scarcity of food in the great salt lake valley—wild vegetables for greens—fair prospects for crops—clouds of crickets lay bare the fields—people struggle against the pest almost to despair—vast flocks of sea gulls, as the clouds of heaven, come to the rescue—destruction of the cricket—people praise the lord—the writer invited to a meeting, ordained a seventy, and called with others to go on a mission to the society islands—words of presidents brigham young and heber c. kimball—preparations to travel to california with an emigrant company—description of the route by captain jefferson hunt—start on my mission—prophecy by president wlllard richards—battle with indians at provo averted by apostle c. c. rich—prospects of utah valley to support population—overtake the emigrant company—discussions at beaver river—company starts for walker's pass—turned back by scarcity of water—experience on the desert—dissensions in the company—futile attempt to send some of the members back—apostle c. c. rich foresees further trouble, and endeavors to save the mormon part of the train by advising them to return to the old spanish trail—methodist and campbelltte ministers incite the company against the mormon guide, captain hunt—main company disregards captain hunt's warning of danger, and leaves the old spanish trail to search for the route through walker's past—mormons go with captain hunt on the southern route.
when seed time came that year, provisions were very scarce. people dug segos and thistle roots, and gathered cow cabbage, as we called a plant that was found in the canyons. we ate these as greens, cooked the hides of beef cattle—in fact, gathered everything eatable, and worked hard and put in our crops. these started out with fair prospects for harvest until the grain was from one to six inches high. then there came down from the mountains myriads of black crickets, their bodies nearly as large as a man's thumb. they entered upon wheat and corn fields, and swept or ate every green thing before them. field after field was cleared of vegetation. whole families with their chickens moved out to their farms and made war upon the crickets. men, women and children fought from morning till night, and still the enemy advanced from field to field. men almost despaired, women wept, and to all human appearance our cause was lost. the crickets ate the crops so close into the ground that they could not start again. the people held fast meetings and prayed for protection. i am not positive that there were any special meetings for that purpose, but it was customary to fast and pray the first thursday in each month.
almost everybody was in despair, and the enemy did not seem to be diminished in numbers. with their war cry, or ce-ce, the crickets advanced, and, seeming to call up their reserve forces, with a bold front kept up their march. then there came from the west and northwest what seemed to me might be justly called the clouds of heaven, or perhaps more properly the clouds of salvation. these were white sea gulls, which flew so close together and were so numerous as to form a cloud wherever they went. they covered almost the whole farming district north and southeast of the city—the main farming district in salt lake valley at that time; they visited davis county and other places as well; and when they lit down the fields looked as though covered with snow. the gulls came at sunrise and returned to the west at sundown, after having gorged and disgorged themselves the entire day, being tame as chickens. they kept up the work of deliverance day after day, as the crickets continued to come down from the mountains. i believe that was the first time this kind of birds had been seen by any of the settlers. when they had completed their work of mercy they went away, leaving a grateful people who returned thanks to the giver of every good gift. the saints in the valley then were united and their meetings were well attended.
one sunday, brother jedediah m. grant came down from the stand, took the writer by the arm, and asked him to take a walk. the request was granted readily, and i was led to brother lorenzo young's house on city creek, where we found the first presidency, some members of the twelve apostles, and some of the first council of the seventies. there the writer was ordained to the priesthood of a seventy, and his name was enrolled in the third quorum. shortly after that he was invited with others to attend a council meeting of the first presidency and twelve apostles, in president kimball's schoolhouse. when we got in and were seated, president young said, "brethren, if any of you have anything to say, say on." there being no response, the president rose to his feet and said, "i move that elders addison pratt, hyrum blackwell and james s. brown take a mission to the society islands, in the south pacific ocean." president h. c. kimball said, "i second the motion." the question was put and unanimously sustained, and the president turned to me and asked, "brother james, will you go?" the answer was, "i am an illiterate youth, cannot read or write, and i do not know what good i can do; but if it is the will of the lord that i should go, and you say so, i will do the best that i can." the president then took a seat near me, placing his right hand on my left knee, and said, "it is the will of the lord that you go, and i say go; i am not afraid to risk you. and 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."
this council was on sunday evening, some time in september, 1849, and we were to start no later than the 10th of october; indeed, we were instructed to get ready as soon as possible, so that we could join a company of emigrants which was organizing to go through to california by the southern route, as it was too late to go by the northern route.
