Historical Introduction

After immigrating to the Utah Territory by handcart in the summer of 1859, the William and Rachel Atkin family lived in Great Salt Lake City for nine years, until the fall of 1868, when they were assigned to help settle Southern Utah. They moved to St. George that winter and kept living in that area for the remainder of their lives. In his twilight years, William Atkin contributed his talents as a writer for a fledgling local newspaper, the Union. Joseph W. Carpenter, Atkin’s friend and neighbor, began publishing the Union in St. George during June 1878 and continued to edit and print the paper sporadically until February 1887. In December 1895, Carpenter resumed the paper’s publication on a weekly basis until its closure in 1898. During these years, Carpenter ran national and local interest stories together with general news, advertising, humor, and Church related columns. In fact, he devoted a great deal of print to local pioneer histories and other special-interest stories relevant to his largely Latter-day Saint readership.

Carpenter also utilized the pens of several local citizens, including William Atkin. Often going by the pen names “Rhondo” or “Tanik,” Atkin wrote editorials, local news, and special-interest stories, his work gracing nearly every edition of the newspaper between 1896 and 1898. Carpenter also encouraged Atkin to narrate and publish the story of his religious conversion in England and subsequent immigration to Zion, which he did beginning in early February 1896. In his work titled “A Youth’s Experience,” Atkin began: “Although some of this narrative may not be interesting to all your readers, yet I trust it may be of sufficient interest to the youth of Zion as to strengthen their faith in the gospel.” Atkin’s conversion narrative was subsequently published weekly in more than a dozen installments starting in February 1896 and ending in May of the same year.

Source Note

Rhondo [William Atkin], “A Youth’s Experience,” Union (St. George, Utah), February 8–May 7, 1896, Parts 1–13. Featured newspaper articles available in the Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. For digital images of the Union, see https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058012.

Document Transcripts

Part One[1]

Although some of this narrative may not be interesting to all your readers, yet I trust it may be of sufficient interest to the youth of Zion as to strengthen their faith in the gospel, as nothing but stern facts will be written in this article.

I was born at Empingham, in the county of Rutland, England, on the 27th of March 1835, of poor parents, and the only schooling I had was till I was 8 years of age, at which time I was set to work on a farm to assist in earning my living.

I was religiously inclined and at an early day went to the different religious denominations and my mind was very much troubled because of the fear of the Hell that was pictured by them. I had such a dread of death because I was told that for the least sin I would be sent to hell, and had no hope that I could escape it. The Methodists, which I joined at 13 years of age pictured hell in such a manner that I often wished I had never been born. They would often read a piece to us in the class meeting, describing hell, of which the following is a part; “Come, oh, my soul thy certain ruin trace, if thou neglect the Savior, offered grace infinite years in torment, must though spend, which never had an end. Yes thou must dwell in torturing despair, as many years as grains of sand upon the ocean shore.” When all those doleful years are spent in pain and multiplied by myriads again till numbers drown the thought, could I suppose that then my wretched years were at a close and lots more of this same kind and I was troubled in my mind continually, and I would read and pray and often I wished I had lived in the days of our Savior and his apostles. It seemed so very different to what was taught to us now. In the summer of 1852 in the place where I was born I saw a young man standing on the sidewalk singing a hymn. I stopped to hear what he had to say, and after praying earnestly to God in the name of Jesus Christ his Son that he would guide him by His spirit that he might speak such things to the people as would be pleasing unto him, the prayer was of such a nature that I could not help noticing it as something out of the common line of any prayer I had ever heard. He then sang again, and then started to talk to the people.

Part Two[2]

He said he had come to bring good news to them, and told them that the time had come that John saw in the 14th chapter of the book of Revelations, and the 6th and 7th verses: “And I saw another Angel fly, in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, kindred, and tongue, and people saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his Judgment has come, and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

