Today is a special day for the Wyoming Gloschats. It is Bernice's birthday and also our wedding day of one year ago. Our fellow missionaries have been very kind to us and wished us well in a kind of reception line. We are both feeling well, a few aches and twitches here and there which let us know that we are not spring chickens anymore.
Our work today consisted of (Bernice) making the top of a baby blanket and a loom hat. I dissembled a 5hp irrigation pump to replace the seal? and gasket?, install a flapper valve and a ball valve while water was gushing in. So I had my evening bath a little early, but the pump is back together and pumping with the old parts. Now we know that the seal/gasket we have are not the correct ones and new ones need to be ordered from Berkeley Pumps. We just hope that they still make parts for out-of-production pumps.
Tonight is home evening time and our home made instrument band is playing. Bernice will also play her violin with the band. She will be improvising. Most think that this is wonderful. I have my reservations. I will report tomorrow how "wonderful" it was.
May29Our missionary band played "You Are My Sunshine" at our home evening and it didn't sound half bad. We awakened to a sunny day with almost no wind. We don't know how to react to that except enjoy it while it lasts. Going to work this afternoon at 1 PM until 7PM when the visitor center closes. This will be the first time that we are working the afternoon shift. Bernice is playing the prelude music and will play for us as we sing the opening hymn.
The wheel cover showed up last night. It was hidden behind some white deadwood and just in a flashy moment was noticed by one of the neighboring elders. We are grateful for every little thing.
May30May is almost gone and I can hardly believe how fast the year is going by. In four months and eleven days we will be on the way home to Bigfork. Today we served at the "Veil Crossing" from1 PM until 7 PM and had a few visitors come by with their handcart. Three asked to have a story told and I told them about the bridge and how it came to be. Bernice told the story of a pioneer lady (Ellen B. Neibauer) who had a rough time after her conversion. Her very wealthy family disowned her because of the Gospel and her marriage to a Rabbi turned "Mormon". She crossed the country with a Brigham Young group and being in poor circumstance lived in a tent for the first year. Not many jobs for a Rabbi turned Mormon. After a while their financial situation was improving and her husband bought her a pair of shoes, The first shoes she had since leaving England. She also knitted herself a pair of stockings which were striped blue and white. How pleased she was with her "new" wardrobe. After Brigham Young found out that there were still LDS Pioneers on the trail in October 1856 his Sacrament Sermon in the Tabernacle admonished the people to "go and bring them in". As the Elders knocked on their home to collect whatever help anyone could give, her husband said that just did not have anything. Ellen decided that she had something she could give, her knitted stockings and her new shoes. As the Martin Handcart Company finally made it into the Salt Lake Valley on the ninth day of December 1856 the streets were lined with People who welcomed the pioneers and parcel'd them out to different homes to feed and heal them. As Ellen was watching the newcomers she saw her girl friend from England among the handcart people and she was wearing her shoes and her stockings; what joy and a testimony of charity. Ellen and her husband lived to a ripe old age and had ten children.
It was a good day and tears flowed freely as the Spirit bore witness of these faithful Saints and their ordeals.
Tomorrow is Preparation Day and we are off to Casper to celebrate.
The Martin Handcart Story
Between 1843 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people came through here (Martin's Cove) as part of a great wave of westward migration. Of these emigrants, at least 60,000 were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as Mormons. Brigham Young led the first group of Latter-Day Saint pioneers through here in 1847, on their way to the Salt Lake Valley. Most of the 60,000 Mormon emigrants traveled in wagon companies. In the mid-1850s thousands of converts from Europe were eager to emigrate, but most did not have enough money. To make their emigration possible, Brigham Young developed the handcart plan. Under this plan, Saints would sail from Liverpool to the eastern United States. From there, they would travel by train to Iowa City. From Iowa City they would walk the final 1,300 miles to the Salt Lake Valley, pulling their belongings in two-wheeled handcarts. In contrast to the more than $300 required to outfit a wagon, a handcart could be built for $10 to $20. Despite the challenges, most people responded with faith and enthusiasm.Five handcart companies crossed the trail in 1856. The last two handcart companies of 1856 suffered a terrible tragedy. James Willie was placed in charge of the 4th company. Edward Martin led the 5th company. Almost 20 years earlier Edward Martin had been one of the earliest converts in England. He immigrated to America, eventually settling in Salt Lake City. In 1852, he was called to return to his homeland as a missionary. He served for four years, and on his way home he was asked to lead nearly 600 emigrants, many of whom he knew from his mission, in a handcart company.Due to a shortage of ships and other problems, they did not leave England until May. In Iowa City, they had to wait for handcarts to be finished and tents sewn. On July 26, Edward Martin departed with the large company. The Martin Company hurried across Iowa in less than a month. During their trek they were followed by the Hunt and Hodgetts freight wagon companies, also made up of Mormon immigrants.
