the name of the Lord, God of Israel that if you go you will be blessed, and do good, and be an honor to yourself and to the Church and Kingdom of God. Although men will seek your life, you shall be spared and return to the bosom of the Church in safety." President Willard Richards also said to him "Brother James, when you are upon yonder distant islands, called to preside over a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, men will seek your life, and to all human appearance there will be no possible escape; then look unto God, and His angels shall drawn near unto you, and you shall be delivered to return home unto this people."
In company with Elder Addison Pratt, who had previously filled a mission to the Society Islands, he set out, first proceeding to California by the southern route. They had occasion to feel that they were providentially preserved on the journey, as, through a disagreement as to the road they should travel, the majority of the company (including about 500 emigrants bound for California from somewhere in the east) and who persisted in going contrary to the advice of Apostle Charles C. Rich, got lost and nearly all of them perished from thirst and starvation in Death Valley. The missionaries were content to follow the advice of Apostle Rich, and, after a somewhat perilous journey arrived safely in San Francisco. There they secured passage on the brig "Frederick" and sailed away to the southwest for Tahiti April 20, 1850.
They landed at Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, the largest island of the Society group, May 24, 1850, where they were met and welcomed by a few natives whom Addison Pratt had converted while on a previous mission.
They soon learned that they would have to meet the combined opposition of Protestant ministers and Catholic priests, who were determined, if possible, to prevent them from becoming established there. These opponents had great influence with the representatives of the French government that maintained a protectorate over the greater part of the Society Islands.
They called upon the governor of the French protectorate and tried to obtain permission to visit Tubuai, a distant island, to which place they had a chance of obtaining free passage, but were refused permission, as the governor expressed fear of the effect of their preaching. He required that they furnish him a detailed statement of the principles they taught and the methods and policy they pursued in their missionary work, all of which, however, failed to satisfy the governor that he could safely trust them. The governor then prepared a list of questions for the Elders to answer and pledges for them to subscribe to, all of which they complied with, but all to no avail, for the governor had evidently determined not to allow them to do any proselyting.
Elder Brown made the acquaintance of many ministers and missionaries of other creeds, some of whom professed to have a feeling of friendship for him and his work, but who secretly exerted all their powers and influence to oppose him and instigate the government to curtail his liberties and prevent the spread of the Gospel. Upon one occasion he was visited by two very pretty young native women who were attractively dressed and highly perfumed, and who expressed a desire to investigate "Mormonism." He received them cordially and offered to afford them any information he could, but was blessed with the spirit of discernment and impressed with the fact that they were not sincere in their profession, but had, in fact, come for the purpose of seducing him. He surprised them by telling them of his suspicion as to the purpose of their visit, and that certain rival ministers had induced them to come to him, suggesting to them that Elder Brown was hypocritical in his profession of religion, and in reality a licentious man who would readily succumb to the cunning wiles of lewd women and, by being caught in the trap devised by them, have his reputation blasted and his missionary work effectually stopped by the exposure that would follow. The women acknowledged that he had correctly discerned and described the cause and purpose of their visit and the identity of its instigators, and on being warned to repent and assured that "Mormon" missionaries were not such characters as they had been led to suppose, the women abandoned the scheme to which they had lent themselves, and left him.
The first baptism in which Elder Brown officiated on the islands was that of a highly educated and influential young native woman who had become convinced of the truth of the principles he taught and applied to him to baptize her. She was so ill that she had to be carried into the water, but when she was baptized she was immediately healed and walked out of the water without help. The ministers raised a great outcry about his endangering her life by immersing her, and soon had the police searching for him for the purpose of placing him under arrest. The officers failed to find him, although he made no effort to evade them, and the excitement over the baptism of the young woman gradually subsided.
Failing to get the consent of the governor or other officials for them to engage in missionary labor, and tiring of the restraint of remaining in comparative idleness in the region of Papeete, the Elders decided to scatter out and do missionary work as they might find opportunity.
While Elder Brown was on his way to Tubuai, where he was appointed to preside, the boat upon which he was making the voyage had to put into the harbor of the island of Laivavai to seek refuge from a storm. He mentions that the island was only four miles in length and two in width, and had a population of three hundred and eighty-three people. He described them as having the wildest and fiercest look of any that he had ever met. However, he had no cause to complain of their treatment at the time. His next stop was on the island of Tubuai, which is only twelve or fifteen miles in length, and had a population of four hundred. It was upon this island that the gospel was first introduced. That was in July, 1844, the missionaries being Addison Pratt, Noah Rogers and B. F. Grouard, who were sent on a mission from Nauvoo by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in 1843. Knowlton F. Hanks was also one of the party called to fill this mission, but he died during the voyage to his field of labor. While attempting to effect a landing, the boat had the narrowest possible escape from being wrecked upon a coral reef. As it was, the passengers were spilled into the raging billows among crags and rocks, but were fortunate in escaping serious injury.
After laboring for awhile on the island of Tubuai, he proceeded to Anaa, in the Tuamotu group. A somewhat unusual incident occured when Elder Brown and a number of other passengers were about to land at Tuuhora on the island of Auaa. As they neared the shore a native came bounding through the water until he reached the stern of the boat where Elder Brown was seated. Then he reached out his hand which had in it five pearls wrapped in a small rag, saying at the same time: "Here, I have seen you before. You have come to be our president, for you have been shown to me in a dream. Welcome, welcome to our land!" He then turned his broad, muscular back towards Elder Brown and invited the missionary to mount and be carried ashore. The Elder gladly did so, and notwithstanding he was an unusually large man, he was carried with ease to the shore, where he was joyfully greeted by a goodly number of church members who soon prepared a feast of welcome for him.
[CHAPTER II.]
CATHOLIC PRIESTS JEALOUS OF HIS SUCCESS—ARRESTED ON A TRUMPED-UP CHARGE—TRIED BEFORE GOVERNOR'S AID-DE-CAMP—FRIGHTFUL SCENE AMONG A SCHOOL OF WHALES—FARCE OF A TRIAL BEFORE THE GOVERNOR OF THE PROTECTORATE—INSPIRED TO PLEAD HIS OWN CAUSE—IMPRESSION MADE UPON THE GOVERNOR—AMERICAN CONSUL'S FRIENDLY ACT—BANISHED FROM TAHITI—BEFRIENDED BY A QUEEN.
The natives were eager for the Gospel, and he lost no time in commencing the work of proselyting among them. He also engaged in conducting day schools among the natives with good effect, the natives being anxious to attend and quick to learn. The Catholic priests of the region, however, who were making almost frantic efforts to proselyte as well as to establish schools in imitation of those of Elder Brown, were so jealous of his success and so chagrined at their own failure, that they set about devising schemes to discredit Elder Brown and gain an advantage over him. They even went to the extreme of taking forcible possession of a meeting house built and exclusively owned by the Latter-day Saints, and trying to monopolize the use of it. They presumed upon their influence with the officers of the French protectorate to sustain them in this arbitrary and high-handed conduct, and continued it even in the face of a decision against them, when the officers could find no warrant even in the rank anti-"Mormon" prejudice then prevailing for favoring the priests, much as they desired to do so.
While at Putuhara, on the island of Anaa, Elder Brown was arrested on a trumped-up charge and haled before the governor's aid-de camp, who had arrived on the French war frigate "Durance." It was soon evident that the Catholic priests had conspired to entrap him for the purpose of breaking down his influence with the natives and closing his schools. When the charges, which were both frivolous and absurd, were read to him he plead not guilty and asked the privilege of being tried in the vicinity, where he felt sure he could soon establish his innocence. This privilege was refused on the plea that his offense was too great and he was too dangerous to be tried before any less personage than the governor. He would therefore have to go to Tahiti and appear before the governor. After being compelled to witness the most shameless and revolting immorality on the part of the guard who had him in charge he was thrust into a filthy and foul smelling old oil boat and thus conveyed to the war frigate, which was lying off shore, there being no harbor or anchorage at that island. While the boat was proceeding to the frigate it ran into a school of whales that numbered hundreds if not thousands. The native oarsmen propelling the boat were almost paralyzed with fear, and withdrew their oars and scarcely dared to breath while the whales were passing. Elder Brown in relating the circumstance admitted that although he had been in a great many dangerous places he had never felt the hair on his head so much inclined to stand on end before as while witnessing the passing of those huge sea monsters, so close as to be touched with the hand, and having the power if they had chosen to exert it, to smash the boat and send its passengers into eternity by a mere whisk of the tail.
The voyage ended at the port of Papeete, November 3, 1851, and the prisoner was soon transferred from the war frigate to a cobblestone dungeon in the town. From there he was taken before the governor and arraigned on the charges preferred against him. A native Catholic was first introduced as a witness. He had evidently been coached in regard to what he should say, but not sufficiently so to have it clear in his mind, or else he had scruples against perjuring himself, for he hesitated and seemed confused. The governor evidently thought his confusion due to the prisoner looking at him, for he ordered Elder Brown not to look at the witness, and told him that his "countenance was so fierce and vivid as to baffle the most substantial witness." The next person used against him as a witness was a man who had been brought to Papeete as a prisoner, but never arraigned. He evidently thought that his own immunity from prosecution depended upon his furnishing damaging evidence against Elder Brown, and he seemed more than willing to testify to anything.