as elder addison pratt and i had agreed to go sowing wheat together on monday morning, i thought i could speak to him without any notice being taken of it. i said to him, in a low tone of voice, that i guessed we would not sow much wheat next day. president h. c. kimball jumped from his seat as quick as a flash, and pointing his finger directly at me, said, "what is that, brother jimmie?" when i told him what i had said, he continued, "jimmie, it is not for you to sow wheat or to reap it, but your calling is to sow the good seed of the gospel, and gather israel from this time henceforth. mind that, now; let others sow the wheat." from that time i felt a weight of responsibility that i had never thought of before.
we then went to preparing for our journey, apostle c. c. rich had been called to go through to california, so he and brother pratt and i fitted up a team, i having a good wagon and one yoke of oxen; they each furnished a yoke of oxen. in a few days we were ready for the start. we had a rodometer attached to our wagon, to measure the distance.
in the meantime, the emigrants called a meeting before taking their departure. they had employed captain jefferson hunt of company a, mormon battalion fame, to be their guide, as he had come through that route with pack animals. he was invited to tell them what they might expect. he described the route to them with the roughest side out, lest they might say that he had misled them by making things more favorable than they really were. in concluding his remarks he said: "from salt springs, we cross to a sandy desert, distance seventy-five miles to bitter springs, the water so bitter the devil would not drink it; and from thence away hellwards, to california or some other place. now, gentlemen, if you will stick together and follow me, i will lead you through to california all right; but you will have to make your own road, for there is none save the old spanish trail from santa fe to california, by the cajon pass through the sierra nevada mountains."
the emigrant company consisted of about five hundred souls, and one hundred wagons and teams, the latter in poor condition. feeling in high spirits, the company moved out between the 1st and 8th of october. c. c. rich, francis pomeroy and i remained to follow up on horseback, in three or four days. pratt and blackwell, taking our team, started with the main body. they got to the cottonwoods, when one of my oxen became so lame that they could not proceed any farther. blackwell returned to inform me of the situation, and i went down and traded with john brown, late bishop of pleasant grove, for another ox, mine having been pricked in shoeing. then they overtook the main company, and all proceeded together.
on the 8th we followed. i started out alone, to meet with the others at cottonwood. as i passed the home of dr. willard richards, counselor to president brigham young, dr. richards came out and met me; he took me by the right knee with his right hand, as i sat on my horse, and said, "starting out on your mission, i suppose?" i replied, "yes, sir." "well, brother james, i am glad, and sorry; glad to have you go and preach the gospel, and sorry to part with good young men that we need in opening up a new country." at that he gave my knee an extra grip. stretching his left hand out to the southwest, his chin quivering and his eyes filling with tears, he said, "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 draw near unto you, and you shall be delivered, to return home to this people. do not stop to write to brother pratt, your president, to brother brigham, or to me, for you will require the immediate protection of god. then put your trust in him, and he will deliver you; for i promise you in the name of israel's god that you shall be delivered from your enemy and return to this people. goodbye, and god bless you." need i tell the reader that my mind was greatly impressed by those prophetic words, their inspired character being established so vividly in my later experience? prophetic i knew them to be, and impressive they were indeed; and the impression has been deep and lasting.
i then went on to brother jacob m. truman's, on big cottonwood creek, and stayed with him that night. next morning i passed on to brother william bills', where i met with brothers c. c. rich and f. pomeroy, and we proceeded on to provo by the indian trail, having been joined by alexander williams, with whom we stayed.
at provo we learned that the citizens and indians had had some trouble, and there was considerable excitement, as there were but few settlers at that place and the indians were quite numerous. the latter were singing war songs and working up a spirit of war preliminary to making an attack that night or next morning, as was supposed. the people were preparing to receive them as best they could. guards were posted around the camp, and men put on picket duty, so that any enemy might be discovered readily.
the indians made no move until after daylight; but just before sunrise they started from their camps in force, to attack us. we advanced to meet them, so as to prevent their assailing us in the small fort, where the women and children were. the savages marched up as if to give us open battle. we formed across the road, and each man took his post ready for action. i always have believed that if it had not been for the presence of apostle c. c. rich, and his cool, conciliatory action, there would have been bloodshed, for there were some very hot-headed white men, who would have preferred war to peace. through brother rich's influence, the cause of the trouble was looked into, a conciliation effected, and war averted, so that after breakfast we of the missionary party proceeded on to what was called hobble creek—now the city of springville, with a population of over two thousand souls. i remember that we thought the place would be capable of sustaining eight or ten families, or a dairy, believing there was not enough water for more.
