to $30. per 100 lbs. To the best of my recollection some 20,000 to 30,000 lbs. of flour were thus distributed in various amounts, varying from five to fifty lbs., according to the size of the family.
"This act of generosity and fatherly care on the part of the late Heber C. Kimball was only in keeping with his general character as a man of sterling integrity and a faithful steward before the Lord to his fellow-men, and thus his memory is justly enshrined in the hearts of the Saints, who fondly cherish the hope to enjoy his society after a glorious resurrection.
"Yours Very Truly, "J. B. MAIBEN."
Many are the acts of mercy and charity related of President Kimball and his family, especially his noble and unselfish partner, Vilate, during this time of sore distress. They kept an open house, and fed from twenty-five to one hundred poor people at their table, daily, besides making presents innumerable of bread, flour and other necessaries, which were then literally worth their weight in gold.[A]
[Footnote A: While thus feeding the poor on the best that her larder afforded, Vilate would send her own children into the fields to dig roots (artichokes) which she would cook for them. This, with coarse corn bread, while her guests were served with wheaten bread, potatoes and boiled beef, was the frequent diet of the Kimball family during the famine of "fifty-six."]
It was Vilate's chief delight to sally forth with a basket on her arm, filled with nicely cooked edibles and little domestic comforts, and seek out some poor, obscure person, in need of help, though perhaps too proud or timid to make it known. She would often go to the houses of such persons, on finding that they were away from home, and provide for their needs in their absence, in order that they might meet a glad surprise on their return, without knowing the good angel who had visited them.
It is related that, during this famine, a brother, sorely in need of bread, came to President Kimball for counsel how to procure it.
"Go and marry a wife," was Heber's terse reply, after relieving the immediate wants of the applicant.
Thunderstruck at receiving such an answer at such a time, when he could hardly provide food for himself, the man went his way, dazed and bewildered, thinking that President Kimball must be out of his mind.
But the more he thought of the prophetic character and calling of the one who had given him this strange advice, the less he felt like ignoring it. Finally he resolved to obey counsel, let the consequences be what they might. But where was the woman who would marry him? was the next problem. Bethinking himself of a widow with several children, who he thought might be induced to share her lot with him, he mustered up courage, proposed and was accepted.
In that widow's house was laid up a six months' store of provisions!
Meeting President Kimball shortly afterwards, the now prosperous man of family exclaimed:
"Well, Brother Heber, I followed your advice--"
"Yes," said the man of God, "and you found bread."
President Kimball's letters to his son William, who was then in England, will fully tell the story of the famine, and also many of the current events of that period:
"GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, "February 29, 1856.
"TO MY DEAR SON WILLIAM, AND TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
"My family, with yours, are all in good health and spirits. I have been under the necessity of rationing my family, and also yours, to two-thirds of a pound of breadstuff per day each; as the last week is up to-day, we shall commence on half a pound each--at the same time they all begin to look better and fatter, and more ruddy, like the English. This I am under the necessity of doing.
Brother Brigham told me to-day that he had put his family on half a pound each, for there is scarcely any grain in the country, and there are thousands that have none at all scarcely. We do this for the purpose of feeding hundreds that have none.
"My family at this time consists of about one hundred souls, and I suppose that I feed about as many as one hundred besides.
"My mill has not brought me in, for the last seven months, over one bushel of toll per day, in consequence of the dry weather, and the water being frozen up--which would not pay my miller. When this drought came on, I had about seven hundred bushels of wheat, and it is now reduced to about one hundred and twenty-five bushels, and I have only about twenty-five bushels of corn, which will not provide for my own family until harvest. Heber has been to the mill to-day, and has brought down some unbolted flour, and we shall be under the necessity of eating the bran along with the flour, and shall think ourselves doing well with half a pound a day at that. * * * We have some meat and perhaps about seventy bushels of potatoes, also a very few beets and carrots; so you can judge whether or not we can get through until harvest without digging roots; still we are altogether better off than the most of the people in these valleys of the mountains. There are several wards in this city who have not over two weeks' provisions on hand.
"I went into the tithing office with Brother Hill and examined it from top to bottom, and, taking all the wheat, corn, buckwheat and oats, there were not to exceed five hundred bushels, which is all the public works have, or expect to have, and the works are pretty much abandoned, the men having been all turned off, except about fifteen who are at work on Brother Brigham's house and making some seed drills for grain, as we will be obliged to put in our grain by drilling, on account of the scarcity, which probably will not take over one-third of the grain it would to sow broadcast.