He said that angel had come to the earth and had restored the everlasting Gospel, and that on the American Continent God had revealed himself, to a young man and restored the Gospel, as it was taught in the days of the Savior by himself and his Apostles, and that John the Baptist had been sent to the earth and had brought back to earth the Aaronic priesthood and given power again to man on the earth, to preach the gospel and to baptize by immersion in water, for the remission of sins as John did himself as a forerunner of the Savior, and that Peter, James and John the Apostles of Jesus had also appeared to the same young man and restored also the Apostleship with full power to officiate in all the Ordinances of the Gospel and that this man had Ordained others to this same priesthood and given them power and authority to carry this glad message to all mankind and that he had received the Aaronic priesthood with authority to preach the Gospel and to Baptize the people and this was the message that he was there to bear, and he hoped we would receive it with gladness.” This set me to thinking. A few weeks after he came again, and there was another man with him--Charles Welsh, by name, who now lives in Ogden, Utah, who held the Melchesadic priesthood; and he declared the same things and quoted the scripture that says “Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than that we have preached here, let him to accursed.” As soon as they started to preach in that way, the minister of the day began to charge and try to get the people to keep away from them, but this had the effect of causing me, with others, to continue to go to hear them, and soon a few were baptized in secret. One day after Charles Welsh had been preaching he gave notice that if any one wished to be baptized, he would attend to that ordinance at any time and at any place they wished. An old man by the name of William Winterton spoke up and said he wanted to be baptized the next Sunday at 2 o'clock and named the place for baptism, and said that the sun should shine on him when he was baptized.

Part Three[3]

At the time brother Winterton said the sun should shine on him when he was baptized, elder Welsh gave notice that he would preach the next Sunday at one o'clock at the place named by the old man for baptism. Accordingly, the following Sunday he was there and the people turned out enmass, some on mischief bent, some for curiosity, and a few to hear the Gospel and to see the ordinance of baptism performed. It was one of England's dark days, very heavy clouds covered the sky so it was impossible for the sun to shine through them. After the preaching was done and the time came for baptism, the Elder stepped into the water and the old man stood on the bank ready to go into the water. Then an old woman on mischief bent, yelled out at the top of her voice “The old liar said the sun should shine on him when he was baptized, but it wont.” Immediately the clouds parted and the sun shone bright and clear, and the Elder took the old man down into the water and baptized him, and as soon as the old man was on the bank again before the elder got out of the water, the clouds closed over the sun and it did not shine any more that day at that place, and all that were there saw it. The old woman walked off and had nothing to say. Some made remarks about it one way and some another, but to me it was a glorious manifestation of the power of God and I was satisfied it was not chance as some said it was. Neither did I believe it would have been so if the old woman had not tried to make an honest old man a liar. It certainly was a strong testimony to me that God was with the people.

Myself and two other young men who had been my companions from childhood, continued to attend the meetings held by the people who called themselves Latter-day Saints. We met with them often and the more we met with them the better we liked them and the doctrine they taught, and the union and love that existed with them was something that we admired. For the first time we met with them in a fellowship meeting and saw them administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and heard them bear a humble yet faithful testimony to the truth of the Gospel, that each had received, and they spoke with such power that it did seem to me that all the world would believe their testimony, it was so plain and simple yet powerful that I could tell that it was true. This meeting was the only one I had ever been to and after it was over the elder came to us three, (shall I say young men? Two of us had just turned 17 years, the other was a little older,) and asked us if we were ready to be baptized? The other two said they would go if I would. “Then,” said the Elder, “it now rests with you.” I said, “well, brother Welsh, I would not go because others were going, but I believe the doctrine to be true and that the principles you teach are of God, and that I shall be condemned if I reject them, and you have made a promise that I sincerely believe.” The promise that he had made was that “if we would obey the ordinances of the gospel as they had taught them, in sincerity, that we should know whether the doctrine was of God or whether they spoke of themselves. “And,” said he, “I repeat that same testimony and it shall be so with you.”

Part Four[4]

I told him I most certainly had faith in God that He was the God and Father of us all and that He had sent His beloved Son who had died a shameful death that we might live and that by obeying His commandments we could be saved and that I had repented of my sins and was now ready for baptism.

It was now dark and we went and all three of us were baptized that night, which was the 12th day of September, 1852. We were baptized in the river Dwash, at Empingham, Rutland county, England, and we returned to the house where the meeting of which I speak had been held, and we were confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and, oh! the joy that I felt my lips cannot describe and a pen is a week [weak] instrument, indeed, in my hand to attempt to portray it for the spirit of God did in every deed bear witness to me that it was of God and it was beyond the power of man to convince me otherwise.