Not liking the way the trial was proceeding, if it was a trial, as he was being given no opportunity to defend himself, Elder Brown arose and claimed his rights as an American citizen, making as strong a plea as he could in his own behalf, and quoting international law and treaties that came to his mind spontaneously upon the occasion, without his ever having read or heard the same quoted before.
The governor and others present seemed to be profoundly impressed by what he said, the result being that with much embarrassment the hearing was closed and he was immediately marched back to his filthy cell.
About this time the American consul, W. H. Kelly, having heard of the proceedings, called upon the governor in the interest of Elder Brown, as an American citizen. The governor informed him that the prisoner was a very dangerous as well as a very learned man, thoroughly familiar with international laws and treaties, which he was able to quote from memory, and that he was undoubtedly a military man of no mean ability. Inquiring what he could do for the relief of the prisoner, he was told that he could put up a 50,000 franc bond for the good conduct of the Elder during the remainder of his stay under the jurisdiction of the French protectorate, in which case he might regain his liberty, but that he must leave the protectorate by the first out-going vessel, no more to return on pain of perpetual imprisonment. The consul accordingly put up the bond and Elder Brown was released and turned over to him.
The consul advised that he confer with his friends and see what could be done about complying with the terms of the governor's decree. The missionaries were accordingly called together and discussed the decree of banishment, with the result that they decided that Elder Brown had better sail on the little schooner "Ravai," owned by the Saints and commanded by B. F. Grouard. It was bound for a cruise among the Tuamotu group of islands, and to make a final landing at Laivavai, four hundred miles south-east of Tahiti, and outside of the protectorate. The vessel was accordingly got ready and he sailed on board of it November 17, 1851.
As the boat was leaving the Tahitian harbor it encountered severe headwinds and had to beat its way against wind and wave until it became somewhat disabled. Provisions also ran short, and it became necessary to change the course of the vessel and head it towards Tubuai. When within eighty miles of that island, the provisions became utterly exhausted and a dead calm set in. After severe suffering, Tubuai was reached on the 29th of November.
When Pitamai Vehene, the queen, heard that Elder Brown had been banished, she went out to the vessel in her own canoe and invited him to go ashore with her and partake of her hospitality. She said "this is my island, and the French have no right here. I will be responsible for all the trouble that may arise." He accepted the invitation, was entertained at the queen's mansion for a number of days, and then continued his voyage to Laivavai, where he relieved Elder Pratt, who was then presiding there.
[CHAPTER III.]
LAND AMONG CANNIBALS—DENOUNCED AS THE AMERICAN PLANT—HIS DESTRUCTION DEMANDED—SENTENCED TO BE ROASTED AND EATEN—FIRE PREPARED—HIS DEFIANCE OF THE RABID HOST—EFFECT UPON THE WILD HORDE WHO WERE EAGER TO ROAST AND DEVOUR HIM—FIERCE FIGHT AMONG HIS OPPONENTS.
An intense anti-"Mormon" feeling had developed on that island since his last previous visit, and he had scarcely landed when his life was threatened by a leader of the anti-"Mormon" faction named Tabate. These people had formerly been cannibals, and now when their passions were aroused, as they frequently were on religious and other questions, their state bordered very nearly on their original degraded level if it didn't quite reach it. They not only gloried in their former practices, but they dwelt with unction upon the hope of returning thereto. They practiced grimmaces and distortions and incantations, gave free rein to their wild passions and in anticipation reverted again to their old lives of crime and cannibalism.
Unfortunately there were persons unscrupulous enough to play upon the prejudices of the natives in this time of excitement to gratify their own malicious desires and gain a mean advantage for their own pet faction. Two young protestant ministers engaged in making inflammatory speeches against the "Mormons" and especially against Elder Brown, whose influence among the natives they greatly feared and saw no prospect of coping with. They alluded to him as "that American plant" which they predicted would soon grow to such proportions as to overshadow the land and stifle all other creeds or ministers. They demanded that the natives give this "American plant" no further tolerance, but drive him from their midst.
About the 5th of May, 1852, the whole people were called to assemble at the village of Tatake and prepare a feast, and at the same time to decide what to do with the "Mormon" minister and his disciples. The young braves came together armed with muskets, and apparently bent upon extreme measures. The people brought together an immense quantity and great variety of edibles, including roast pigs, fish, poultry and fruits of all kinds known in the region. The food was divided up according to families and the number in families, and the portion of ten men was set before Elder Brown with the injunction to eat and get fat for the roast. Much jesting was indulged in during the banquet, and many allusions made to the feast of roast missionary which was to follow, as if it were a good joke, but at the conclusion of the banquet all became silent as if they had eaten to satiety and required a rest. But to the friends of Elder Brown this silence was ominous. They could not believe that the dire plot against the missionary had been abandoned or forgotten. The silence, they feared, was but the precursor of a more dreadful and revolting orgie than any they had witnessed. About 1 p. m. the excitement was renewed. Two great ruffians armed with clubs entered Elder Brown's apartment and announced that they had been sent to summon him before the council. If he refused they said they were under orders to forcibly drag him there. He immediately arose to go with them, and as he did so the promise of Brigham Young and also that of President Willard Richards, made to him when he was called to go upon his mission, came to his mind, with the assurance that the time had arrived for their fulfillment. As predicted, his life was now being sought, but his enemies would not succeed, for his life would be spared to return in safety to his mountain home and friends. He had no feeling of doubt or depression, but on the contrary he was calmly confident and cheerful. He walked out to the beach where the people had assembled, and the few faithful members of the Church upon the island followed close behind him. As they passed the heap of burning timber which had such a significance, they faced a formidable row of about fifteen young athletes with close cropped hair and bodies naked except for a cloth around their loins, and oiled so that they shone with a savage fierceness in the firelight, standing with folded arms as if ready for the word to offer a victim to the flames. As the missionary and his friends approached the demon-like Tabate stepped forward and commanded that "all the Britons stand on the right hand with the sheep, and the 'Mormons' stand on the left where the goats are." Among the followers of Elder Brown was a brave young native named Rivae and his wife who had an eight-months'-old babe in her arms. With sublime courage this devoted young husband stepped forward and said "If you are going to burn this man," pointing to Elder Brown, "you burn me first!" His wife immediately followed and, holding her babe at arms' length shouted "I am a 'Mormon' and this baby will be a 'Mormon' if he lives, so you will have to burn all of us to put a stop to 'Mormonism.'" Rivae and his wife were ordered to stand aside, and Elder Brown was ordered to take a position in a space between the two parties. Then Tabate, the spokesman or judge taunted him with being the cause of all the trouble, and, pointing to the heap of burning embers, declared the decision to be that he must there be roasted and eaten.
Yielding to a sudden feeling that came over him at that moment, Elder Brown stood erect before them, and, with arms raised high in the air, shouted "In the name of Israel's God I defy the host of you; for I serve the God who delivered Daniel from the den of lions and the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace!"
The change that immediately came over the scene was as if caused by magic. A spirit of division rested upon the judge who had passed the sentence, his councilors and the executioners, and they were soon engaged in a deadly grapple. This seemed to be the signal for the whole assembly to enter into the fiercest kind of a fight. They used clubs and stones and any other kind of a weapon they could get hold of; also pulled hair, bit and scratched and gouged in the most desperate struggle, inflicting all the damage they could upon one another until they were compelled to cease from sheer exhaustion at the close of the day.
In this final conflict some of the Church members seemed impelled to take a hand. They fought with savage ferocity until the time came when, as if by common consent, they all ceased to fight and demurely slunk away to their homes with many sore heads and aching bodies, to think over, but perhaps without being able to recall, their reason for engaging in the deadly struggle.
The rest may soon be told.
Elder Brown continued to live upon the small island of Laivavai, for he had no opportunity to get away, but he was treated with consideration, and apparently regarded with superstitious awe.
Those who had contemplated roasting and eating him must have been careful to shun him thereafter, for he never knowingly met any of them. Upon one occasion he recognized one of them at a distance but noticed that he almost immediately commenced running from him, as if in fear. In a spirit of fun Elder Brown pursued him and succeeded in overtaking him after a long chase. On questioning the man as to his reason for running away from him, he was told that he was feared because he seemed to be divinely assisted; that when he defied the populace as he was about to be sacrificed there appeared to be a pillar of light extending from the heavens down to his head, and it was regarded as a sign of divine favor, and those who saw it feared to touch him.
They were not the only ones who gave the Lord the credit for coming to his relief. Elder Brown did so himself. He acknowledged that it was only through the mercy and power of the Lord that he was delivered from that howling mob who had set their hearts upon subjecting him to a most horrible death and were then intent upon devouring his flesh.
