60 Years Ago Today

Posted on May 30, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Europe 1952 Cover

60 years ago today my mom left on a three-month trip to tour Europe with a group from Brigham Young University. I recently finished a 440 page book incorporating her journals from the trip, 100’s of photos and lots of brochures and other memorabilia. It is the biggest project of that kind that I’ve tackled so far and I’m really happy with the results. I’ll post the finished pages over the next 3 months as she progresses through her journey.

The cover was inspired by a suit case that my mom used on the trip. It had an alligator texture and she add stickers from the hotels they stayed in. I printed this book using Blurb.com in their large landscape size.

Transportation by special Burlington Bus. The bus is scheduled to leave Knight Hall in Provo at 3:30 p.m., Friday, May 30. It will pick up students from Ogden and Salt Lake in front of the Salt Lake City and County Building at approximately 4:30 p.m.

We leave Salt Lake City by way of Parley’s Canyon and travel via Cheyenne, Omaha, and Chicago to Washington D.C.

After doing some sightseeing in Washington during the morning and early afternoon of Monday, June 2, we continue on our way to New York arriving there at approximately 8 p.m.

Friday, 30 May 1952:

Can you believe it? It was 3:30 p.m. and I was still disorganized for the trip. However, I had plenty of help with Aunt Mary, Lynette, Marion Allen, Doris Hermansen, and Maria Zamora assisting me. As time grew short, we just tossed the remaining equipment in the suitcase and gently closed the lid. I was given 3½ months ahead to get things organized. You would think I could’ve been better prepared!

By the time we arrived in front of Knight Hall, there was a big crowd that had already congregated. There were goodbyes and more goodbyes. Then Dr. Harold Glen Clark called us all into Knight Hall for prayer. President Wilkinson bid us God speed, and Dr. Harold W. Lee led us in prayer. With our heads hanging out the bus windows for last glimpses and final waves our big beautiful greyhound bus pulled out about an hour late.

Then the Give Us Some Money Committee hurried into quick action collecting money for the anticipated performance of Rigoletto in Paris. Our first stop at the Salt Lake City bus depot brought more excitement and new friends: Eloise Wilcox, Margaret Brown, Dick Myers (one of the sadly outnumbered boys on this tour), and Alene (my old friend).

Spirits were high in anticipation of the wonderful experiences ahead of us. I made an attempt to pick up some travelers cheques at American Express, but it was closed. Dr. Rogers called Paul Childs, who took us down to the Union Pacific Depot where I exchanged most of my money for 39 ten dollar cheques. Then we were ready to go when Herr Rogers discovered that he still had to sign his cheques. He had lots of money in large denominations though, so it didn’t take long.

At approximately 7 p.m., we went back to the bus depot where all goodbyers and well-wishers had departed. As we boarded the bus and headed east, things quieted down a little. All of us ate sandwiches and napped. Alicia and I had a huge box full of goodies that her family had fixed for us. We came to Evanston and went into the restaurant for a drink. Then we traveled on to Rock Springs and Laramie. The bus driver woke us up every two hours.

29 May 1856 – Letter from Edward Martin – Mary Taylor Project

Posted on May 29, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Letter from Edward Martin – May 29, 1856

Ship Horizon, Off Cork, May 29, 1856.

Dear President Richards–It is with great pleasure that I write a few lines, to inform you of our favorable position at the present time; we have a fine morning and all is pleasant around us. The captain, Mr. Reed, is a gentleman in every sense of the word, and I have no doubt but that we shall have one of the most agreeable passages that the Saints have ever had while crossing the Atlantic. He spares no pains to make us comfortable, and offers every facility that will, in the least, be of benefit to us. . . . The officers are all agreeable and obliging. Mr. Stahl does all he can to accommodate; in fact, we could not ask for better treatment if we had it of our own choosing.

The Saints are all feeling well, with a very few exceptions, the few that are sick are not dangerous; the sister that was sick when we left is gradually recovering. We have had one birth, the particulars of which you will have in Elder Jaques’ letter.

The couple you spoke to me about were married last night. The captain gave us the use of the cabin to perform the ceremony in, and I was very glad of the opportunity. It gave us a good chance of introducing some of our doctrines, and of correcting some impressions which had been made upon his mind by newspaper reports and the like.