At this time I was working with my father for a farmer, and knowing that my father was prejudiced against the Latter-day Saints by the ministers and others talking to him, I had concluded in my own mind to say nothing to him at present in regard to my becoming a member of that church. Accordingly, on the following morning we started out as usual to our labors. We had not gone but a short distance before we met father Winterton, the old man before mentioned, on whom the sun shone so beautifully, on that dark day when he was baptized, and he hurried up to us and grasped me by the hand and turning to my father said, “There is a fine boy about nine hours old.” Of course my father knowing I was attending the meetings of the Saints, also knowing that I was out late the night before, took in the situation at once and as soon as we got away, he said “was you fool enough to join them Mormons last night?” I replied that I had joined them. He started out in his way to criticise me in relation to the matter. I allowed him to talk with-out interrupting him, until he ceased. I then said “father, are you done?” He said he was. I then asked him if he would listen to me? He replied that he would. I then told him a few things pertaining to the Gospel, and before I was aware of it, I bore a faithful testimony to him of the truth of the Gospel! It had a good effect and it was not long before he was baptized, and also my sister. My mother was also favorable and they took the elder home and fed him and made him as comfortable as their limited means would admit of.

Part Five[5]

My mother was troubled with what is called tiodouloureux. It would come on very sudden and would draw her face in such contortions it would grieve anyone who saw her, and at times the blood would rush out of her mouth and if she took cold, it would be much worse, and she believed the Gospel but was afraid to go into the water. One evening as we sat in the house elder Welsh said to her, “Sister, why don't you be baptized?” She replied “I dare not. I am afraid I would take cold and get worse.” The elder arose to his feet and said “Sister, I promise you in the name of the Lord, that if you will go and be baptized, you shall not have that disease any more.” She said “I believe it and I will go and be baptized.” The same river in which I had been baptized, run within a few rods of our door and she went forthwith and was baptized and she lived about 10 years after that but never had the least particle of that disease again to her dying day.

Soon after this a branch of the Church was Organized in the place and the young man that I formerly stated who, like myself, was a little over 17 years old, was ordained to the office of a Priest and set apart to preside, over the branch, and I was ordained Deacon. A few weeks after this, the Priest whose name was Thomas Bland and myself, in going to the place where we held our sabbath meetings, had to pass a Methodist Chapel and a number of men and boys were standing outside. A number of them, about our own age, with whom we had been acquainted with all our lives and as we were passing, one young man said, mockingly, “there goes the priest.” Brother Bland took him by the collar and seat of the pants and threw him headlong off the sidewalk.

Part Six[6]

It is needless to say that this done our cause no good, but the reverse. A young man who had been to college to learn to preach, joined with a number of others and raised a mob and they made us a great deal of trouble in disturbing our meetings, and as many other such cases, our own folly caused us lots of our troubles. On the following Christmas, the Latter-day Saints held their conference at the town of Leicester, which was 30 miles from where we lived, and bro Bland, C. Morris and I started on foot about 3 o'clock in the morning of the day on which the conference was to meet at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and we were all strangers, none of us ever having been there before.

In going along one of the streets I saw two men at some distance coming towards us. Although there were a number of people between them and us, the Spirit told me that those two men were Latter-day Saints. I said to my companions, “Those two men coming yonder,” at the same time pointing them out, “are our brethren.” They both laughed at me, but I told them it was so. We walked on until we met them face to face and one of them held out his hand and I held out mine and we took each other by the hand. He said “I don't know who you are or where you are from, but one thing I do know you are Latter-day Saints.” I told them I also knew they were when I first saw them. The brethren with me and the brethren with him wanted us to tell them how we knew, as we had never seen each other. We answered “We could only say that the spirit told us such was the case.” We stayed there two days and attended all the meetings and partook of the spirit there made manifest and it was a feast in every deed to me.

Soon after this I was ordained to the office of a Priest and on Tuesday evenings we held our priesthood meeting. At one of these I was appointed to go to a neighboring village called Casterton, to preach on the following Sabbath. I had never before spoken to the people in public, only to bear my testimony in our meetings. At this time I was working for a Methodist Preacher who lived in the place where I was to preach. During the week he heard of my appointment and came to me and told me I had better not go; “for,” said he, “I have been a preacher for forty years and if you come there, I will come and stand before you and you cannot preach.” This troubled me very much and on the Sabbath morning I asked two sisters to go with me to help me sing, which they did; and now the time had about come for us to start and none but those who have had this experience can imagine my feelings. I went to a secret spot and poured out my soul in prayer to God that he would assist me in that duty as I was going out in His name in my weakness to try to teach his holy laws. We arrived at the place and in the street we sang a hymn and quite a number of people gathered around, and true to his word, the preacher was there right in front of me, only a few feet distant, and I offered a very sincere prayer to my heavenly father, that he would give me his holy spirit that I might be able to speak in his name the words of eternal life. We then sang again and I started to talk to the people, and oh, the lovely influence that came over me, tongue cannot describe! I spoke to the people by the gifts and power of the Holy Ghost, and it brought words to my lips such as not only gave me joy, but surprised the people; for a number of them knew me, and I heard some who did not know me, ask “where is that young fellow from? and where he had been educated?” And when they were informed who I was and where I was working, and that I had no education, they were surprised indeed. When I examined my watch to see how long I had been preaching, I was surprised to find that I had talked one hour and twenty minutes. The preacher never uttered a single word to me about religion after that.