We can imagine how easy it was for the Lord to create the impression that He did upon the hearts of those ignorant depraved people. James S. Brown was a magnificent specimen of physical manhood. He was tall and well proportioned, with a fearless manner about him, betokening the possession of unusual courage. He had a sonorous voice and a penetrating look that was well calculated to make cowards quail. When he stood forth in the majesty of his strength and in the firm belief that the Lord was going to protect him, even as His prophets had declared, and defied the superstitious horde that sought his life, it seems the most natural thing in the world that they should be stricken dumb with astonishment and terror. It is not detracting any from the credit due the Lord to explain that His purpose might have been and probably was accomplished in a perfectly natural way. It was long before remarked by the Protestant ministers when they sought to have his liberties curtailed because he had baptized an invalid and she had been healed of her ailment, that he had "such a fierce countenance and expressive voice as to excite a person suffering the most excruciating pain until he would not realize that he had any suffering at all." The governor of the French protectorate had also complained of his so terrifying a witness by simply looking at him as to disqualify him for service. He therefore ordered that Elder Brown cease to look at the witness, saying his countenance was so "fierce and vivid as to baffle the most substantial witness." Then too, he had the reputation of being a man of nerve and resource—a man who did things. He had in many instances extracted teeth with no better instrument than a bullet mold or a hammer and chisel, or rusty nail that could be used as a punch. He had performed surgical operations successfully when he had found people suffering from carbuncles or abscesses by use only of a sharp pocket knife. He had acquired the native language and other dialects with wonderful facility and spoke several dialects fluently; in fact, he was almost a natural linguist. All these and other things as well as his appearance caused him to be regarded as a remarkable man. His unconcern too as to the identity of the people who tried to sacrifice him was probably also noticed. It was sufficient for him to know that he was no longer molested. To him the incident was closed. He probably never thought of it afterwards except in a casual way. When he returned home after an absence of three and two-thirds years and had occasion to mention his narrow escape from being burned and devoured in connection with his various other experiences, he found it was wholly lacking in corroboration; he could not refer to anyone who had witnessed it or knew of the facts. And so it continued for nearly if not quite forty years, when he again found himself upon a mission in the Society Islands. He was a greatly changed man then, enfeebled by age and sickness, and under the necessity of walking with crutches as a result of his having lost a limb through being accidentally shot. He found only few people then who remembered his former labors upon the islands and fewer still who recognized him. He casually mentions in his autobiography that on visiting the island of Laivavai in company with Elder Wm. A. Seegmiller "we met a man—the fourth on the island—who was on the island of Laivavai when the natives had built a fire to burn me, and when I was delivered by the power of God. They claimed to have been present when I was sentenced, but denied taking any part in the proceedings."
Elder Seegmiller, who is now a Bishop in Richfield, Utah, remembers meeting those men as mentioned. He also had the place pointed out to him where the sacrifice so nearly occurred, and heard the circumstance incidentally alluded to many times in connection with the folk lore of the island, or as a legend of the days of heathendom. All that he heard was substantially in accord with the narrative as here given.
[PARKIN REMINISCENSE]
[CHAPTER I.]
PROMISE TO PAY MONEY WITH ONLY FAITH TO BACK IT—HOW THE MONEY WAS PROVIDED—LESSON HIS WIFE DREW FROM IT.
Brother Wm. J. Parkin, of South Bountiful, tells this story of how the Lord can and will open up the way for those who have faith to fulfill their promises and accomplish their righteous desires:
He arrived in Utah in the year 1863, fresh from England, and very poor. He had not succeeded in accumulating much when, in the following year, he ventured to get married. While attending conference in Salt Lake City the following spring he heard President Brigham Young announce to the assembly that he wanted a collection taken up in the several wards for the immigration of the poor, and wished every man to subscribe to the extent of his ability. The following Sunday he attended meeting in Bountiful and heard Bishop Stoker repeat the call.
Brother Parkin is a man of generous impulses, and felt like doing his full duty in so worthy a cause, but was absolutely without funds, and didn't know where or how he would be able to obtain any, but he was the first man to arise and say what he would do. He said, "Bishop, you may put me down for $2.50." The money was to be paid within two weeks.
When he returned home from meeting his wife, who had not been at the meeting, met him at the gate with tears in her eyes. She had already heard from a neighbor of what her husband had promised to do, and knew too that he had no money. Her heart was in the work of the Lord, and she would have been more than willing to help migrate the poor if she had been able so to do, but her high sense of honor would not brook the making of a promise she could not fulfill. She greeted him reproachfully with the exclamation: "What have you done?" He had no guilty feeling, and asked her what she meant. "You have promised to give two-and-a-half dollars, and haven't a cent, nor any way of getting any. Do you know that I had to sit up and wash and iron a shirt for you after you went to bed last night, so that you might have a decent shirt to wear to-day?"
"Well, I know that we are very poor," he replied, "but I believe the Lord will provide a way for me to fulfill the promise. Perhaps he will make the chickens lay more eggs, or the cow give more milk, so you will have butter to sell."
"How can you expect that," said she, "when we only have three hens and a rooster, and the cow is almost dry."
Peace was patched up between the couple by his assurance that what he had done in the matter of making that promise was done from a strict sense of duty, and because he had faith that the Lord would somehow enable him to fulfill it. She knew him too well to doubt his good intentions, and was too good a woman to further reproach him therefor, though she did not share his faith about his being able to keep his promise.
Time passed without his securing any money until the day before he was to pay it. On the morning of that day when he was out in the yard attending to his chores he noticed a fairly well-defined path, that he had not observed before, leading from his chicken coop into a patch of brush that grew near. Following the path out into the brush, he there found a big nest full of eggs. Carrying them into the house, he met his wife at the door, who was just coming out to exhibit to him a good-sized chunk of butter which she had just taken out of the churn—ever so much more than she had been in the habit of getting. Their surprise was mutual when he counted out before her eyes thirty clean, fresh-looking eggs—all the more surprising because they had both previously thought they were getting all the eggs their hens produced.
While they were still beaming with satisfaction over their good fortune, a knock was heard at the door, and upon opening it a stranger, an overland immigrant, was met, who inquired if they had any butter and eggs to sell. The eggs just brought in were pointed out with the remark that he might have them, and the good wife also produced the lump of freshly-made butter. The stranger said he would be glad to buy both, and if they could spare him some buttermilk also he would regard that as a favor. He was assured that they would be glad to do so, and that he could have them at his own price.
He produced from his wallet a diminutive coin, such as they had never seen before, and offered it to them, and Brother Parkin inquired, "What is that?" "That is a two-and-a-half dollar gold piece," the stranger replied.
"Well," said Brother Parkin, "I have no change and that is entirely too much. Have you no small change?"
The stranger told him to keep it. He was welcome to it. That he was glad to get the butter, eggs and buttermilk at any price, as he had applied in vain at so many houses for them that he had begun to despair about being able to get any.
The stranger carried away his small purchase, rejoicing, and Brother and Sister Parkin were profuse in their thanks to him, and very grateful to the Lord, for having inspired him to supply them with the means of fulfilling the promise made to the Bishop.
Sister Parkin was so impressed with the fact that the money had come as a special providence from the Lord, and so thankful that her husband's honor could now be saved that she actually shed tears of joy, and assured him that she would never more reproach him for being too rash in trying to do his duty as a Latter-day Saint, and hoped never again to be lacking in faith that the Lord will provide.
The day following, being Sunday, he attended meeting as usual, and presented the gold piece to the Bishop with the remark that it was his donation to help immigrate the poor. The Bishop accepted it with a "God bless you, Brother Parkin; yours is the first money paid of all that was promised."
[CHAPTER II.]
ASHAMED TO PAY TITHING—LOSS OF CROP—LESSON HE LEARNED BY IT—POTATOES PURCHASED TO PAY DELINQUENT TITHING—NO LOSS OF POTATO CROP SINCE.
Brother Parkin had not been married more than two or three years when a season of partial drouth occurred, and his potatoes, which he had counted upon as being his profitable crop, was a partial failure. The tubers when dug were very small, and very few in a hill. When his wife saw the small pile that represented the total crop she remarked: "Well, they look hardly fit to eat, but we can manage to get along with them. Now go and pay your tithing on them, and perhaps the Lord will furnish a better crop next year."
Her husband replied that he would be ashamed to take such potatoes in for tithing; he would rather wait until he raised some decent looking potatoes and pay tithing on two years' crop at once. She didn't approve of that decision, and urged him to take a tenth of the present year's crop for tithing just the same as if they had been as good as ever before produced, as the Lord knew the kind of potatoes he had raised as well as he did, and would be satisfied with a tenth of the potatoes, such as they were.
On general principles he agreed with her, but he felt a sense of pride about taking a good article for tithing, and so stuck to his original decision to wait until he raised some good potatoes and then pay enough to cover the tithing on this year's crop as well.
The following year he planted a good sized patch of potatoes and took the best of care of the field in the hope that the crop would be a record-breaker, which meant something like a thousand bushels to the acre. The tops looked good enough to warrant the expectation, but to his great surprise and mortification, they proved to be a complete failure, which was all the more remarkable, for the reason that the general yield that year was not much if any below normal.
His wife had never been entirely reconciled to his failure to pay his tithing on the previous year's crop, and readily connected that in her mind with their present lack of a crop, and so expressed her feelings without hesitation. "That is what you get for your failure to pay your tithing! Now go and buy three bushels of the best potatoes you can get, and turn them in for tithing, and ask the Lord to forgive you for not paying them last year, and I don't believe you will ever have another failure."
He did not dispute the wisdom of her counsel, but promptly acted upon it, and felt satisfaction in so doing.
The good wife has long since gone to her rest, but she lived long enough to see many good crops of potatoes produced upon that same land and not one failure, nor has there ever been a failure since her death.