"We shall probably not do anything on the public works until another harvest. The mechanics of every class have all been counseled to abandon their pursuits and go to raising grain. This we are literally compelled to do, out of necessity. Moreover, there is not a settlement in the Territory but is also in the same fix that we are. Some settlements can go two months, some three, some can, probably, at the rate of half a pound per day, till harvest. Hon. A. W. Babbitt even went to Brother Hyde's provision store the other day, and begged to get twenty or twenty-five pounds of flour, but could not. This I was told by William Price who is the salesman of the store. Money will not buy flour or meal, only at a few places, and but very little at that. I can assure you that I am harrassed constantly; I sell none for money but let it go where people are truly destitute. Dollars and cents do not count now, in these times, for they are the tightest that I have ever seen in the Territory of Utah. You and your brethren can judge a little by this. As one of the old Prophets said, anciently, 'as with the people so with the Priest,' we all take it together.
"Some of the people drop many big tears, but if they cannot learn wisdom by precept, nor by example, they must learn it by what they suffer.
"Now is the time for us to be like unto Joseph of old--lay up stores for ourselves, and our children; and thousands, and hundreds of thousands from the old world, the United States, and North and South America will flee to this place to get down by the side of Joseph's cribs, and granaries, and storehouses, to get that which will sustain life from "these poor deluded creatures"
that they drove from the United States, and were not willing that they should have shelter in the land of their birth, and the privilege of worshiping our God and our Father who organized and prepared this earth for His children, and those who would keep His commandments; and killed our Prophet, our Patriarch, and Apostles, and hundreds of others and thousands of men, women, and children, the widows and fatherless, who died on the plains in consequence of their oppression. Will they receive the rod in consequence of this? Yes, I can say in truth, in the name of Israel's God, they shall receive fourfold pressed down. I can say in my heart, I wish to God this people would all listen to counsel, and do at the start as they are told, and move as one man, and be one. If this were the case, our enemies would never have any more power over us, our granaries never would be empty, nor would we see sorrow.
There is not a good, wise, humble Saint that is filled with the elements of eternal lives, but what knows that this is true as well as myself. * * * * * *
"Now, as to my own stock--cattle, horses and sheep. My sheep are on Antelope Island. Peter Hanson is with them, and Joseph Toronto is with Brother Brigham's, five miles beyond. Some portions of the Island are covered with snow nearly three feet deep. The sheep range on the tops of the mountains where the wind has blown off the snow, and they do first rate. My cattle, sixty head of them, were put in Cache valley with the church cattle, and those of other individuals, numbering about two thousand five hundred head, with some forty or fifty horses, some six or eight of which were mine. When the snow fell in that valley about ten inches deep, the fatter portion of the cattle broke and came over into Box Elder and Weber valleys, and scattered hither and thither. It is supposed that one-half of those two thousand five hundred head are dead. Whether mine are all dead I know not. My John horse fled out of that valley down on the Weber and died. Old Jim, Elk, Kit and Kurley remained in Cache valley, and they were with about forty head of other horses when last seen, but they have not been heard of for a considerable time, and whether living or dead we know not. The snow is about waist deep in that valley. Week before last, Heber and some other boys started to go there, but when they got to the divide between that valley and Box Elder, the snow was about twelve feet deep, and they were obliged to return. Heber found the Lize mare and your two mules on the Weber, and brought them home. They were so poor that they almost staggered.
"The Carr boys have lost most all of their cattle, as they were in Cache valley. Old Daddy Stump went there also, and most of his died. Brother Shurtliff had some ninety cows of Brother Brigham's, and he says that they are all dead except ten or a dozen. Brothers Hooper and Williams told me that they had lost about seven hundred head. Mr. Kerr, a Gentile, told me that he had six or seven hundred head, and they were all dead. Messrs.
Gilbert and Gerrish had about as many, and they are all dead, as are also Livingston and Bell's, and, from the accounts from all the brethren north of this place, we learn that they have lost half of their stock, and this destruction seems to be more or less throughout the Territory, and many cattle and horses are dying in the city There may be more or less of these cattle living, but they are scattered from the Malad to this place. There are some forty head of cattle on the Island, probably living.
"Some of the Indians have killed some cattle in Utah Valley. Judge Drummond, being there, issued a writ for them. T---- J---- had the writ, and summoned a posse, without consulting Brother Brigham, and, anxious to obtain a few dimes from Uncle Sam, went over to Cedar Valley, and came to the lodge where the Indians were. Battest drew his rifle upon George Parish, who warded it off on firing, and one of the brethren drew a revolver, and shot Battest through the head, and he fell dead. In a very short time after this three of our brethren were found dead; one of their names was Carson. They were herd boys. Brother Hunsaker's son has never been found yet--supposed to be dead. Last evening we received news that two more of the brethren were dead, and one mortally wounded, and that the horses were taken from the company who were going to get back some of the cattle from the Indians. It happened in the cedars, between Rush and Cedar valleys, the brethren not expecting any Indians were anywhere about.