Part Seven[7]

The next Tuesday evening I was appointed to hold meeting in the place where I was born and I began to flatter myself in my own mind that I could preach. Accordingly I hunted up a text which I concluded that I would preach a sermon from. Accordingly I spent all the time I could get, the remainder of the week and studied with all my might and had a sermon in my mind that I thought I could make a big show in delivering to the people. On the Sabbath following I went at the time appointed with my head up as self-reliant as possible. Gave out a hymn and this time a young man, who was also a priest, was present. I called on him to pray, and we sang again and with an independent spirit I rose to my feet and read my text and that was every word that I could say. I stood there but my mouth was dumb and I could not utter a word. Finally I sat down and asked the brother that was with me to speak to us. As I sat down, my transgression was plain to me and I was that I, an unlearned youth, had undertaken to stand up, having a portion of the Holy priesthood upon me, and to ignore that and to speak to the people in my own only supposed ability, our merciful heavenly father showed me my own folly. I sat down and in my inmost soul asked God to forgive me of that sin, and when brother Charles Morris, for that was his name, sat down, I again rose to my feet and told the people that I sought to do and they had seen how utterly I had failed. I am thankful to say that God again gave me a good portion of his Holy Spirit so that by that Spirit I was enabled to talk to the people, and I gave God the praise. This taught me this one true lesson, that feeble man who has received the Holy priesthood, cannot go among the people in his own name and think they can teach the things of God in his own strength and do any good, either to the people or themselves, but God did, by His spirit, give the words of life to the people through me, through an unlearned boy. Soon after this, one sunday evening, I went to visit a young sister named Ann Ellwood, who was very sick in bed.

She heard me in the house and called her mother into the room where she was, and told her she wanted to see me. Accordingly I went into the room, her mother leaving us alone, she said she desired me to administer to her and she would be better. I was only a Priest at the time but there were no Elders in the neighborhood then. I laid my hands on her head and prayed God the Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus Christ his Son, to remove the pain and heal her up from all her afflictions. As soon as I took my hands off her head, she said, “now brother, if you will go into the other room, I will get up, for I am healed.” I did so and she dressed herself and came out of the bedroom, rejoicing and giving God the praise. We sat up several hours that night and on the following morning I called at the house to enquire how she was, and I found her busy doing their house work and she said she never felt better in her life, and she is now married to James White, a plasterer, in the 11th ward in Salt Lake City, and she delights to tell how God heard our prayers and answered them in her behalf. The members in our branch increased until there were from 25 to 30. One of the young men, Wilson by name who was baptized when I was, left the Church, but the mother of the other young man joined the Church. It was a pleasure to see the love that existed in the Church in that little place. We had very good meetings and the spirit of God was with us and we testified to each other of the good things of the kingdom and all was well with us, though the preachers charged and the mobs howled and the Devil raged among them, yet the truth of the Gospel was still in our hearts and we were a United band of brethren and sisters in very deed, and it was our delight to do each other good, and the spirit of gathering together of the saints took possession of us and we had our desires Zionward, and we sang the songs of Zion though we were in a land far away.

Part Eight[8]

We had a strong faith in the ordinances of the gospel, and would hold our meetings at one place on sabbath and at another place another sabbath, which was six miles away, and both males and females would walk that six miles each way, in a day, hold meeting and return, singing praises to God.