That proved a lesson to Brother Parkin that he has never forgotten. He has felt ever since that the Lord was entitled to a tenth of whatever crop he produced, whether good, bad or indifferent, and believes now that the measure of prosperity that he has since enjoyed has been largely if not wholly due to his willingness and faithfulness in the matter of paying his tithing. In other words, he feels that it pays to be on good terms with the Lord.
[CHAPTER III.]
FARMING ON SHARES—A NEW VOCATION—FUTURE HOME SHOWN IN VISION—HOME RECOGNIZED WHEN FIRST SEEN IN UTAH—REPUTATION GAINED AS A FAITHFUL AND THOROUGH WORKER—PROVIDENTIAL FULFILMENT OF VISION—HOME VIEWED AS A SACRED HERITAGE.
For years after Brother Parkin arrived in Utah he worked land on shares, not being able to buy any. He had been a coal miner in England, his native land, and had no experience in any other line. Here, however, there was no demand for coal miners; in fact, the people of Utah all burned wood at that time, no coal mines being then developed. He readily adapted himself to the ways of the country, and made up by hard work for what he lacked in skill in whatever employment he was able to secure. He soon gained a reputation as a profitable person to employ, and was given the preference by a number of his well-to-do neighbors when they required help, and when he could work for others without neglecting the small farm which he was cultivating on shares.
Cradling grain (the method then in vogue of cutting it before mechanical reapers were introduced) was at first one of the most difficult things he ever tried to do. Until he acquired the knack of it, it was an awful tax upon his strength. He was determined to learn, however, having an idea that what others could do in the line of work he could if he only persevered. In course of time he acquired sufficient skill at cradling that quite a few of his neighbors who could afford to hire others to cut their grain instead of doing it themselves, relied upon him doing it for them, and paid him two bushels per acre therefor.
He had not been married long when, one day, as he and his wife were journeying to Salt Lake City by ox team to make a few necessary purchases she pointed out a certain corner field to him with the remark, "that is our farm!" "Oh, no," he replied, that is Monroe Perkins' field.". "Well," she then responded, "if it isn't ours now, it will be some day; I saw that place in a vision a year before I left England, and long before I ever thought of marrying you, and was assured that it would sometime be my home."
The incident passed without further comment at the time, the possibility of their being able to buy it if they could afford the price being too remote and uncertain to entertain the thought of, for Monroe Perkins was not disposed to sell land, and didn't have to, for he could afford to keep it.
Monroe Perkins' father was a very old man—a Southerner, who with his two sons and numerous grandchildren were early settlers in South Bountiful, and were the original locators of rather extensive and choice farms. Shortly before Father Perkins died, Brother Parkin, who was somewhat of a favorite with the old gentleman, induced him to sell him five acres of his large farm for the amount of his savings up to that period—$200.00, and after the deal had been completed the old gentleman remarked, sympathetically, that five acres was a pretty small and narrow piece of land for a man to try to make a living on, and if his friend wanted to part with a new cook stove which he had just purchased, he would exchange therefor another five acres, and Brother Parkin would thus have a square ten-acre field.
Brother Parkin didn't hesitate a second about accepting the offer, and considered himself specially blest in being able to obtain it. His wife also was content to return to the use of the skillet, in which she had done her baking ever since she was married, and for the purchase of which Brother Parkin had dug a well 68 feet deep, and walled it up with rock.
He was not only glad to have a ten-acre farm that he could call his own, but was determined to make it second to no ten-acre farm in the country in point of productivity.
Some years later, after both Father Perkins and his son Monroe had died, the remaining members of that branch of the Perkins family decided to remove to Arizona, and sold their real estate to Walker Brothers, wealthy merchants of Salt Lake City, who wanted the property for a country home.
Brother Parkin's little farm looked so attractive to the eldest of the Walker Brothers that he was determined to possess it at any price. Day after day he visited the place and admired it, appearing to be fairly enchanted with a fine field of timothy to which part of the small farm was devoted. The owner, however, was proof against all the tempting offers made him, declaring that Walker Brothers didn't have enough money to buy his ten acres.
Finally S. Sharp Walker paid another visit, and approached him on a different tack: "On what terms will you swap your ten acres for half of that 21 acre field on the other side of the street," pointing to the Monroe Perkins corner which Sister Parkin had so long before seen in vision, and concerning which she received the heavenly assurance that it would be her future home.
The proposition was not rejected as the previous ones had been. On the contrary, the owner promised to consider it, and let him know, if he called on the following day, what he would do.
That evening Brother Parkin called upon his aged father for advice, telling him of the proposition to swap farms. The old gentleman could hardly credit it, the old Monroe Perkins farm being in his estimation so much more desirable, though not under such a good state of cultivation.
In the father's opinion there was no better land in Davis County, and he doubted whether there was any better in the world, than the Monroe Perkins farm, but it had been somewhat neglected, and showed the effects of it. It had this advantage also, which appealed to Father Parkin: It was patented land and if he secured it, he could get a warranty deed for it, while his son only held a quit claim deed from Reuben Perkins, the original locator to the ten acres he had, it having been discovered when the U. S. survey was made that it was a part of a school section, and full legal title thereto could not be obtained until the time arrived for the school lands to be sold, when the possessor of the land, as a squatter, would have the first right to purchase it.
The interview ended with this fatherly advice: "Well, my son, if you can secure the Monroe Perkins corner on any reasonable terms, don't fail to do it; but don't involve yourself by paying too much to boot, for it may be difficult for you to secure money to pay off the loan after you have borrowed it."
The following day Mr. Walker called again as usual for the decision, and was duly impressed by Brother Parkin with the clean and highly productive condition of his small homestead, and with the weedy and neglected condition of the opposite corner, all of which Mr. Walker admitted was correct. Then Brother Parkin said, all things considered, he was willing to make the exchange proposed if he could receive $500.00 to boot.
It was apparent that Mr. Walker was tempted. After some banter, to secure more favorable terms, a compromise was effected by his paying $450.00 as boot between the two pieces of land.
The land is still in Brother Parkin's possession. He feels that there was something providential about the way he acquired it, and that his wife, who has long since passed to her reward, was inspired of the Lord when she foresaw it as the future home of the family. Under the circumstances it is not strange that he should regard it as a sacred heritage, and refuse all offers that real estate agents make for its purchase.
[CHAPTER IV.]
AMBITIOUS TO WORK IN A COAL MINE—DAY SPENT IN MINE AS A SPECTATOR—FATAL ACCIDENT—HIS NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING A VICTIM.
Many things have occurred in Brother Parkin's life to indicate that there has been a special providence over him—that his life has been preserved almost miraculously—leaving the impression upon his mind that the Lord has a work for him yet to perform in mortality.
A most striking instance of this kind occurred when he was a boy only eight years of age. He had a companion about his own age by the name of Walker, who was employed in a coal mine, driving a donkey which conveyed cars of coal from distant parts of the mine to the main shaft, where they were hoisted to the surface.
Possibly because he was so employed, his young companion conceived the idea that he also would like to work in a coal mine, and accordingly applied for a position. He was promised a job at opening and shutting a door by which the mine was divided into sections for protection against fire damp. Gratified at securing the job, he was on hand early the next morning prepared to commence work, but to his surprise he learned that another boy had also been promised the job and he too was on hand prepared to take it.
Investigation proved that the other boy had the first promise, and he was accordingly given the preference. Instead of young Parkin going home, however, he yielded to the persuasion of his young friend George Walker to spend the day with him. He made several trips with the donkey, and enjoyed the novelty of it, and at the suggestion of another boy, who had the care of another donkey, also hauling cars of coal, started to make a trip with him, young Walker remarking when he heard the proposition, that it would be all right, if he wanted to go, as he would get back in time for dinner.
They had not proceeded far when a noise was heard and the lights suddenly went out, leaving that part of the mine in total darkness. The boys made their way to the main shaft to learn the cause of the trouble, when to their horror they saw George Walker and two others lying there dead and somewhat mutilated.
They soon learned that young Walker and his companions had been in the cage ascending the main shaft when the rope by which the cage was being drawn to the surface had broken, precipitating the cage to the bottom of the shaft, with the result stated.
Young Parkin owed his escape from death to the circumstance of his quitting the company of the Walker boy and going for a single trip with the other boy; for if he had remained he also would have been in the cage when it fell.
When, sometime after the accident occurred, young Parkin was hoisted to the pit brow, he found his parents there almost frantic with anxiety, for the rumor had reached them at their home that their boy was one of those who had been killed, and they were unable to learn that such was not the case until their boy was brought to the surface, when they wept for joy at finding him alive, and declared that he should never go into a coal mine again. However, he did return to work in the mine on his own volition when he grew older, and worked there many years.
[CHAPTER V.]
RESORT TO MINING—CAUGHT IN A SNOWSLIDE—CARRIED A MILE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AS IF FIRED FROM A CATAPULT—MIRACULOUS ESCAPE—FAILS TO FIND COMPANION—RETURN TO MINE AND THEN HOME—COMPANION'S SUBSEQUENT ESCAPE.
While farming has been Brother Parkin's regular vocation since coming to Utah, he has found it necessary to supplement it occasionally with other work to provide for his large family and fill the sphere he aspired to. Although mining was his original occupation, he has not felt specially attracted to that class of work, preferring something else that would not take him so completely and permanently away from his family. One season, however, when he had not been in Utah more than seven or eight years, and when the ravages of the grasshoppers had materially interfered with the yield of his farm, he found work as a miner in the Reed & Benson mine, near the top of the high mountainous range which separates the Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
Some time in March, after he had been at work there about two months he and a companion named Fred Thompson were sent by the mine boss to bring a supply of provisions from Alta, in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The snow was, deep, and the only means they had of making the trip was walking. They expected the trip would consume the whole day, and be very tiresome, but they set out bravely at eight o'clock in the morning.
They had to climb for some distance before reaching the summit, when they would have a long descent to Alta. They had not proceeded very far, making their way in the snow, up the steep incline, when they experienced the sensation of moving backward, and, looking upward, discovered they were being carried down by a snowslide, which had started only a short distance above them, and probably by the jar produced by their walking in the snow.
For the first few seconds their descent was not very rapid, and they tried to escape by grabbing at brush and saplings as they passed, but all in vain; the mass of snow gained in momentum and volume as it sped on, and they soon felt as if they had been hurled from a catapult.
A few seconds later they passed over an immense precipice, estimated by persons familiar with the canyon to be more than 200 feet high, the change from the sloping to the vertical plunge having the effect of turning them head downward, instead of coming, as they had been, in a kind of sitting posture. Another change was experienced by Brother Parkin, when the mass of snow struck terra firma at the foot of the precipice, the sensation being that of a burial to an immense depth by the snow which continued down the side of the mountain at an ever increasing velocity. Then he felt as if he were being lifted by some supreme power to the surface of the snow, and a peaceful feeling possessed his soul.
When the slide came to rest in the broad bottom of the canyon, filling it to a great depth, Brother Parkin found himself standing in an upright position with the snow scarcely reaching up to his waist.
His first concern when he found himself safe was for his companion. He searched for him, but could not find him.
Concluding that his friend Thompson must be buried in the snow and debris with which he had been swept down the mountain, possibly too deep to be saved by any human means, even if help were at hand, he found time to think of himself.
The coat he had worn when he set out for the trip over the mountain had been entirely stripped from his body, and his shirt and trousers were much torn, evidently from catching in the brush in his terrific descent of more than a mile down the mountain, but the garments worn next to his body were not even marred.
The feeling of gratitude towards the Almighty that welled up within him for his preservation exceeded anything he had ever experienced. He could not doubt that the Lord had spared his life for some special reason, and felt that whatever purpose the Lord had for prolonging his life, it was his duty if possible to find out what that purpose was, and conform thereto.
He made his way by a wide detour up the mountain to the mine, arriving there about five o'clock in the evening, after a tiresome walk of something like eight and a half hours. He was greeted with surprise by the mine boss, who grabbed him in his arms and fairly hugged him for joy, and his seven or eight companions who were scarcely less delighted at finding he had survived his terrible flight, and seemed none the worse for it. They inquired eagerly for Thompson, his companion, but he could only say that the poor fellow was evidently buried in the slide, and possibly beyond human help, as he had searched for him in vain.
He then learned that the men at the mine, warned of the slide by the noise it created almost at the start, had witnessed with horror its frightful descent, and made their way up the mountain as soon as possible to ascertain whether the two men had been carried down by it. Finding the bank of snow where the slide started showed a sheer break, with no footprint on top of it, they were forced to the conclusion that the men had gone down with the slide and were probably lost. The mine boss had offered his companions ten dollars each if they or any of them would descend the mountain and search for their unfortunate fellows, but none of them dared to undertake to do so.
Brother Parkin resumed work, but a few days later, after being given a check in payment of his services up to that time, was dispatched to Salt Lake with ore samples, to have them assayed.
From Salt Lake City he proceeded on his way home to Bountiful, where he was joyfully greeted by his wife and children. When they learned, as they did during the evening, of his frightful experience in going down with a snowslide, his wife was so terror-stricken at thought of her husband working in such a place, that she declared he should never go back there again if she could help it. In vain he reminded her that he had left his bedding at the mine. She said the value of the bedding counted for nothing with her. She would sacrifice that without a scruple, to have him remain with her, and he did so.
It was soon afterwards learned that Thompson also had escaped. He found himself completely buried and evidently at a considerable depth, when the snowslide stopped, and he began immediately to dig his way out. He struggled desperately and burrowed for a long time without knowing whether he was going towards the surface or not, and was finally successful in extricating himself. His clothing was badly torn and he was more or less bruised, but succeeded in making his way to a logging camp some distance down the canyon, whence, after a rest, he made his way to Salt Lake City.
[CHAPTER VI.]
FATHER JOHN PARKIN A PUGILIST—DEFENDS A MORMON ELDER—SHELTERS HIM FROM A STORM AND LEARNS SOMETHING OF MORMONISM—WHOLE FAMILY EMBRACE THE GOSPEL.
Brother Parkin recalls some incidents of his childhood, that tend especially to illustrate the character of his father, and the effect of the Gospel in shaping the lives of individuals.
His father was a pugilist—by instinct rather than by profession though—for he did not follow it for a living. He was not a large man, but had a closely knit, muscular frame, no surplus flesh, was about as active as a cat and possessed unbounded courage. While not of a quarrelsome nature, he just naturally enjoyed a scrap.
He taught his older sons "the manly art of self defense," and gave them to understand that he had no patience with molycoddles. He didn't want them to pick a quarrel, but if any one ever attempted to impose on them, or their friends, he expected them to give a good account of themselves. He would be ashamed to have any body who bore his name ever show the white feather.
The father was passing along the street of his native hamlet in England one day when his attention was attracted by a rather large and noisy crowd of people who were, as he learned on joining them, listening to a local "Mormon" Elder advocate his doctrines, with frequent and noisy interruptions. The interruptions he soon found were mainly made by three preachers, one a Baptist, another a Methodist and the third a Church of England minister. He recognized these when he saw them, for they were well known and somewhat popular in their special lines of religion, but the "Mormon" Elder was a stranger to him; in fact, he had never before met a "Mormon," or heard or read of "Mormon" doctrines. He had not listened long when his sense of fairness became so outraged by the sneering, ridiculing, captious interruptions by the preachers, and the laughter of their sympathizing auditors, that he pushed his way into the center of the crowd and asked the lone "Mormon" Elder to allow him to say a few words.
The privilege being granted, he told the crowd that he was not a preacher, and knew nothing about the doctrines this man was preaching, but he believed in free speech, and fair play, and thought the man ought to be allowed to tell what he had to say without interruptions. Then if the preachers could controvert it, they might fairly do so.
His remarks had the effect of quelling the disturbance momentarily, but the Elder had scarcely resumed his speaking when the preachers, apparently bent upon not allowing him to proceed, burst forth again with their interruptions.
With indignation now thoroughly aroused, Mr. Parkin shook his fist in the faces of the preachers and demanded fair play. "I don't know this man," said he, "but he looks and talks decently, and he's got to have a hearing, if I have to smash the men that interrupt him."
The Baptist preacher had a wooden leg, and perhaps presumed upon that in being the first to cry out in ridicule when the "Mormon" again essayed to proceed.
Grabbing him by the collar and shaking him, Mr. Parkin angrily demanded, "Are you going to compel me to hit you, even though you are a cripple? Now keep your mouth shut, or I'll have to do it!"
He had scarcely let loose of the preacher's collar when a stalwart son of the preacher rushed out from the crowd and made a pass at him with his brawny fist; but Mr. Parkin saw the movement, and, nimbly dodging the blow, struck out with his good right hand with such force that his big assailant went down as if he had been hit with a sledge hammer.
While friendly hands began fanning the youth and throwing water in his face to resuscitate him, Mr. Parkin with blood boiling and eyes flashing defiance, proceeded to deliver this challenge to the whole crowd in true bantam fashion: "Come on now, all of you, one at a time, and I'll whip the crowd!"
None of them chose to accept the challenge. On the contrary, they neither manifested any disposition to fight him or further listen to the preaching, for they soon dispersed, their departure being doubtless hastened by a brisk shower just then coming on.
Turning to the "Mormon" Elder, Mr. Parkin inquired: "Where do you live?"
"At Langley Mills, nine miles from here," was the reply.
"You can't go home in this shower; you had better walk home with me," said the pugilist, and his invitation was accepted.
The shower didn't pass as soon as expected; but rather increased in severity as night approached, and it became apparent that the guest must be provided with lodgings, as the family hadn't the heart to turn him out in such a storm. Then, too, there was another reason for it—they had become somewhat interested in listening to his explanations of his belief, the doctrines being all new to them.
The eldest son, a boy about ten years old, solved the question of lodging by offering to give up his bed, and the mother helped out the matter by arranging for the boy to occupy an improvised bed in the room in which his parents slept.
When the time for retiring arrived the stranger asked, as a special favor, the privilege of praying with the family, and the father replied to this by the declaration that he was not a religious man, that he was a pugilist, a cock-fighter, a man who didn't believe in prayer and had no regard for things which others considered sacred; but if it would afford him any gratification, they would be willing to listen to him pray.
The prayer was offered, and in it the guest thanked the Lord that he had found one man who would accept the truth.