When they arrived in Florence, Nebraska, they debated whether they should stop or continue their journey of another thousand miles. Although August was late to leave Florence, they were determined to continue forward.
In early October the company arrived at Fort Laramie, the halfway point between Florence and Salt Lake City. They desperately needed a resupply. But flour was scarce and very expensive at the fort and the company began rationing. They reduced the allowance of flour from one pound a day to twelve ounces a day.
The pioneers increased their pace, often going 15 or 16 miles a day, and on October 19, the winter storms began. The Martin Company was about 60 miles to the east of Devil's Gate. To continue forward, they had to cross the Platte River and crossing during a mounting storm became deadly. Even in these conditions, some members of the company made multiple trips acrosss the river to carry those who could not make it on their own. After crossing the river, many people were unable to set up their tents, so they simple crawled under them. Fourteen people died that night. During the next few days, the Martin Company traveled about 10 miles to Red Buttes. During this time their daily rations were reduced to four ounces. On October 28, express riders from the rescue team, sent out on October 4 by Brigham Young, finally found the Martin Company. This team of express riders consisted of Joseph A. Young, Abel Garr, and Dan Jones. As they rode into camp, they were greeted as "angels from heaven." With tears in their eyes, members of the Martin company arose to hug and kiss them.
Because these rescuers were traveling express, they had little physical assistance to give. But the hope they provided was perhaps just as important. They told the Martin Saints that rescue wagons with food and clothing were just 50 miles away at Devil's Gate. They also told these people they should muster the strength to break camp and start moving toward the rescue party The next day, they did so. Same have stated that from the last crossing of the Platte to the time they left Red Buttes, as many as 56 members of the Martin Company had died. On October 31, the rescuers met them with supplies and bonfires. Their meeting place was Greasewood Creek, known today as Horse Creek, about 16 miles east of here. On Noverber 2, the rescuers arrived here at Devil's Gate withthe Martin Company. They did all they could to help, but they were terrible short-handed. Imagine perhaps 20 men trying to help 500 weakened handcart Saints--in a foot of snow, in below freezing temperatures, and in relentless wind.
There was no way to move the people toward Salt Lake City until the weather improved and more wagons became availabe. Captain Grant decided they needed more protection from the elements. The best place was a ravine about two and a half miles away--the place now known as Martin's Cove. On November 4, the rescuers helped the Martin company move to Martin's Cove. To get there, they had to cross the Sweetwater River, somewhere a mile or two west of here. When the pelple arrived at its banks and saw the icy water, remembering the experience crossing the North Platte, many shrank back and wept. Seeing how traumatized the people were, four young rescuers, along with others, in a great act of sacrifice, carried many of the Martin Company across the river.
The Company spent the next five nights in Martin's Cove. We do not have an exact count of deaths in the cove, but it is thought to be fewer than a Red Buttes. The miracle is that most of the people survived. The Hunt and Hodgetts freight wagon companies of Mormon emigrants were camped at the fort at Devil's Gate, and Captain Grant decided to unload these wagons so they could carry the handcart peole who were too weak to walk.
On Novermber 9, the weather finally improved enough for the Martin Company to start moving west again. Unfortunately, there wasn't room for everyone to ride. Many had to continue walking until additional rescuers came. The first to meet them with much needed buffalo meat was Ephraim Hanks, just west of here. Near South Pass, there were finally enough rescue wagons that everyone could ride the final 230 miles to the Salt Lake Valley. They finally arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sunday, November 30, 1856. The Saints in the Valley were moved by compassion when they saw their suffering brothers and sisters.They warmed them, fed them, and helped them regain their strength. Despite the heroic efforts of Edward Martin, other emigraton leaders, and the rescuers, over 100 members of the Martin Company died along the way. Many suffered effects from the journey throughout their lives. But even among those who suffered the most, there was rarely bitterness or complaint . In their writings many expressed their gratitude for a loving God. That is one of many legacies left to us by the handcart pioneers--the ability to see the goodness of God even in our times of adversity.
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