We had implicit confidence in each other and the love of the gospel that was in our hearts was such that it was no hardship to us to share our scanty homes and provisions with the servants of God. Many times I have seen three or four desire the elders to go with them, and I knew they did not have enough in their house to make them comfortable, but they were willing to share what little they had and would spend half the night in listening to the elders talk on the principles of the gospel and we did not get tired. Well do I remember going six miles one sunday to meeting and a young woman gave in her name for baptism, and we dare not do the baptising in the day time, so I stayed there in order to be present and it was four o'clock in the morning when I was ready to return home, and after I returned home, had three miles to go to my work, where I mowed all day.

On the 18th of December I was married to Rachel Thompson, who was born March 31, 1835, at Barrowden, Rutland England. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ in April, 1849, and we made all preparations to go to America with a view of gathering with the saints, and the Branch where we lived got up a farewell party and I composed the following:

Oh, England is my native land,

Where I was bred and born;

And friends, they now begin to weep

To think that we are going.

Here's a memory of all kind friends

Whom we shall leave behind

And when we are far in the west

We'll bear them in our mind.

“Where is it that you are going

And what is your intent?

How can you go and leave us

While we towards you are bent?”

It is my full intention

To do the will of God

And go away to Zion

Beyond the swelling flood.

There is a place far in the west

Where we hope soon to be

And there's a people in the place

With whom we wish to be.

The time it now is drawing nigh

When we must bid adieu

To this our native country

And those we love so true.

And now we are quite ready

To leave this land of woe

For the vessel is preparing

In which we’re bound to go.

And now to all that would be happy

We say true Mormons be

And for yourselves you'll surely gain

A heavenly jubilee.”

Brother Bland, who was baptized when I was, left the Church but still he liked to be with me, and he composed the following:

Part Nine[9]

“To William and Rachel Atkin, on their departure for America, February 12, 1855.

Dear Comrade as you're going to leave

The land where you was born,

you'll leave your friends behind to grieve,

Myself, I feel to mourn.

‘Tis true that you are joined to one,

And now she is your bride:

And when that from this land you're gone

May she be still your pride.

May the God of heaven bless you both

with peace and prosperity

To dwell away on America's coast

In love and unity.

Remember the time is drawing nigh

When you must bid adieu

To this your native country,

And those you love so true.

And when that you're far from this land,

Perhaps you'll think on me;

As long as I shall draw my breath

I will remember thee.

Then fare thee well, my comrade dear,

The truth to you I'll tell;

The nations they begin to fear

When Mormons say farewell.

Then till we again meet accept my love

For it shall never die;

No time nor change shall mar its trace

When far beyond the sky.

Then may that God that reigns above

Grant you many faithful be,

And get safe home to Zion's land,

And be saved eternally.

Then farewell to you and your dear wife,

May the Lord you forever bless:

To dwell in Zion's fair and holy land

In truth and righteousness.

And when that we again shall meet—

The time I cannot tell—

Though now I must conclude this piece

And at present say farewell.

And we bid our fathers, mothers, relations and friends farewell and started out for Liverpool, about the 15th of February, 1855, calling on and spending the night each with my wife's sister and aunt, and arrived in Liverpool about the 20th, and arriving there late in the evening, we went direct to emigrant's home, where we found a large number of Saints who were to sail with us, had already arrived. The ship on which we were to sail was not yet loaded and those who had money stayed on land and those who had none had to go on the ship and live until it was loaded and ready to sail, and we were among the latter.

When we were ready to sail, Franklin D. Richards, who was presiding over the Saints in the European Mission, came on board and bid us God speed on our voyage and said “Although we might be dismasted or our ship loose its rudder, we should land safely at our destination.” As the Steamer came to tow us out to sea many of us went on deck and joined in singing the hymn on page 241 of the Latter-day Saints Hymn book:

Yes my native land I love thee,

all thy scenes I love them well,

Friends, connections, Happy country,

Can I bid you all farewell?

Can I leave thee, far in distance lands to dwell.

Then as we were being towed along by the steamer and many of us looking back on the land of our birth for the last time, we sang the hymn on page 239, in the same book.

The gallant ship is under way

To bear us off to sea,

And yonder floats the steamer gay

That says she waits for me. etc.