"The more reckless portion of the Indians have gathered together, and taken something over one hundred head of cattle and horses, and the last we heard, they were making their way toward the Sevier, taking the west side of the mountains, on the borders of the desert. General Wells has issued orders to Gen. Cownover to raise men and pursue them, and take away the cattle from them. We have received no news as yet from this company. This difficulty has arisen from our Judges, Kinney and Drummond, and some of our foolish brethren who are ready to run at their nod.
"There have been courts in session here for weeks and weeks, and I suppose that one hundred and fifty or two hundred of the brethren have been hanging around, with the council house filled to the brim. This scenery continuing for a long time, one day Brother Brigham sent Thomas Bullock to take their names, for the purpose of giving them missions, if they had not anything to do of any more importance. So Brother Brigham counseled me to make a selection--for Los Vegas some thirty, who are ordered to sell their possessions and go with their families as soon as the weather will permit, for the purpose of going down on to the Rio Virgin to raise cotton; Another company of forty-eight to go to Green River to strengthen up that settlement, make farms, build mills, etc., and some thirty-five or forty to go north to Salmon River, where Thomas J. Smith is, to strengthen up that post; some thirty to go to Carson Valley to strengthen that post; some thirty to go into the lead business near the Los Vegas; and eight to go to the East Indies. There are eighteen called to Europe, and seven to Australia.
"We left Fillmore on the day of the adjournment of the Legislature, which took place at five o'clock A. M. We got home in about four days.
"The Deseret Dramatic Association are now performing on the evenings of Wednesdays and Saturdays; "She stoops to Conquer"
comes off for the second time to-morrow night. A benefit to Bernard Snow is to be given on Monday night, when will be played, 'Virginius.'
"Brother Smoot has made a selection of one hundred men, principally young men, to go back with ox teams to fetch on the Church goods that lie in Missouri and St. Louis, if there are cattle enough left alive to do so. Your brother David, Brigham Young, Jr., and George Grant's son George, will go with them.
"Heber and Phoebe are living with Ruth and Christeen. Heber is a very steady, good boy, and takes a great burden from my shoulders, by waiting on the family and seeing to things.
"You can say to the brethren that I see their wives occasionally at the public places. They are all well so far as I know; I have all I can do and no time to visit. Say to all the brethren that they are most kindly remembered by me. I would be glad to write to them all.
"This letter is for the benefit of all, as it gives the general news. We shall expect to see you home next season, as Brother Brigham has sent word, which you will get before you get this.
"God bless Brother Franklin, Brother Spencer, yourself, with all the rest of the brethren. Your dear mother is sitting beside me and wishes to be remembered kindly to her son William.
"Brother Brigham and all the brethren are well and would say, if they were present, Amen.
"From your father in the gospel of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to his son, William H. Kimball.
"HEBER C. KIMBALL."
The story is continued in his letter of a later date, as follows:
"GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, "April 13th, 1856.
"My Son William:
"We have not received a line from you or Daniel since August 19th, and all the news that we have received was from a business letter that came from Franklin, by the last southern mail. * * * * *
"As to matters at home, things are going on in peace, with the exception of the disturbances with some of the Utes. They have killed eight of our brethren in Utah, and drove away many cattle and horses.
"The times are said to be more close this season than they have ever been in the valleys; and this is universal through all the settlements. There are not more than one-half of the people that have bread, and they have not more than one-half or one-quarter of a pound a day to a person. A great portion of the people are digging roots, and hundreds and thousands, their teams being dead, are under the necessity of spading their ground to put in their grain. There is a pretty universal break with our merchants, as there is no one to buy their goods, and their stock are mostly dead. My family, with yours, have only one-half a pound of bread-stuff to a person, a day. We have vegetables and a little meat. We are doing first rate, and have no cause but to be very thankful; still I feed hundreds of others, a little, or they must suffer. Brother Brigham, myself, and others have been crying unto this people for more than three years, to lay up their grain for a time when they would have much need of it. My family, with yours, I can say with propriety, look more healthy, and fair, and rugged, and athletic, than they did when they had plenty to eat. * *
"I shall be very glad when you return home to take a little of my burden off my shoulders, for it has been extremely hard for me and your mother to calculate, devise and administer to near one hundred that are dependent on us, besides hundreds of others that are teasing us constantly for something to eat; still your father has got a spirit in him that is like an old lion, that endures by the help of the Almighty; but your mother is very sympathetic, and it gives her much sorrow, not because your children and mine cry for bread, but because of others. There was no need of my rationing my family, but I did it for the sake of keeping hundreds of others alive. I foresaw these times more than three years ago, and prepared myself, more or less, for it.
"This people have been told to build forts around their cities, and gather up together and be one, and to build store-houses and lay up grain to last seven years, and hundreds of other things.
Have they done it? No. What is the consequence? Eight more of our brethren slain! No bread! No clothing except what we buy of the ungodly, when they are universally taught to make their clothing, so that we may be independent of any of the nations; for the connection between us and the world will be closed, in a measure.