We arrived in New York on the 27th of March 1856, There was a sister and daughter by the name of Durr who found lodging for us. We left Castel Gardens the same day that we arrived. The next day I got a (way)-? and fetched our luggage from there.
The following week I and Jabes Dangerfield started out to hunt work. I got work in a shop, The proprietor ('s) name was Murphy, I worked there till the warm weather came in and left on account of the shop being so small. There was so many fires in it and they used to?
Jabes Danqerfield obtained work in a herb-? store. I left that job and got work the firm's name was Nichols and Doan. We gave the in our certificates and joined the New York branch. I was appointed to preside over the lesser priesthood to and give in the reports of the visits of the Saints in to the president of the Branch, and the brethren of the Branch who were to help him.
I work at Nichols and Doan until the brethren were called home from foreign missions as Johnson's army was approaching the valley to hang Brigham Young, as they said that was their intentions to do. But the lord put a hook in their jaw, and they were frustrated in their evil designs. There were three of the brethren (who) stayed with us a few days on their way home to the valley. There was one by the name of Taylor, he was a blacksmith by trade; he worked in St. Louis for a company by the name of Ecles and Nelson and got his outfit from there .
When he went to the valley he told me I could be on an out-fit much sooner there than in New York as everything was so dull there at that time. He gave me a letter of recommendation to give to the company. He told me he was satisfied they would give me work as he had worked for the same company in sales and wish him to recommend a man that he thought would suit them. I went to St. Louis and gave them the letter. They told me they had closed shop and they had a diving bell boat up the Ohio River raising a boat that had gone down, and they wanted a blacksmith.
There if I would go up they would hire (?) me, and when I had finished that job they would give me work in the shop; but I did not stay until they finish. For there was so much a wickedness with a white men and black women and swearing (that) I could not stand it, so I left and came back to St. Louis, and went and saw bosses and got my pay.
I went to the post office and got some letters that was there; two of them to was from a bosses in New York for me to come back as work had started up again; and as the brethren told me there will be no more emigration. For a few years I thought it would be best for me to return as I could not get work in St. Louis; so I went back to New York and went to work for my old bosses again. I worked there until the spring of 1859; when word came that all I could raise means to go to the frontier was to do so and prepare to cross the Plains. David's excerpt about departing with the Edward Stevenson Company
Mr. Steinhouse made up his mind to cross the Plains that year. (He) asks me if I would take charge of his outfit at the frontiers and drive one of his teams across the Plains for him. I would, as he did not arrive at the frontier until the train was about ready to start out for the Plains. I had everything ready for him when he came up from Florence. He and I had a few words about the team. I told him he had not enough cattle to take They departed with the Edward Stevensonthe load he had, and when we were loaded up; I put the wagon on the scales. It weighed something over (60 hundred) 1600. I told him I would not start with him if he would not get one more yoke of cattle, as we had but two yoke of cattle and one of cows. So that is where trouble came in. There was a single man there and he thought he could get him to drive for him.
President George Q. Cannon was at the frontier here at the time. He told me he would see that we went across the Plains that year. So when Mr. Steinhouse heard it that we would cross that year; he came to me and told us that he wanted us to go with him. He did not want us to fill that we were as hired help, but wanted us to feel as one of the family. The when he got us on the Plains he treated more like niggers than brothers sister. When we came to (frontier) (?) he wanted to leave us there captain Stevenson told him he cannot do it. He told him he had to take us to the Valley as he was unable to do as in any in the train by hiring some of our luggage. Being hauled in we came through foot soar and sick, and we rejoiced as we rode across Hogs Back saw the home of the Saints. It was the 28th September 1859 when we arrived at the Valley. It was a Friday evening. It commenced to rain and continued until morning. Mr. T. B. H. Steinhouse came down the next morning, and told us that he wanted the wagon.
Brother Thomas Lyon had pitched his tent, and he told us we could have the use of it until we could get a place to stay. There was a couple of by the name of Jones that left on the 19th ward bench. (Who) came to see if there was anyone there that they knew, but as it was an independent company they all had friends here and had moved up the camping ground. We were the only ones up so they gave us an invitation to come up and to eat dinner with them on Sunday. planet to I have almost forgot the kind us of James Sagmiller. He visited us on the night that we and arrived and a administered to were wants.
As Mr. Steinhouse did not leave this in the provisions, we accepted that invitation of brother and sister Jones; and we went to their house to dinner. On Sunday where we were there we made arrangement to stay there that winter. As his wife was an invalid was leaked he made arrangements with my wife to do the housework for them and that would pay for the rent.
The room that we stayed in was not plastered; shall we could see out through the shingles, and when it snowed and drifted, and would drift in the us as we laid in bed. As the winters were more severe then than was they are now. We felt the cold very much, but we were very thankful to the Lord and them for it. I soon made a little furniture for us so that we would be a little more comfortable, has there were no storehouses to rent at that time.
I started out to find work. I went and saw Brother Sagmiller who was working for President Young. While talking to Brother Sagmiller , President Young came in. Brother Sagmiller give me an introduction to him. He talked with me quite awhile and before he left his son Joseph A. came in. Brother Sagmiller give me an introduction to him, and told him I was a blacksmith. He asked me if I would go to work for his father; he said he would not give me work in the shop just than as they had no coal; but they were expecting some charcoal in any day; the weather arrived he would put me to work in the shop. But the coal did not arrive in that fall for the snow set in earlier than they expected it that fall. So that kept me working it out of doors until the snow got so deep that I could not work to any advantage. President Young was very short of firing at that time.