from hobble creek we passed on from one small stream to another, expressing our opinion as to the capacity of the water supply; and in no instance did we suppose that there was water sufficient for more than fifteen families, judging from what we could see then. again, the barrenness of the country was such that it did not seem that more than seventy-five or a hundred head of cattle could find feed within reach of water. now thousands of head of horned stock and horses are sustained at the same places.
we kept on our way until we overtook the wagon train on sevier river. we came up with the emigrants just as they were ready to move on, but did not find them so full of glee as they were on the start from the city. still, we rolled on very peaceably until we came to beaver river, where the country began to look more forbidding. then the ardor of the emigrants began to weaken.
at this place the company was joined by a man named smith with a pack train of about seventeen men; also james flake, with thirty latter-day saints; besides, there were william farrer, john dixon. h. w. bigler, george q. cannon, and others, whose names i do not now recall. smith felt confident that he could find walker's pass, in the sierra nevada mountains. this supposed pass had been spoken of often, but men had been disappointed as often in finding it, or rather in not finding it. smith's story excited our whole camp so that there was a general desire to try the new route, and go down through the canyon and out on to the sandy desert. the whole company except a very few favored the idea of leaving the route they had hired a guide for, and they urged captain hunt to strike out and look for water. he said, "gentlemen, i agreed to pilot you through to california on the old spanish route by the cajon pass. i am ready to do so, and am not under any obligations to lead you in any other way; and if you insist on my doing so you must be responsible, for i will not be responsible for anything. on this condition, if you insist on changing your route, i will do the best i can to find water, but i do not have any reason to hope for success when i leave the trail."
the company hurrahed for the walker pass, and captain hunt struck out a day ahead while the company shod and doctored their lame and sick stock for one day. then we moved out ten miles on to the plain southwest of where minersville, utah, now stands, and camped.
sometime in the night captain hunt came into camp, so near choked from the lack of water that his tongue was swollen till it protruded from his mouth; his eyes were so sunken in his head that he could scarcely be recognized. his horse, too, for the need of water, was blind, and staggered as he was urged on. their stay had been thirty-six hours, on the sands, without water. about 2 o'clock next morning our stock stampeded from the guards and ran back to water. two-thirds of the men went in pursuit, and animals and men did not return to camp till 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
by this time confusion and discontent abounded in camp. a committee was appointed to inquire into the condition of every team, and to ascertain the food supply, with the avowed intention of sending all back who failed to have what were considered the requisites for the journey. i think that one-third of the company, our wagon included, were found wanting when weighed in that committee's balances. but when we were ordered to return, those who gave the command found that they were without authority and no one would heed them. so the discontent was patched up for a time, and we proceeded on to little salt lake valley, where we struck the old spanish trail again. then the company began to split up, some going on after night, and others stopping.
brother c. c. rich told me that it had been shown to him that there was going to be trouble, and he felt led to believe that if we would go with the pack train he could at least lead the brethren there back on to the trail and save them. this was in the night, as we slept together in the wagon. he awoke and asked me if i were awake. finding that i was, he told me what would befall the company. to save the brethren and all who would heed him, he purchased some ponies and went with the packers.
as we passed along the spanish trail—said to be three hundred and fifty years old—on the great desert, we could follow the route by the bones of dead animals in many places. it is said that many fierce battles have been fought between mexicans and indians along this trail. so far as we were concerned, although it was known that the indians were very hostile, they gave us no trouble.
when we reached what is called the rim of the basin, where the waters divide, part running into the colorado river and on to the pacific ocean, and part into the salt lake valley, the company called meetings, and several made speeches, saying there must be a nearer and better route than that on which the mormon guide was leading them. one methodist and one campbellite preacher in the company said that they had started to california, and not hellwards, as the mormon guide had stated at the outset, quoting what captain hunt had said just before starting. others claimed that they had been on the mountains, and upon looking west had seen something green, which they asserted was an indication of water. some of them celebrated the proposed separation from us by boring holes in trees then filling these with powder and firing them, exploded the trees in symbol of the break-up of the company.
next morning all but seven wagons turned off to the right, toward the supposed walker's pass. we preferred to follow the guide. the company was thoroughly warned by captain hunt of the danger of dying from lack of water. in our party there were eleven men, two women and three children. the main company expressed pity for us and tried to persuade us to go with them, but we felt confident that our course was the safest, notwithstanding their superior numbers. they seemed to rejoice at their conclusion, while we regretted it for their sakes. thus we separated, the emigrant company heading for walker's pass, and our small party continuing on the old spanish trail, or southern route to california.