After you left us on Sunday evening, we lashed all the luggage, and thus prepared for seasickness. The Saints thought us very particular at the time, but morning did not make its appearance before they began to realize the benefit, and expressed themselves that it was good to have a head. The majority were sick on Monday, but only for a short time.

This morning I have been through the ship, and I find all in fine spirits. Elders Haven and Waugh are one with me, in carrying out necessary measures for the the [SIC] comfort and convenience of the passengers, and we have everything our own way. . . . .

I make it my business to visit every part of the ship six or seven times a day, but more particularly when I rise up and before I lie down, and I expect to do so during the voyage. We have got our organization pretty well matured, and all are willing to play their part. We have nine wards, nine cooks, and ten men in each watch of the guard which is kept up night and day.

I feel to thank my Heavenly Father for his goodness to us, and I fully realize the truth of the blessings pronounced upon my head, by you, before I left Liverpool. I cannot but think of the happy days, weeks, and months, that I have spent in the office. I cannot express my feelings, in fact language would fail to do it, but please to accept my heartfelt thanks for every kindness which I have received from you benevolent hand.

Please give my kind love to President Wheelock, and to all the brethren of my acquaintance, and believe me to be your humble servant,

My Current Projects: Goals and Progress

Posted on May 28, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Evaluate Goals for last week:

++ print goals for the week: Yeah, I got my goals printed!
++ get 50 for 50 blog post caught up: Yeah again I got my 50 for 50 post done too.
0    blog ahead for Thursday and Friday: I got posts done on Mary Taylor but not what I wanted to do so I gave my self a zero on this.
+    write 5 emails to family on Mary Taylor’s sailing on the Horizon: I got 4 of the 5 emails done.
0    figure out how to schedule emails to go off while I’m at Wood Badge: I thought I figured out how to do this and left my computer on but when I got home the emails were still sitting in my outbox.
+5   rate on my progress, better than last week.

Progress on projects not on my goal list:

I did a bit of research on the Horizon but no real results.

Goals for this week:

print goals for the week
post at least once per day, Monday to Saturday
write 1 email to family on Mary Taylor’s sailing on the Horizon
send reference images to Kim for the Horizon
add links to blog
print Martin’s Cove Journal
rate my progress

We leave for Casey’s graduation Thursday night. I am going to try using Bill’s laptop to do some post while we are in Oregon. I’ll be moving my puppy post to Saturday so I can post about Casey’s graduation. Friday I plan to do my 50 for 50 for the week.

50 for 50 #22 – Wood Badge

Posted on May 28, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

First Wood Badge training at Gilwell Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From start to finish Wood Badge was an amazing experience. There was lots of great information. The staff worked really hard to make it interesting and to help us understand. There is no way to explain what Wood Badge is all about. It has to be experienced to understand. The short version is Wood Badge is a leadership course taught in the context of the scouting organization. The principles are the same as many corporate leadership trainings but with the energy of the boy scouts instead of the often boring style of the business world. If you ever take Wood Badge you won’t regret it.

I want to put together something to celebrate this experience. They had a photographer there and I think that we will have access to all the photos he took. I’m pretty sure I want to do a book with all or most of the photos and maybe a video with mostly photos from my patrol, the owls. I also have lots of little trinkets they call totems that I want to save in some organized and meaningful way.

Have any of you ever been to Wood Badge?

Lots of Puppy News

Posted on May 27, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Life has been crazy the last couple of weeks with everything going on, especially Wood Badge. That finished up yesterday, so now I’m trying to get caught up on the rest of my life. In the meantime lots of fun stuff has happened on the puppy front.

Apex and Sue are off to the Northeast for a family matter this week and Apex turned 4 years old on Thursday. I want to send him a present but it hasn’t happened yet.

I shared news about Banta last week.

The biggest news is that Casey is in class and will be graduating on June 2nd. We have been waiting since January for this news so it is extra sweet. Casey will be living with her handler in Victoria, British Columbia. This is extra neat because in about a year we are going on a cruise to Alaska with Apex and Sue and we will be with in a couple of hours of Victoria. So we will have to figure out a way to visit Casey either before or after the cruise. Casey also had a birthday this last week. On Wednesday she turned 2 years old. I’m so happy that she was partnered by her birthday.