Hamilton Park came to me and asked me if I would go to the canyon and slide wood so President Young could have something to burn. I told him that I knew nothing about chopping wood as I was not used to it. but I told him I had never chopped a tree down in my life. He told me he would get some more of the boys to go with me, and I would soon learn how to chop a tree down and slide it off the mountain. So he got more of the boys to gather wood. We started up the canyon. The snow was vary deep in the canyon by this time, we waded through it up to the dry timber; and commenced to chop and slide it down the mountains, but I thought it was pretty tough for green hand. We wallowed through the snow up to the neck to get wood for the fire. But I was glad I was able to stand a pressure. I was glad of work before the winter was over to make the family comfortable and do the cooking and warm the house up. I stated in a canyon that winter sliding wood.
In the spring when I came out the coal had arrived so I went to work in the blacksmith shop, a and helped to force the machinery for the nail factory that Brother Wells started; and when it was finished he sent me down to be old sugar works to forge the iron for some cording machines for President Young. When I finished forging the work for them , I came back to work for President Young again.
The next winter I went to work the canyon to slide wood again. I made a trade with Brother Jones to make me (a deal?) to build a house and paid him in wood for them. That house is now standing in the 11th Ward at the present date of writing.
That spring I went to work for Brother Henry Bowering making hardware for harnesses, then worked there until next spring as he could not get coal to keep the shop on. I would accrue to the country and harvest from to bring me there. I learned to cradel. After I learned to cradel, I could learned enough wheat to feed my family. I then made a trade for their a horse team of Brother James Cummings, and went to haul wood in April 1861.
I was married to Ann North Leaker in the Endowment House for time and eternity. That caused us great joy to think we were worthy of such a blessing. I continue to haul wood this summer and went into the canyon next winter then slid and hauled it in the spring. Jabes Dangerfield. And I made the arrangement with Brother Cummings to work his farm in shares.
I married my wife Elizabeth Denney that spring; and took her on the farm with me. We were married March 25, 1865. We have a daughter born unto us January the 9th 1866. She died the 9th of November 1866.
The first summer we work farm, the Lord blessed our labors and we have good crop. So we bought a stove has we have not got one. We borrowed the stove to cook for the hands when they were threshing grain. After we have haul the grain and shaft home, we started to haul wood from the canyon soil we kept hauling until the snow fell. Then we went to slide wood off the mountain and Jabes Dangerfield would sell the next spring. We started plow and plant, but the water raise so high that spring. It washed away our grain so that we did not raise anything at all that summer. So we went to hauling wood again for a living, and the next spring we went to the canyon to sell bark for tanning leather. That fall I made my mind to quit canyon work. So me and Brother Joseph McKay went and saw President Young to see if you would sell us some blacksmith tools. As he put in a fan and use blast. He had a bellows that they were not using so we got a bellows from him and bought an anvil and vice, and started to work. We were doing well when we were called to go out to the railroad to work. We finished two contracts then came home.
As I was a teacher in the Sunday school and appointed to that office at the first organization of the Sunday school's in that Ward. When I returned home I continued my labors as a teacher and likewise a block-teacher.
I was sworn in as a special police in the year 1861 and served in that capacity for many years, and have many narrow escapes of my life. I will mention one. There were several of us detached for the theater. Brother Samuel McKay and myself were to keep order in the second circle. There were quite number of soldiers from Fort Douglas that went to the theater one night, and most of them went to the third circle and knocked the doorkeeper down and abuse him very badly. Brother McKay and I were sent to help restore order. As we came down from the second circle some of the soldiers came from the third circle, and when they turned the corner and went north, as we turned the corner to follow them one of them turned and commenced to fire at us. As we were very close together, one of bullets went through Samuel McKay"s coat as he kept firing at us, and we had several narrow escapes of being shot. But the Lord preserved as from any of his shots. I was likewise called to break up some houses of ill fame and liquor store of Paul Englebrecht in 1871. I was put under hands of $2,000 for that little affair. You can turned to the History of Utah volume two and read the account there of it on page 681.
I had a son born to me in that year of the second of October who was named David James. He died August 12, 1873.
When the volunteer fire department was organized with the hand engine; by a volunteer to serve as a member of that brigade in continued until they made it a paid department. And then I continue for some years as a call member and was paid by the hour that we worked had a fire. And I still belong to a volunteer fire brigade.
Thomas F. Thomas returned from a mission in 1875 from Wales and brought me word that I had sister die in Carter , Wales. Her name was Elizabeth. She was born in Bridgewater , Summersetshire , England , the year 1834 and died in the year 1854.
I am thankful to the Lord for his mercies to me up to the present time. I am in hopes that I will never do anything to meet with his displeasure, for I do know that he lives and that his son Jesus lives, and that he has restored the gospel to Joseph Smith in this last dispensation, and I am a happy recipient of the same.
David W. Leaker
NAME: David William LEAKER Year of Birth 1831
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