We were now on the old American packet ship Siddons, bound for Philadelphia, Pa., and we set sail on the last day of February, 1855; it was a lovely day with a fair wind. In the afternoon we saw in the distance that beautiful Emerald Isle, the home of the Shamrock and Ivy so green. As night came on, the wind rose and the old ship pitched and surged, and a good many were sea sick before morning, among them was my wife who was very sick and she continued very sick. We were overtaken by a very heavy south wind and were driven out of our course to the north, and storm raged but when the wind did cease, it was a dead calm, not enough wind to steady a sail, and the sea rolled mountains high. My wife had been very sick all the time we had been sailing and for the first time I took her on deck alone, all the time till then, two of us had to assist her up, and as soon as we got on the deck, the old ship shipped a very heavy sea, about filling the decks with water and swam both of us bumping back and fore, until a young man named Hector McQurrie rushed to our assistance. Whether the salt water was the cause or not, I cannot tell, but she continued to improve from that time on until she was nearly well when we landed. One night when the wind was blowing we were all aroused, by the guard between decks, giving the alarm that water was in the ship and it was thought that the ship had sprung a leak below water mark. So sufficient male passengers were placed on deck to man the pumps, and all other were ordered below and the hatchways fastened down, and there was great excitement among the passengers.

Then all was in commotion, the second mate, who was very rough man, both in language and actions, opened the hatchway, and, at the top of his voice shouted, “the ship is sinking and we are all going to hell together!”

Part Ten[10]

In the midst of this Arnold Goodliff, a young man who relieved the guard that was in the forecastle, discovered one of the round light holes open, and as the ship dipped, the water poured in, in torrents. He stepped to one side, closed the light hole and stopped the water. This was the supposed leak that was sprung.

A part of the day before had been pleasant and some one had opened the window, and lucky for them that the captain did not find out who did it.

Our location at this time was away up in the north far out of our course, being driven by the south wind before named, and after seven weeks, principally very rough sailing, we sighted land at Cape May, on the 18th of April, and as we approached the land we saw what to me seemed the most lovely sight I ever saw. The sun was shining lovely on the beautiful blossoms of lovely green, made it look like a very paradise. We were then towed up the Delaware river nearly two days with the lovely scenery on both sides of us, and I felt happy at the sight, and on the 20th day of April, 1855, we first sat our feet on American soil, as on that day we landed in Shipping Street Wharf, in the city of Philadellphia and we soon found friends among the Latter-day Saints, though in a land were we were Strangers.

Part Eleven[11]

Apostle John Taylor met us at the dock as also quite a number of the Latterday Saints, who took us to their homes and bade us welcome. But we will have to go back to the dock where we took off our luggage. While we were on the Dock a long line of us, a man came along enquiring for a young man and his wife that would like to hire out on a farm and as I had heard so many of our brethren answer “yes,” I came to the conclusion that he did not want any one, but he finally came to me and asked the same question, and I also answered “yes.”

He asked me if I had a wife and I said I had and introduced her to him. He then asked if I had my recommend from any parties I had worked for? I told him I had not. He then said my wife was a very good recommend, and I believed him. He then asked us to go to a certain address, as his sister was staying there, and she wanted to hire a man and a woman to go out 30 miles on a farm and as we had no money to enable us to continue any farther westward we were thankful for the opportunity and accordingly we went to the place appointed and we made a bargain to go and work for $15.00 a month and they furnish us bed and board.

Apostle Taylor called a meeting of all the saints who were going to stay around there as also the saints who were living there and gave us a hearty welcome to the land of our choice and gave us some excellent council and then asked us, each and all, if we would be willing, if we were unable to get work or were sick, to agree to help each other? We all agreed that we would, and he blessed us in the name of the Lord, and then myself and wife started for our new home, by railroad, to westchester, chester Co., Pa., 30 miles distant from where we had landed.

Part Twelve[12]

On our first railroad ride in America, the engine broke down and we were hindered sometime, but arrived at our destination that evening and the next morning we started to work. My wife in the house to cook and do house work and myself on the farm, and although some of the work was entirely new to us, we gave good satisfaction as we were determined to do, if it was in our power. At our first dinner there was meat and vegetables, fruit, butter and everything necessary to make a good common every-day dinner, and to this was added what looked to me like a very nice yellow cake; and this I noticed some were eating with meat and vegetables and putting butter on it, and I had heard in the old country how extravagant the American people were in some things and I certainly thought this was the height of American extravagance in very deed, and, and they of course passed it to me. I said nothing but thought in my own mind a piece of it would be very nice, indeed, for a finish to a good meal; accordingly, when I had eaten all I needed, except, as I supposed, a small piece of this nice cake, I then took a piece of it; but lo, my surprise! for what I supposed was a beautiful cake when I tasted, it was rough and coarse enough to be made out of saw dust, and then I saw at a glance, it needed both butter and meat and all the good things you could get to help it on its downward road.