The eldest son, the boy who gave up his bed for the stranger to sleep in, recalls hearing his father ask his wife some time after retiring for the night, what the man could have meant by alluding, in his prayer, to one man whom he had found in that town who would accept the truth. She said she had no idea what man he had in mind, and the husband told her he would find out by asking him the next morning. And ask him he did, the next morning, and was not a little surprised when the Elder turned and, pointing to him, said, "You are the man, for I am sure you will yet embrace the Gospel!"
That local Elder (whose name was Aaron Nelson, and who afterwards migrated to Utah, and died only a few years since in St. George) continued to come every Wednesday and hold meetings in Loscoe, and Mr. Parkin generally attended his meetings and stood by him, to see that he got fair play.
Finally, at the close of one of the meetings Mr. Parkin asked the privilege of making an announcement. Consent being granted, he said: "I want to give out notice (Elder Nelson being willing) that on Wednesday night next I will be baptised by him, at Loscoe Dam, for I have become convinced that 'Mormonism' is true."
He was deliberate about embracing it, but he was as true to it thereafter as ever needle was to the pole.
The family all embraced the Gospel and came to Utah, and the manner in which they first became interested in and were led to investigate "Mormonism" furnished a theme for many a fireside conversation.
As an indication of the effect the Gospel had upon the elder Parkin it may be mentioned that after he joined the Church he generously entertained all the missionaries who visited his part of the country, made them presents, and went to the limit of his ability in manifesting his love for them and his interest in the work in which they were engaged.
[CHAPTER VII.]
SELLING A LOAD OF CARROTS TO AN EX-MISSIONARY, WHOSE PARSIMONY IS EXHIBITED—SOME REFLECTIONS THEREON.
Some years after Father Parkin migrated to Utah he rode to Salt Lake City one day with his son William, who was bringing a load of carrots to sell. As they rode along the street they met M.... T...., a man who had served as a missionary in England when they were new converts, and been entertained many times at their house, and to whom Father Parkin had been unusually generous when he was released to return to his home in Utah.
Brother T...., who had the reputation of being among the wealthiest citizens of Salt Lake, and as stingy as he was thrifty, hailed them (recognizing them of course) and inquired what they wanted for their carrots, and was told "25 cents per bushel."
On further inquiry he learned that they had forty bushels in the wagon, and after some parleying decided to buy the load. The wagon was driven into his yard, and Brother T.... procured a bushel basket to have them measured with, evidently not caring to buy them according to the measurement of Brother Parkin.
Brother Parkin offered no objection to having them measured, knowing that he had been rather generous in his measurement of the carrots, but regretted the delay that it would cause, as he and his father both had some purchases to make before they could leave town, and they were anxious to get home.
When the wagon was not more than half unloaded Brother T.... was called by his wife to come to dinner, and he asked his old acquaintances, father and son, to excuse him for a few minutes, and take a rest while he ate his dinner (leaving them to understand, of course, that he wanted to see the rest of the carrots measured.)
Work was suspended and father and son cogitated a few moments while each munched at a carrot, for their appetites were keen enough to enable them to enjoy a good dinner too if the dinner had been forth-coming, and soon the father broke the silence.
"My son," said he, "can you imagine Elder M.... T.... when he was a missionary in England eating a carrot in a barn while I indulged in a warm meal in the house."
The son responded that he could not imagine such a situation. "On the contrary," he said, "I remember distinctly that he never called at our house without being invited to eat, whether it was meal time or not, and that the choicest cuts of meat were bought to provide him the best meal possible, and that you paid thirty-six shillings for silk with which to make a pair of stockings to present him with to bring home for his wife when he was released from his mission, and that when those stockings were made they were admired by everyone who saw them and declared to be fit for any queen or princess to wear."
"Well, my son," the father added, "I don't regret anything I ever did for a missionary. When I embraced "Mormonism" I did it because I was sure it was the truth, and I afterwards tried to serve the Lord just as thoroughly as I had ever served the devil before. The truth is not affected by men's actions, and men's actions are not always affected by their knowledge of the truth. Brother T.. probably knows that the Gospel is true, but it has apparently not changed his nature. I don't envy him his nature or his possessions. Better live on raw carrots and retain our love for the truth and our respect for those who have served with us in its promulgation, than have the wealth of this world and forget or cease to respect our former friends and associates in the ministry."
The son was impressed with the change the Gospel had wrought in his father, for he could easily recall the time when he would not have looked charitably upon any action that savored of meanness or parsimony in one of his fellows, and when the more pretentious the person was (be he preacher or layman) who displayed any such characteristic, the more bold and ready he would have been to denounce him to his face.
The rumination was ended. Brother T.... returned from the house and the unloading of the carrots was resumed, Brother T.... keeping tally with a pencil on a board as the baskets were emptied. When only a few bushels remained to be measured he exclaimed: "Never mind measuring any more, I see you have forty bushels, allright."
Then the son decided that it was his turn to speak right out in meeting. "But, Brother T——, I do mind! It was you that wanted these carrots measured. I would have sold them to you for forty bushels if you had been satisfied to take them without measuring. Now we will finish measuring, and if there are more than forty bushels, we will take the overplus home, if you do not want to pay 25 cents a bushel for them."
The measurement of the balance disclosed the fact that there were forty-two bushels in the load, and Brother T.... rather shamefacedly handed over $10.50 in payment therefor.
[A Sailor-Saint's Adventures]
[CHAPTER I.]
E. R. S. SCHNELLE'S BELIEF IN A PROVIDENCE OVER HIS LIFE—BIRTH AND SUCCESSION OF ACCIDENTS—GOES TO SEA AS CABIN BOY—CRUEL TREATMENT—PUMPING SUGAR AND WATER—SHIP CRUSHED AGAINST BREAKWATER—RECKLESS JUMP—WOES AS A COOK.
According to the old fatalistic saw: "If a man is born to be hung, he can never be drowned." This is far more trite than true. So far as it implies that any man is born or predestined to be hung, it is not true. But that some have been marvelously and repeatedly preserved from drowning, and that there is evidently some reason for their apparent immunity, is true.
Brother Ernest R. S. Schnelle has had many narrow escapes from drowning, and been subjected to very many accidents of other kinds. He firmly believes that there has been a Providence over his life, and that his willingness to accept the Gospel and devote his life to the service of the Master may be the sequel therefor.
He was born on the 25th of May, 1852, in Bremen, Germany. He fell in the fire when only a few months old, and narrowly escaped burning to death. He bears the scar of the burn on his forehead even now. He was almost drowned in a mill race when he was only two years old. Of course he doesn't remember the incident, but was told so by his parents.
His mother was a consistent member of the Protestant Church, but his father while nominally of the same creed had a poor opinion of preachers in general and was never known to attend Church but once, and that was on the occasion of the confirming of his eldest son; and then he seized his hat and left in the midst of the sermon, not having patience to remain longer.
Without explaining her reason for the belief, the mother used to say that the time would come when one of her boys would believe in the God of Heaven. Of the parents and seven children which the family included, Ernest (the subject of this sketch) and one brother are all that are now alive, and Ernest has had such a checkered career that it is a wonder that he has survived.
When five years old he accidentally fell from a housetop, and was supposed to be dead when picked up, but, to the surprise of all his friends, he soon recovered.
When seven years of age he threw a snowball at a girl in a spirit of fun. She resented it by taking off her wooden shoe and crushing his skull in with it.
When nine years old he had an accidental fall, and broke his right arm, and also fell from a ladder and drove his front teeth through his lip.
When he was fourteen years of age he went to sea, as cabin boy, in a Spanish barque, called the "Tres Hermanos," of Allicante, Spain, bound for Havana, Cuba. During the voyage the crew mutinied, some Spaniards being among them who used their knives quite freely. The chief officer was beaten most shamefully and almost killed, but the captain finally brought the rebellious men under subjection.
On reaching Havana, Ernest quit the vessel, and shipped on the Spanish brig "Michael Angel," bound for Falmouth, England. The very first day after sailing from Havana he was stricken with yellow fever, a disease that was so prevalent in Cuba that many ships in the harbors were unable to sail for want of crews, so many of the sailors having died of the fever.
Ernest had the fever so badly for nine days that he was not expected to recover; in fact, no one thought it worth while trying to save him. He was delirious as a result of the fever, and was fastened in the sail locker at night, and allowed to lie on the water casks in the day time. However, he lived in spite of the neglect with which he was treated, but before he had recovered his strength he fell overboard. The cook happened to hear the splash as he struck the water, and on looking around saw him come to the surface and threw a rope to him, by which he was hauled on board.
On the 8th of December, 1866, the ship encountered a terrific storm in the Bay of Biscay, during which the starboard bulwarks was washed away, and the ship sprang a leak. The cargo consisted of crude sugar and cacao beans, and the sugar became dissolved through the water rushing into the hold. The crew had to be kept busy for two and a half days, pumping the sugar and water out of the hold, to keep the ship afloat.
Falmouth was reached in the beginning of January, and the ship was repaired. On the 18th of January she set sail for London, with a channel pilot on board. The next day she encountered a severe storm in which she lost her foremast head, and the pilot thought best to return to Falmouth, which place was reached the following day. The storm increased in fury and the ship, dragging both anchors, was being driven on to the break water. Her signals of distress brought no relief, for all the ships near by had enough to do to take care of themselves. The ship struck broadside against the breakwater, damaging it to such an extent that it sank within a few minutes.
Ernest was standing upon the deck when the collision occurred, and sprang towards the breakwater. It was a very daring—in fact, foolhardy thing for him to do, as he had about one chance in a thousand of escaping death, but fortunately he did escape, by clutching the timbers of the breakwater, almost as a cat would, and clinging on thereto.
As the ship sank the crew clambered up the breakwater and were saved.
Ernest had been so cruelly treated while on board the brig that he had little regret at the loss of the vessel. The captain was a Spaniard, and a most hard-hearted, cruel man. He was the owner of the vessel, and was so avaricious that he actually begrudged the boy the food required to keep him alive. He expected him to subsist upon such scraps as were left from his own meals, and if there were none left, for him to go without, and would curse him if he asked for food, telling him that he was a poor Spaniard, and couldn't afford to feed him. When the ship was lost, not being insured, he was indeed poor. The crew were so incensed at him, because they couldn't collect the pay due them, that several of them actually drew their knives and attempted to assault him in the Spanish Consul's office at Falmouth.
Ernest was kept at the Cornwall Sailors' Home for a few weeks, as he neither had any means of subsistence nor chance to go home, and then was told to get out and shift for himself. He began seeking employment among the ships in port, and soon succeeded in finding a captain who was willing to employ him as cabin boy at $5.00 per month.
His new berth was soon found to be but little better than his former one, so far as treatment was concerned. The first job given him to do was to black the captain's shoes. The shoes were wet, and he didn't succeed in making them shine as nicely as they otherwise would have done, and he received a clout for it that almost made him see stars. However, he had sufficient to eat, and was thankful for that. The vessel was a Hanoverian brig, the "Lucy von Leer," Captain Jensen commanding, bound for Antwerp.
He soon found out that, in addition to serving as cabin boy, he was also expected to cook for the officers and crew. While preparing his first dinner he was sent aloft to shorten sail, and when he came down the peas he was cooking were burned, and that brought down upon him the wrath of all the officers and men who learned of it. The channel pilot yelled for some one to beat him, and he had to run the gauntlet to escape the blows aimed at him.
After arriving at Antwerp, while waiting for the crew to be paid off, and when he had just finished cooking the Sunday dinner, several of the crew volunteered special praise for the quality of the soup he had made for them. He was so overjoyed thereat that he forgot to take the spoons from the water in which he had been washing the dishes, and threw them and the water together overboard into the dock. The spoons were not missed until supper time arrived, and then the failure to find them resulted in his recalling and confessing his forgetful act, and receiving such a general and merciless beating that the crew of a Norwegian barque, lying in the dock near by interfered, and threatened to come to his relief and thrash the Hanoverians if they didn't desist. They stopped beating him, but the chief officer swore that he would get even with the boy when he got to sea.
Fearing the threat might be executed, Ernest watched his chance to escape, and succeeded in getting away two days later, probably saving his life by doing so, as the boy taken in his place died of yellow fever in Rio Janiero, whither the ship sailed.
Ernest succeeded in finding a chance to return home by working his passage on a Hanoverian barque called "Emil," commanded by Captain Onkier. When he went on board the ship, it being in the night, a big Newfoundland dog seized him and nearly worried him to death. The dog not only bit him severely, but so thoroughly frightened him that he crouched in a corner, not daring to stir until the carpenter discovered him there the next morning and released him.
Being at the mercy of the crew on the voyage to Bremer Haven, he was compelled to steal provisions and liquor for them, and was caught in the act by the Captain who struck him on the side of the head with such force that it sent him reeling, and he was subsequently beaten by the crew for his lack of success. During the nine days' voyage he had no bed to sleep on or cover himself with, and he was about as comfortless as when he shared the bed of the dog.
He reached home nine months after first embarking, about half clad and without a cent to show for the time he had been absent.
His parents, however, gave him a hearty welcome, and were horrified at learning of his narrow escapes and severe treatment.
[CHAPTER II.]
EMBARKS AS ORDINARY SEAMAN—CAPTAIN'S PREMONITION AND SAILORS' FEAR—AMAZONE WRECKED—DYING SAILOR'S VISION—GREWSOME SEAT—A TYPHOON—SHIP SEIZED BY FRENCH—TRAVEL IN RUSSIA—FINDS A WIFE—CONVERTED TO "MORMONISM."
In April, 1867, he found employment as an ordinary seaman on a German mail boat, sailing between Bremer Haven and New York, his compensation being $6.00 per month. He fared so much better on that vessel that he quite enjoyed his berth, but was ambitious to learn more of seamanship than he could on the steamer, and after one year's service quit that and joined the Hamburg barque "Amazone," bound for Cardiff to load up with coal for Hong Kong, China. As the vessel was leaving the Geestemunde dock, her owner stood on the quay side, and, as the last rope was cast off, he placed his hand on the ship's side and said, "Good by Amazone; I will never see you again!"
Ernest heard the remark, and repeated it to two of his comrades. Sailors are notoriously superstitious, and the effect was that they felt sure the vessel was not going to reach her destination. They laid their plans to desert the ship at Cardiff, and would have succeeded if some one had not overheard their talk, and reported to an officer. They had each two suits of clothes on, prepared to make their escape, when they were apprehended by a policeman and compelled to return. Ernest plead with the captain to let him go, saying he could keep all his belongings and wages due if he would only grant him his liberty, but didn't dare tell why he wanted to escape. The captain however, refused, saying he had never had a man desert him, and he wouldn't allow him to.
With the exception of alternate head winds and calms, which greatly retarded the vessel, nothing serious occurred until the Cape of Good Hope was rounded, when heavy storms and high seas were encountered. The bulwarks were swept away, the main batch burst in, and six casks of fresh water were swept overboard. Ernest and a companion were standing at the steering wheel when the second mate warned them to hold on, as a heavy sea was about to break over the ship. They both gripped the wheel with all their strength, but, as the wave passed over, Ernest saw, to his horror, his companion go with it; then, marvelous to relate, as the ship bent down under the weight of the second huge wave, the sailor grasped a mizzen chain and clung on, and shouted until others of the crew came to his relief and hauled him back to safety.
With nine feet of water in the hold, the ship was unmanageable, and the captain told the crew they would either have to pump or sink. By some working the pumps for dear life, and others nailing canvas over the hatchway, and stanchion holes, and by throwing eighty tons of cargo overboard to lighten the ship, they managed to weather the storm; but five nights and four days had passed before they dared cease pumping.
This danger had not long passed when a new horror presented itself—a scarcity of fresh water. For six long weeks they were dependent upon the steam from a saucepan or the dew that could be mopped up in the early morning from the ship's railing to quench their thirst, and the suffering they endured as a result in that hot, dry climate is indescribable. At the end of that time the English barque "Virginia" was sighted, and a casque of water obtained, and also another from the "Fair Leader" of Plymouth, England, which relieved them until an uncharted reef was struck in the China Sea, and the vessel, after hanging amidships for about ten hours, broke in two and foundered. The officers and crew were saved by taking to the life boats in the night, but without being able to secure any provisions or stores, as the sea was high and broke constantly over the vessel as it hung upon the reef. The breaking asunder and sinking of the vessel was witnessed from a distance after day had dawned.
The bark "Fair Leader" already mentioned as having furnished a cask of fresh water, was in the vicinity and saw the signals of distress after the "Amazone" had struck the reef, and steered in the direction indicated. When it was light enough to see, the two boats were sighted and the men picked up. Then it was learned that a member of the crew of the "Fair Leader," who was dying of dropsy, had evidently seen in vision the destruction of the "Amazone," and the peril of the crew afterwards, afloat in the life boats. He told his mates of the very time of the boats leaving the fated ship, that they were in two white life boats, and that one had a flag and the other a blanket for a sail; also that they would come on board the "Fair Leader" and remain there a long time. Perhaps what he said, even more than the signals of distress, influenced the officers of the "Fair Leader" in deciding to remain in the vicinity until morning.
The "Amazone" crew were picked up about nine o'clock in the morning, and one of the first things Ernest did after getting on board, was to sit down upon what he supposed to be a roll of sail or blankets, that he saw on the deck, but which proved to be the body of the sailor who had seen in vision and told of their wreck and subsequent peril. He had died soon after telling it, and was buried during the afternoon of the same day.
A few days later the "Fair Leader" encountered a genuine typhoon, and the ship sprang a leak and would probably have foundered had it not been for the extra crew on board, who, by helping man the pumps, kept her afloat. Ernest, while working at the pumps, was washed away by a wave and struck with such force against the bulwark that his knee was severely injured, and he had to be taken to a hospital for treatment on reaching Shanghai, a month later.
He remained in Shanghai about five weeks, when he shipped on a German bark "Catherine Jorgensen"—engaged in the China trade. He sailed first to Nimpo, where a valuable cargo was taken on board and then set sail for Hong Kong. He had the thrilling experience of being chased by Chinese pirates, but escaped by a favorable wind propelling the barque too fast for the pirate boat, with its more limited sailing capacity, to overtake her.