I got a call from our club leader recently about Waffle. There was some concern about her from her last eval with our CFR (Community Field Representative) and she wanted Waffle to go to someone else for a few days to see how she is doing. So we got to pick up Waffle on Wednesday and take her to Wood Badge with us. Then Claraliz’s family and a big gathering today so she will be here until tomorrow. It was fun to take her to church today. Lots of the kids remember Waffle and enjoyed saying hi to her. When she was younger she hated when someone tried to pet the top of her head. She has grown-up and was very tolerant of all the head pats she got today. Waffle also turned 15 months old today. She will to return to Guide Dogs for the Blind on June 10th.

On the evaluation side of Waffle’s visit, she is doing good. She lacks some confidence but she handled the intensity and newness of Wood Badge very well. We didn’t see any reason she should be career changed at this point.

Next on our puppy list is Yakira. She went to Wood Badge with us the week of my birthday and she did really great. It is a noisy and busy environment with not much of a chance for the pups to really let loose. Well on Saturday afternoon an hour or two before we finished for the week Yakira went into season. So she is now on “house arrest” until 16th. This meant that Yakira couldn’t come back up to Wood Badge with us and we had to find a puppy sitter for her. There are only a few households in the club that are cleared to have an in season pup. One was going out-of-town and another is just a new puppy raiser. The last one was already puppy sitting another puppy, Pierre, so we made arrangements to swap Yakira and Pierre around. Pierre is intact so we were careful while dropping off and picking up Yakira. I made all these arrangements before I new that we were going to take Waffle with us to Wood Badge so we ended up with two dogs at Wood Badge, Waffle and Pierre.

Finally we get to Zodiac. He is really doing great. He has caught on to the relieving thing and Yakira has been a great mentor to him and teaching him how to behave. But our club leader said he was too young to go to Wood Badge. And after we got up there last week I was glad that he wasn’t there. It would have been really hard for a puppy that young. Zodiac was a one puppy sitter last week. A new raiser who is getter her first puppy on June 7th. Then for this week’s Wood Badge he went to another raiser who is also getter her first pup on the next puppy truck. When we made arrangements originally they were for Zodiac to be there until the end of Wood Badge Saturday but then we realized that it would be best for Waffle to stay with us for a couple more days. Three puppies in training is too much for one household so it worked out for Zodiac to extend his stay until Monday. We plan to pick him up late morning and get some photos of our “W”, “Y” and “Z” pups all together. It isn’t often that a raiser can have three of their pups together at one time.

Because we have Casey’s graduation this next weekend both Yakira and Zodiac will be going to puppy sitters again. Yakira will be returning to the same place as this past week but I don’t know where Zodiac will be. I’m guessing that our club leader has a spot picked out for him. Yakira’s timing on being in season was not helpful for our club leader. She was planning on Yakira being puppy sat by many of the new raisers in our club. It looks like Zodiac is getting that privilege instead. What an eventful last week or so in the puppy side of our life.

25 May 1856 – Towed 20 Miles to Open Sea – Mary Taylor

Posted on May 25, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

From Diary of Samuel Openshaw:

May 25 – Sunday. This morning about 10 o’clock the steamer came and tugged us away out of the river. Very calm.

From Journal of Henry Hamilton:

Sabbath, 25th – President F. [Franklin] D. Richards, C. [Cyrus] H. Wheelock, & a few others came on board. We then sailed out. F.D.R. [Franklin D. Richards] & C.H.W. [Cyrus H. Wheelock] spoke to our instructions & desired God to bless us on the voyage. I sent a letter or 2 Dundee.

From Journal of Joseph Beecroft:

Sunday 25th I arose as usual and on going on deck, I found the seamen preparing for weighing anchor. The day was beautiful. There was but little wind. The sun shone in its strength and made all things look gay. A little after 9, we were all ordered on deck, about which time the steamtug came alongside bring a number of Saints with Franklin D. Richards. We were all told of in families and passed the doctor and in a while was called together [p.9] and was addressed by Franklin D. Richards in a feeling manner. Also by Elder Wheelock and [-].