On enquiring afterwards of my wife what they called that sawdust affair she informed it was corn dodger, of yellow corn, and you can rest assured that I certainly dodged it for a long while after that, but as time rolled on I found that I could eat a little of it, but am not a lover of it to this day. Before our first month was up, we received a letter from Philadelphia stating that some of our brethren and sisters were unable to get work and a few were sick, asking us to assist them.

We drew what money we had already earned and cheerfully sent it to them, for the assistance of those in need.

We continued to work on till 2 months was up and we became quite anxious to see some of our own faith and meet with them, we therefore obtained permission to go to Philadelphia, on Saturday evening and back on Monday morning, and we met with the saints in a sacrament meeting and had a feast in very deed and gave most of our wages to assist those in need, and returned to our labors, feeling well paid for our trouble and means. We stayed there till harvest. I then went to harvesting for other parties and received good wages and staid in that part till August, and having saved $80.00, we concluded to go to St. Louis and get that much nearer to the land of Zion, but on arriving at Philadelphia, it was considered best to stay there till spring, as it was understood that at that time there was considerable sickness in and around St. Louis. Not being able to obtain employment there we went down to Delaware and there found work, but soon took sick with the chills and fever and we then returned to Philadelphia, and were both very sick. We rented a room in a house where some of the saints were living and we both being sick and not able to wait on each other, our money soon went and we suffered a good deal that winter, and when my wife could hardly move around I could not get out of bed she would bind shoes and anything else she could get to do, and thus earned our scanty living as she was at that time suffering with the chills and fever. At one time she was in bed with a very heavy chill, shaking the very room we were in, and elder John Newton came into the room and she asked him to administer to her which he did; and the chill stopped immediately and she started to gain strength, but was very weak and I was gaining a little so that I was soon so far recovered that I would walk around.

At this time we were very short of the comforts of life and endured many hardships, as a good many of the saints around there were in similar circumstances. When I was able to work, I obtained employment in the gas pipe works which was all new to me and in my weak condition it went very hard with me. In June we went to Sunbury in Northumberland County on the banks of the Susquehannah River, and there we worked, both of us, as before, for $15.00 a month for a year, and on the 23 of July, 1957, our first child was born, at Sunbury, whom we called Esther Ann.

Part Thirteen[13]

At this time those who professed to be Latter-day Saints were wisely counseled to be still about it as this was the time the Buchannan Army came to Utah to wipe out the Mormons, and a bitter feeling against the Latter-day Saints existed all over the country.

The few meetings were held privately among ourselves and nothing was being done in proselyting on that account. Also at the same time a panic was all over the nation and business of every kind was very dull and it was hard to get employment, it being sometimes months that we had little or nothing to do. We moved to Ashland in Schuylkill County, where a few Latter-day Saints lived, to see if we could not better our condition. This was a coal mining district and the kind of labor usual at such business was new to me, so at last I concluded to start a Butcher Shop. Generally I purchased my meat ready dressed, and it was not long before I had a nice trade established, which assisted me considerably.

During the Utah war the few families of Latter-day Saints who lived here held sacrament and testimony meetings and we always had good times, in each others society, but of course we dare not let it be known that we held any meetings.

On March 23, 1859, there was a son born in the town of Ashland, and he was christened William.

About the middle of May we sold out our effects and went to Florence where the Saints were preparing to cross the plains and go to Salt Lake Valley, the gathering place of the saints. We arrived at Florence with about 300 pounds of clothing and other property and but very little money.

Notes

[1] Rhondo [William Atkin], “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, February 8, 1896, 3. For more on the history of the Union, see Alter, Early Utah Journalism, 236–39; and Larson, I Was Called to Dixie, 441–51.

[2] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, February 15, 1896, 2, 4.

[3] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, February 22, 1896, 4.

[4] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, February 29, 1896, 4.

[5] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, March 12, 1896, 4.

[6] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, March 19, 1896, 4.

[7] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, March 26, 1896, 3.

[8] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, April 2, 1896, 4.

[9] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, April 9, 1896, 4.

[10] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, April 16, 1896, 4.

[11] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, April 23, 1896, 4.

[12] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, April 30, 1896, 4.

[13] Rhondo, “A Youth’s Experience,” Union, May 7, 1896, 4.