Ernest sailed the China sea for three years. His last voyage there was with a cargo of 900 coolies, bound for Singapore, where he quit the ship and was transferred to a German ship called "Caroline," sailing for Akiab, India. Four days later the ship was seized by the French frigate "Dassas," and the crew taken prisoners, as the Franco-Prussian war was then raging. Ernest and his companion sailors were taken to a point just outside the Singapore harbor on the man-of-war, their captors not daring to enter, as that would be considered an act of hostility against Great Britain. There it was learned for the first time by the ship's officers that the war was ended, the Germans having conquered the French, and that the capture of the German ship while the armistice was pending would subject the French government to a heavy indemnity. On the arrival at Singapore of the "Caroline" the officers and crew were liberated with apologies, and allowed to proceed with their ship to Akiab.
Ernest contracted a virulent fever at Akiab, and would have been left there by the ship had not the shore doctor forbidden it, declaring that he never would recover if left there, but that he probably would if taken to a colder clime. The fever left him when the ship rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Landing at Falmouth, he proceeded to his old home at Bremer Haven. As the ship entered the Bremer Haven dock, Ernest saw his mother on the quay, watching for him, as she had been warned by inspiration the night previous that he would arrive on that ship, that day. She had not heard from him for more than two years, and had no reason other than that mentioned for expecting that he was anywhere in that region.
He remained home about nine days and then shipped on a Bremen ship bound for Savannah, Georgia. He remained on that ship until it made a subsequent voyage to Reval, Russia, where he left it and traveled for awhile overland, going as far as Cronstadt. He was under suspicion because of having no passport, and narrowly escaped being transported to Siberia.
After following the sea for about twelve years, Ernest took up his residence in England, locating first at Hull and afterwards in South Shields, but continued to make voyages to various parts of the world, generally serving as boatswain or steward. On one voyage to his native land the ship "Thetis" in a violent storm had her bulk-head stove in and was filled up with water to such an extent that the table was floating around in the cabin, and, Ernest, with the companion way and skylight battened down, was shut up like a rat in a trap, and busied himself at baling the water out. To the surprise of all on board, they succeeded in floating the ship into Hamburg. There Ernest secured for a wife one whom he had known as a young girl.
They arranged to be married in England the following April, and, after the cargo was discharged, he returned to England, where the ship was thoroughly repaired. The following March, while entering the port of Blyth, to load coal for Hamburg the "Thetis" was, through error of judgment on the part of the captain, run on to the rocks and became a total wreck. Of course, no lives were lost, but this wreck had the effect of deferring Ernest's marriage. Instead of it occurring in April, it was postponed till the following November. It took place in Shields, England, where he established a home and lived for many years, his six children being born there.
In 1888, while sailing on the ship "Breton," commanded by Captain Ole Peterson, who was a Latter-day Saint, he first learned of "Mormonism." He had been investigating Spiritualism, but abandoned it on learning that the Spiritualists repudiated Christ as a Savior. He had heard of the "Mormons" as being a bad people, but was anxious to learn from the captain really what his belief was. He opened up a conversation by asking the captain his opinion of Spiritualism. The captain replied: "You are not a spiritualist. You belong to the Church of England, and have now found what you have been looking for so many years—the true Gospel. And you will soon become a Latter-day Saint." He then explained the Gospel to him, and told how it had been restored to the earth through the ministration of angels.
On hearing this Ernest's heart beat with joy, and he felt certain the captain was telling the truth. He, being steward, one part of his duty was to keep the captain's stateroom tidy, and while doing so a copy of the Millennial Star came into his hands, which he read with avidity, and learned still more of "Mormon" doctrine.
Adverse winds were encountered on that voyage, and they were twenty-one days in making the round trip, whereas it should only have taken six days. Ernest heard the captain make a remark that there must be some reason for the weather being so against him, and said he wondered if his wife had neglected to pay the money for tithing he had left with her for that purpose. Ernest inquired what he meant by that, and had the law of tithing explained to him, and he felt in his heart then that it was a correct doctrine. On the captain's arrival in England he found out that his wife had not paid the tithing.
One year from the time he first had the Gospel explained to him, Ernest was baptized by Captain Peterson (September 18, 1889) in the North Sea. Immediately after his confirmation he inquired of the captain where he should send his tithing to, as he wanted to pay it. He commenced paying it then, and has been faithful in doing so ever since.
On embracing the Gospel he remarked to Captain Peterson that he supposed now his troubles were ended, but was told that he was wrong in that supposition, for his troubles were only commencing; that he should have the finger of scorn pointed at him, and find opposition even in his own household; but to be comforted, for the day would come when his wife would accept "Mormonism" and become a faithful Saint.
He found the captain's prediction to be verily true. While his wife was at first very much wrought up over his conversion, she afterwards investigated and embraced the Gospel, and has been faithful ever since.
From the time Ernest was baptized he advocated its doctrines and was ridiculed and persecuted as a consequence, but the stronger the opposition the more zeal he manifested. He received the nickname of "Harry, the Mormon," and was better known by that soubriquet than any other.
He was ordained an Elder April 5, 1891, and the next day baptized his wife and her sister.
Ernest continued to follow the sea, and still met with adventures that satisfied him that the devil had not ceased trying to encompass his destruction.
[CHAPTER III.]
SENT TO HOSPITAL—BLUE JACKET CONVERTED—WARNED BY SPIRIT TO LEAVE SHIP—DISOBEYS WARNING—NARROW ESCAPE WHEN SHIP FOUNDERS—A DANGEROUS FALL—LED BY INSPIRATION—INSPIRED PROMISE FULFILLED—WORK IN TEMPLE—DEPARTURE FOR MISSION.
While on a voyage from Shields to Plymouth he was stricken with rheumatic pains in his legs, that rendered him helpless; in fact, his pain was so excruciating that morphine had to be injected into him to get him out of his berth. He appealed to the Lord to know why he should so suffer, when an assurance came to him that there was a purpose in it, as there was a work for him to do in a hospital. The captain was anxious to take Ernest back to his home, as he would reach South Shields in two days' time, and plead with the doctor to give him something to ease his pain in the meantime. The doctor, however, positively refused to have him go, and insisted that he be sent to the Royal Albert Hospital, at Devonport. On arriving there Ernest soon became satisfied of the purpose of the Lord, for, on looking around, he discovered that the patient occupying the cot on his left was a true Israelite. He availed himself of an early chance to make known the principles of the Gospel to him. The patient got out his bible and verified by reference to it all the doctrines that Ernest advanced, after which he declared his conviction that it was the truth. Considerable excitement among the patients in the ward, as well as the nurses and matron was the result. Two of the patients recalled the fact that they had heard "Mormonism" preached and rejected it forty-six years before. A minister visited the hospital early the next morning, having evidently been sent for, to controvert what Ernest had taught, but the converted patient put up such a strong defense of Ernest and the latter bore such a strong testimony of the Truth, that the minister was soon glad to retire discomfited. The patient praised God that the truth had come to him and related this circumstance to prove that Ernest's visit to the hospital was providential. He said he was a stoker aboard a British man-of-war in Hong Kong, China, when he developed hip disease, and was sent to a hospital. His case being considered a desperate one, it was decided to send him to the Royal Albert Hospital, of Devonport, England, for treatment, and, after he and many other patients had been taken on board the ship which was to convey them to England, the doctor, for some unknown reason, decided that he alone should be sent ashore again, and make the voyage by a vessel starting later. That boat with more than 400 passengers was lost at sea, but he safely landed in England by a later vessel.
He believed the Lord had planned it that he might learn of the Gospel, and declared his intention of drawing his money ($140.00) out of the bank, and making his way to London, if he should sufficiently recover to do so, and there get baptized, if he had to go through fire to accomplish it, and then migrate to Zion. The poor fellow died in the hospital three months later, still firm in his belief in the Gospel. His belongings, including a Book of Mormon and some tracts left with him by Ernest, were sent to his brother in Ireland.
All the work essential for the salvation of the dead has recently been done for that man—Samuel Long—in the Salt Lake Temple, by Ernest.
Before leaving the hospital Ernest received a telegram from his old captain telling him that the "Cramlington" would again be at Devonport on a certain date, and if he was well enough he would be glad to take him back home. He accordingly announced his intention to leave the hospital, although he was still unable to walk, and the doctor consented reluctantly for him to go.
After getting on board the vessel, the Spirit manifested to him that he ought to leave the ship, and he proposed to the captain to do so, offering the plea that he was not fit for service; but the captain plead so hard for him to stay, offering to hire a man to do all his work, that he finally yielded.
On the next voyage, which was to Rouen, France, the vessel was all but lost, off Flambrough Head, by the breaking down of the engines in a violent storm off the lea shore. Ernest, seeing the plight the vessel was in, threw up his hands and cried to the Lord to have mercy on him, and forgive his disobedience; and not suffer the ship to be dashed against the rocks, which would mean certain death to all on board. The captain ordered the anchors to be thrown out, but the ship dragged the anchors, and when it seemed that nothing could save the vessel a cry of relief was heard from the chief engineer, for the engines had again started working.
The order was given "Full speed ahead!" and in a few moments the vessel was free from danger. On reaching Rouen the engines were overhauled, and the chief engineer was horrified when he saw that it was by the merest thread that they were saved from a complete collapse.
Notwithstanding this evidence of the dangerous condition of the ship, as well as the Spirit's warning not to trust himself on it, Ernest still remained on her, and set forth on a voyage from Blyth to Plymouth. When off Dover at midnight the ship collided with the Dutch steamer "Ceres", and sank in six minutes.