From Life History of John Jaques:

Sun. 25: J. [Jospeh] A. Young had stayed all night on board. About 9 a.m. the steamship, “Great Conquest”, came alongside bringing the captain, President F.D. Richards, Elder C.[Cyrus] H. Wheelock, Thomas Williams, George Turnbull , W. [William] C. Young and others, and took us out to sea about 20 miles. During this time two marriages took place–Elder F.C. Robinson, late of Bradford Conference and Sister Elizabeth Gambles of Sheffield by Elder Josph [Joseph] Young; and Brother Thomas Smith, age 21, of Pillary, Yorkshire and Sister Mary Jackson, 19, of the same place, by Elder William C. Young [p.83] President F. [Franklin] D. Richards and Elder C. [Cyrus] H. Wheelock addressed and blessed the company on board, and later stated that we had on board the persons who had given the first sixpence to the elders when they first came to England. Their names were Brother Purcell and family. The trip with the tug was quite a pleasure. It left us in the afternoon of course taking back those who came to see us off, also our river pilot; but leaving with us a channel pilot. Day fine. Sea calm. Lashed our boxes and tinware. The company was organized into nine wards, No. 7 being committed to my care. Forward with a stiff but contrary breeze.

24 May 1856 – Clearance Granted to Leave – Mary Taylor

Posted on May 24, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

From Diary of Samuel Openshaw:

May 24 – Continued in the river.

Journal of Henry Hamilton:

Saturday, 24th- Lay at anchor all day.

From the Journal of Joseph Beecroft:

Saturday 24th I arose as usual and attended to the getting washed in water boiling for breakfast, and then spent the day as usual. Wrote letters and spent the day in looking about wishing the time to come when we should set sail.

From Life History of John Jaques:

Sat. 24: In the morning the ship cleared. The berths for two passengers are about six feet long by four feet four inches wide, lined up like horses’ mangers, two in height, with about two space underneath the lowest. The ends to the side of the vessel. O, the awful siege of the cooks galley, for the first day or two. Sebastapool could hardly compare with it. Two cubic feet more space to each passenger on the lower deck than the higher. This combined with the fact of the heated air ascending, caused the lower deck to be much cooler and more roomy and pleasant, though it wasn’t so light.

23 May 1856 – Cast off from Liverpool – Mary Taylor

Posted on May 23, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

From the Diary of Samuel Openshaw:

May 23 – About two o’clock we were tugged out into the river. The rain poured down pretty freely.

From the Journal of Henry Hamilton:

Friday, 23rd – I commenced to work in the galley. This morning got the fire started &c but it was very smoky. I was over with just as if I had been the funnel myself. We sailed out of the docks.

From the Journal of Joseph Beecroft:

Friday 23rd The day appointed for our sailing. I arose about 4. The seamen were early at work getting the vessel out of dock. At about half past 9, we were getting into the river and before noon we were at anchor opposite Liverpool. We enjoyed ourselves here in getting our food and in passing up and down deck looking at one another and the different vessels that crossed the river. Retired early to rest.

Letter from James and Elizabeth Bleake:

Ship Horizon Liverpool

May 23rd/56

Dear Father and Mother:

We have arrived safely and are all well so far. We have a very comfortable place on board and go out of dock today. Liverpool is the dirtiest place we ever saw. London is exceedingly clean in comparison.[p. 1]

Provisions on board are of first rate quality and plenty for us but we have 15 pounds of Indian meal, 10 pounds of flour, 4 quarter loaves and cheese, raisins, spice, etc. etc. besides. So we have not faith to starve.

Remember us kindly to all inquirers. Farewell and may God our Father bless you both is the earnest [p.2] prayer of your son and daughter, James and Elizabeth Bleak [Bleake]. [p.3]

From Life History of John Jaques:

Fri. 23: About midday moved out of dock into the river. Fine morning . Stiff breeze. Soon after this a little belligerent display occurred between the mates and some of the crew. I did not see the commencement of the affair, but I learned that some of the crew had demurred to obeying orders, and a regular fist cuffing took place. Two or three bloody faces figured in the scene. I was on deck in time to witness a little not very civil jaw between the first mate and one or two of the crew. The mate paced the deck flourishing a Colt’s revolver, and swearing and threatening grandly but did not use the weapon. If necessary use them, and over with it. Threatening and bragging are the business of bullies. Several of the crew were sent ashore, and other men came on board in their place. The mate complained of the refractory ones that they were a set of “blacklegs,” and that they came on board to plunder the passengers and the rest of the crew. They charged him being drunk and “no man.” Meat, peas, biscuits, flour, oatmeal, sugar and tea were served out today.

21 May 1856 – Boarding the Horizon – Mary Taylor

Posted on May 21, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

The Horizon by Kenneth L. Rasmussen

On May 21st and 22nd 1856 the passengers boarded the Horizon in preparation for sailing to Boston Harbor. This included my great-great-grandmother Mary Taylor, her husband, William Upton, her parents and an aunt. I’ll be posting info about her journey for the next 5 months.

From the Journal of Henry Hamilton:

Wednesday, May 21st – Landed at 11 a.m. As soon as we got upon the pier, there was men, lots of them that come to us, we’ll take your things &c &c. Aren’t you some of the brethren? What brethren say I. So they told me they would go on that way to get [-] boxes to carry. I & Joseph then went to see about the porter that Pastor Parks told us about, but could not find him. We returned to the boat, saw a Brother Jessie [Jesse] Haven. We then got a porter to take our chests off to the Horizon, the vessel that we was to go with. We then went & had some dinner & went to the office to see about our going away. We got that settled that I was to go as passenger cook. So we went & got mattresses bought &c. Slept on board the vessel all night.

From the Journal of Joseph Beecroft:

Wed. 22nd [May 21, 1856] We arose soon and I wrote and after breakfast we got our luggage [to] our office in Islington Street and got names signed to the ship and then the luggage to the ship in Bramley Moore Dock and our tickets for our certificates. [At] night I got my certificate for my birth and had a walk in Liverpool, retired to bed.

We came on board in the afternoon and of all the sights that I ever saw, it was the most astonishing. Luggage was piled on a piece of ground in front of the ship to a considerable, and hundreds were busy in getting in their [p.8] luggage. And about half past 10 or 11 I went to bed , where my wife and son already were, but I did not sleep until the noise of talking and laughing had subsided. I then slept better than I had done for some time and awoke refreshed in body and mind, grateful to my Father in Heaven for his blessings and favors.

From the Life History of John Jaques:

Thurs. 22: About 7 o’clock I sent my wife, her sister, Tamar, and my daughter, Flora, in a cab to the Horizon, 2/6. I went with our luggage in the cart 4/, and 6 demies to the man. Got Brother Thomas Dodd to assist me in getting our things on board. Paid him 1/0. We engaged berth number 401 for myself and wife, and the half of number 400 for her sister, Tamar, both on the second or lower deck. Ann Johnson, servant of Brother Linforth was to have the other half of 400. Brother W. Paul and wife engaged the berth next to mine. Brother William Taylor and wife from Stratfordshire had engaged one next to theirs. We did not get out of dock this day. The ship had 856 passengers on board, 635 of whom were P.[Perpetual] E.[Emigrant] Fund emigrants, 212 ordinary , and 7 cabin passengers. Elder Edward Martin, president of the company, assisted by Elder Jesse W. Haven and George P. Waugh; steward, John Thompson; cook, Henry Hamilton and Joseph Jackson; historian, myself; sergeant of the guard, Elder F.C. Robinson. We made our beds of our spare clothing, bought a pound of molasses 3 demies, a pound of marine soap 6 demies, some round lamp wick, six one penny packets of violet powder, and six one penny boxes of wax lights and six red herrings.

More info on the Horizon: Liverpool to Boston.

My Current Projects: Goals and Progress

Posted on May 21, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Evaluate Goals for last week:

+ Write blog posts ahead for Thursday, Friday and Saturday: I got Thursday and Friday done. Saturday’s post actually had to wait until I lived the week so I didn’t do it ahead. But it is now Monday and it still isn’t done. I have started it though.

++ Put Key West slides on to DVD for my dad: I got this done and even got it to my dad!

– Post to link to about each of my projects: no progress

0 Work on Mary text (take to Wood Badge): I prepped a half sheet booklet with the outline and space to write but there was no time at Wood Badge to work on it. They kept us very, very busy. So this was not a good plan.

Evaluate new approach at the end of the week: well it didn’t happen at the end of the week but I can do it now. I didn’t get my goals printed out. Total score +2 so not too bad considering the situation.

Progress on projects not on my goal list:

Talked with my dad about Kim’s current illustration. She will need some better reference material for the ship. Because my dad is a Navy man he noticed that she has some of the basic of the ship wrong.

Goals for this week: