Historical Sketches of

Joseph Byron
Moore
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

PIONEER
PERSONAL HISTORY
TAKEN
MAY 15, l94l
BY
RALPH S,
THOMPSON
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

Joseph B. Moore
Joseph B. Moore was living at940 Gramercy Avenue, Ogden, Utah.
He is retired. His lifetime occupation was farming.

He was born Feb. 9, 1855 at Ogden, Utah. He is 86 at the present time.

He married Louisa Bybee in Feb. 1877. She died and he married Alice May Twitchell in Nov.
1 887.

His first home was made of lumber. His father was a carpenter and built the first grist mill for
Lorin Farr on the site where the "Old Mill" now stands.
Pitch was the first form of lighting and then tallow was used.
Wood was the first fuel used. Each fall they hauled 18 or 20 loads of dry maple out of Ogden
Canyon and Wheeler Basin for winter fuel.

They ate com, wheat, oats and barley and most of the more common vegetables, fish, beef and
various kinds of wild game.
His cloths were made of wool and homespun.
Their plows, harrows and cultivators were home made. Scythes and pitchforks were bought
here, most of them from Lowe's. Blacksmiths made the plows, but harrows and cultivators were
made at home. Iron harrow teeth were in great demand, but lots of them were made from wood,
either maple or mountain mahogany.

Home made hand rakes were also used for raking hay. They were four or five feet long with
wooden teeth.

The first industry was the grist mill.

Fish were very plentiful. They had manufactured hooks and caught several trout in the Ogden
River that weighed four to five pounds.
There were not as many deer then as there are at the present.

He herded cattle and sheep from about the middle of March to the first part of September for
several years. He herded twelve to fourteen hours per day every day.

He gathered service and thimble berries and also wild raspberries and choke cherries.

For entertainment, they held a few quilting bees and corn husking parties, but mostly they had
dances.
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

- In 1862 there were great floods. Both the Ogden and Weber Rivers ran more than bank full. All
the bridges on both the Ogden and Weber Rivers were washed out and the whole flat was covered
with water. Where the Tabernacle now stands, was covered 6 inches to a foot deep with water.
There was some cattle rustling on a small scale. It was mostly carried on by men who came in
from Idaho or Montana and would pick from one to three of several different brands and drive or
ship them to other states.

He remembers that the two Graham boys were shot and killed for stealing horses and the
children from every school in town were taken to see them. They were told that thieves were always
caught and killed.

He told of while herding cattle in the fields after the grain had been cut and hauled off, he
gleaned a whole bushel of wheat. His mother sold it to Walker Bros. Co. for $5.00 and bought him
enough pink calico to make him a shirt. It was his first calico shirt and although it was quite late in
the fall and cold, He went to church on Sunday without a coat to show off the shirt.

Most of the shirts were made from a blue and white striped cloth and were called hickory shirts
because they wore like hickory.

Several white boys were burning sunflowers one night and some Indian boys from Bingham's
Fort came over and they started to burning each other with hot sunflower stalks. After a while the
Indians got mad and started back to their camp, but instead of going back to camp they slipped
around and dabbed a burning brand on the back of one of the white boys neck. That started a free
for all fight and the Indians started their war-whoop. Mr. Moore's father came down and stopped the
fight and sent them all home.
"Little Soldier" was a chief of a small band of Indians here and was very friendly to the whites.
A white man killed his daughter and Little Soldier trailed him for nearly two years and finally killed
him.
Big Ute was a large and very handsome Indian Chief and he knew how handsome he was. He
would buy, beg or steal all the matches he could he could and stand before a minor at night, striking
matches one after the other to see himself.

Indians used to gather large sacks of wilds berries, mostly service berries or choke cherries and
sell or trade them to the whites for most anything they could get.

Mr. Moore and his brother, 7 and 10 years of age respectively walked up the Indian Trail to
where the town of Liberty now stands, gathered up a herd of cows and drove them to Ogden over
the North Ogden road in one day, making about 30 to 35 miles.

When a house or bam caught on fire, everyone turned out and formed a bucket brigade, threw
dirt on it, etc. They didn't fight forest fires.
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

The first hotel was the Ogden House and stood about where the First Security Bank Building
now stands.
The first stage coach station was between25th and26th streets on Washington Ave. or Main
St. as it was then.

The first school he attended was between24thandZlth streets on the east side of Madison Ave.
It was in 1862 and Vilate Hampton was my teacher. The Tuition was one dollar per month. The
school books used were Wilson's Reader and Arithmetic.

The Deseret News was a newspaper in his home. It was published in Salt Lake City.

The first Telegraph station was located on the East side of Washington Ave. between 24th and
25th streets.
The first "trolley car" system in Ogden was mule cars. They were pulled by mules along
Washington Blvd.

/ He saw the f,rrst train that came into Ogden after the tracks had been laid this far. Almost
/ everyone in Ogden gathered to see the train and were all standing around looking at it when the
( engineer blew the whistle. Nearly everyone there ran.

/ Mr. Moore's first ride on atrun was on aflat cn. During the late summer or early fall of 1869.
/ fhe Union Pacihc gave everyone that wanted to go a ride to the mouth of Weber Canyon and retum
t on Flat cars, free.
\' There were a few plays by local talent.
He played with Indian Papooses when he was very young. They were of the Ute and Shoshone
Tribes.

One trait he noticed among the Indians was their begging and thievery. Also if an Indian was
your friend, he would do anything for you. The Indians lived in tepees or wickiups. He leamed some
of the Shoshone dialect.
Young people had better times and were not very rowdy as they are now. If any one went to a
dance and got drunk, he was put out and in some was not able to attend again.

He has 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 4 or 5 great grandchildren.

Mr. Moore's father did $800.00 worth of work on the toll road through Ogden Canyon and took
all but $35.00 out in toll.
Joseph had no fear of the Indians and they liked him for it. When he was as young as two years
old, he would ride on the back of a horse with an Indian and as they would go as fast as the horse
would run, the Indian would call out "shauntiwino papoose" meaning good baby.
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

The Indians respected the Moore's because they never lied to them. Once an Indian came to see
his father and asked him for something to eat. The Indian was given something to eat and then he
asked for some more. David Moore told him he had no more for him. The Indian pointed to some
bags of cured meat that was hanging from the rafters and said "what about that". David told him that
was all he had to feed his family for the winter. The Indian said, "you lie MOORE, you lie". With
that, David grabbed the Indian by the seat of his britches and threw him out. He then acted as though
he were reaching for his gun. The Indian ran for his horse pulling a knife as he ran and he shouted
"don't shoot Moore, don't shoot". Joseph said that this was the only time he ever saw an Indian tether
a horse. The Indian cut the tether and jumped on his horse and rode away as fast as he could. The
next day, a squaw came to see David and asked him to come and smoke the pipe of peace with the
Indian, which he did.
The Indians visited the Moore home frequently and Joseph was well acquainted with them.
Little Soldier, a Ute Chiefjoined the Church and went to the Temple. He used to come to the Moore
home and open up his shirt to show off his garments and he would say "See, me Mormon."

As a young man, he and his brother were some what mischievous. There was a man called
"Father Stone" who was kind of a presiding Elder in the Community. He was always looking after
the morals of the community.

Once they went to see a widow about holding a dance at her house. She told them they would
have to get permission from Father Stone. So they went to Father Stone and asked him. He said "No,
you can't have the dance." They went back to the Widow and asked her again. She said "did you ask
Father Stone?" They told her they did so she gave them permission to hold the dance. They just
didn't give her his answer. This took place in the winter time and the weather was very cold. The
boys took some water and poured it on the path leading up to the rear of the house. As Father Stone
came sneaking up from the rear to see if the dance was being held. He slipped on the ice and fell.
The boys had their dance with no interference.

Once they took some cow manure and wmpped it in some Bull Durham chewing tobacco paper
and gave it to Father Stone. He took it and said "God bless you my boys."

One time his Brother David and two of his friends were breaking wild horses on Sunday. Father
Stone saw them and reprimanded them for it. One of the boys told Father Stone that he was sorry.
Father Stone turned to David and said, "How about you?" David replied, "if he is sorry then I am
too", knowing full well that his friend was not sony.
After Joseph's first wife died, he married Alice May Twitchell. He had five children by his first
wife, three of which died young. He had four children by his second wife. Neither marriage was
performed in the Temple.

Joseph's first wife, Louisa, and his sister, Ellen, were good friends. After Joseph had been
married to his second wife, Alice, for some time, Ellen had the following dream: She saw Louisa and
her three children separated by some great distance. They were dressed in dirty clothes and were very
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

miserable because they were not

together. The children were crying for
their mother and she for them.
Ellen interpreted the dream as a
request from Louisa that she try to
influence her brother to get himself
ready and to have them sealed to him.
She then went to his wife, Alice and
told her the dream. Alice agreed with
her and together they started to work
on Joseph, trying to get him to prepare
himself to go to the temple. He wasn't
active in the church at that time and
wasn't anxious to get active.
Joseph and his wife Alice
As time went on and nothing was
done, Ellen again had the same dream. Ellen and Alice worked that much harder to get something
done and still nothing happened.

A third time Ellen had the same dream. This time Joseph responded and Alice and Joseph went
to the temple where Alice was proxy for Louisa while she and her children were sealed to Joseph.
Then she and Joseph were sealed, together with their children.

That very night, Ellen had a dream, in which she saw Louisa and her children, clothed in white
and together. They were very happy. Ellen interpreted this dream as a witness to her of their
gratitude for what had been done.

Joseph died December 23rd,1943, still very active in the church.

 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

The following story was told by Oscar Malan at his funeral.

"My earliest recollection in our home was Brother and Sister Moore and their family and on
many occasions, we at their home. We played at their home many times. As a boy we lived in the
house where Mr. Leavitt now does. My father built that house when I was six or seven years old and
I lived there until I was 12, but these early recollections of occasions of the past were received in the
mind of a boy and were everlasting.
Joe Moore always appeared to be a father to me. A boy looks upon his father as a king, a prince,
a god, and whatever he says or does is just right. Joe Moore came next to my father in my Ideal.

As a boy, I once got into mischief. I was up to their home playing with the boys. Coming home
down the old fence line (they called Bro. Moore, Uncle Joe). As he was going into the field, he had
placed a file in the end of a fence post to bright-en up the cutting edge of a hoe. I was always curious
about tools, files, and any kind of mechanical device. I saw that file stuck up on that pole and it got
the best of me. I looked at it and had the temptation to take it, faltered, and the little red man said
take her boy. So I took it. When I got it in my hands, a whispering came to me saying that it wasn't
right. It was a nice file.
Down in the corn patch Uncle Joe was hoeing, but he had eyes in the back of his head as all
good fathers do and as he looked up, I decided I would drop the file at the bottom of the post so that
it might get a little rust on it and I could come back and find it.
If it had been you or I, possibly we wouldhave shouted out nasty names or even worse. Now
I want to tell you what kind of a man Uncle Joe was. He didn't say a word. He went out the other
way and somehow got to my home before I got there.
When I got home, mother was all dressed up and ready for a visit. She said to me and my
younger brother who was with me. "I want you to go to Uncle Joe's with me."

"I just got back from there. I don't want to go up". "No I just want you to go up. " We had a
habit of being obedient.
Mother only had a small family of 16 children. So she took time off to take her two erring
children to Uncle Joe's. When we got there, they were eating dinner. Joe said "Hello Louise. Glad
to see you." As if we hadn't met before. He pulled back his old arm chair from the table, shook hands
with mother and passed the time of day. Finally mother said, Are these the two boys who stole your
file?"
I never knew there was a bird like that who could see things like that. That was my hrst
experience" She asked me "Did you take the file?" I said "yes". "Go get it." So I scampered off down
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

to the post and got the file. I thought, "I'll take this in and then I'll beat it home just as fast as I can
go." But that wasn't the end.

My mother said, "Is this the file?" He looked at it and said "yes." Then she said, "Now young
man, you go kneel down and ask forgiveness for stealing this file."

Have you ever been in a spot when you looked around and saw a family of siniling Moore's and
ask forgiveness for wrong doings? I shall never forget. I shall never fail to praise Uncle Joe for his
time out to make an honest boy out of a mischievous fellow. I remember atthattime that two hands
were made for honest toil. His memories shall live in my heart and in the hearts of my children for
helping to make a man such as I am and many other fine men and women in this congregation that
I remember well."
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

Information from his son William B. Moore.

My father, Joseph Byron Moore, was born Feb. 9th, 1855 in Ogden, Utah, just 8 years after the
arrival of the pioneers, led by Pres. Brigham Young arrived in the great Salt Lake Valley and about
6Yryearc after the first settlers arrived in Ogden and located in what was called Mound For1.. Ena
Chase and Charles Hubbard located their homes just below what is now known as Harm Perry's Old
Mill on Canyon Road.

He was bom in a log house, the home of his Grandmother Barker, located on the north side of
12th Street on the south side of the mound, about where the County Fire Station is now stands. He
was the son of David and Sarah Barker Moore. My grandfather at the time had answered the call
of President Brigham Young and with his first wife, Susan and adopted daughter Louisa, whom they
had adopted in Nauvoo, Ill. had gone with others to open the Salmon River Mission at Fort Limhi
in Idaho. On my grandfather returning home from that mission which proved a failure at the time
due to Indian trouble, the family moved to 24th Street and Adams Ave., where the Larkin Mortuary
is now located. My father was then about 2 years of age. The home site extended from Adams on
24th Street down to where the County Court House was and a half-block north on Adams Ave. and
one acre of land on the east side of Adams where the Catholic Church is now located. The house
stood about where Larkin's north property line is and there was a spring of running water which was
used to irrigate the garden and for culinary purposes.

The family lived here for then years. When father was six years old he was assigned the task
of herding the family cows & sheep. He with his half brother, Lester (Leck) who was about six
months younger than father took the stock on the east bench which was all open country from Ogden
canyon to Taylor's canyon, around where the Benedict Hospital is now located. And over on the
north east bench, from Ogden canyon to jump off canyon, up around what is known as the Bear
Cave. From the time grass came in the spring until the frost and snow came in the late fall these two
boys lived on bread & milk. They had to leave home in the morning with the stock right after day
light and before the family had breakfast, so they had bread and milk for breakfast. His mother gave
them a gallon of milk and bread which they took with they for dinner and when they returned home
with the stock at night, the family supper was over and they had to have bread and milk for supper.
When father was about ten years of age, grandfather sold this property to Jim McEntire and for his
pay he took what ever McEntire could give him. Grandfather now purchased about 18 acres of land
near 14th Street and Wash. Blvd.

Here the family moved, the house was made of logs and located at about where 13 17 Wash.
Blvd. now is. Father continued to herd the family stock until he was about 14 years of age. At this
time he took over the farm, while grandfather and his eldest brother David did carpenter work. He
raised corn, wheat, potatoes and garden truck. They had about 50 head of sheep. After the sheep
were sheared in the spring of the year, grandmother carded the wool and spun it into cloth to make
clothes for the family. Calico was $1.00 per yard. Sugar was $1.00 per lb. They raised sugar caneJ
and made molasses.

9
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

Grandfather had a cane mill on west 12th Street and he used the water from Mound Fort Ditch
to turn the water wheel which operated the mill. He remained at home and took care of the farm
until he was grown.
Father said when he was six years of age while herding his fathers stock, he gleaned a bushel
of wheat. His grandmother Barker took the wheat to Walker Brothers, who were located on comer
of 24th Street and Washington Blvd. where J.C. Penny Store is now and she rec'd $5.00 for it. She
took the money and bought some calico and made him a shirt which he was very proud of.
His father was bishop of the old Mound Fort Ward for over 20 years. Its boundary was the
center of Canyon Road on the south, the Marriott Ward on the West, the center of 7th Street on the
north and the Mountains on the east.
In the orgarization of the first M.I.A. in the ward, John L. Wilson was President, father and Fred
Barker were his counselors and George Barker the Secretary. Fred and George Barker were sons
of Simon Barker who were the sons of uncle George Barker, brother to Fred Barker, my fathers
Grandfather. The old Hall that used to be on 12th Street, which was tom down when the 21st Ward
building was started was built during the time grandfather was bishop. Father and uncle John
Wilson hauled the stone for the foundation.
My father's mother was a daughter of Frederick Barker who was the father of the North Ogden
Barkers. She was one of the sweetest characters I have ever met.
After father grew to manhood he spent his life as a farmer and orchardist, except for the time
he was engaged in the Ice business with Patriarch Miles L. Jones and Uncle Frank Moore. Fathers
opportunities for gaining an education was very meager, he only went as far as the first grade. He
felt this handicap, as he came in contact with the business ventures because of his lack of an
education.

In his church activities, apart from his M.LA. assignment, he was active in his Elders and High
Priests Quorum. He served as a Ward Teacher for forty years, serving in the old Mound Fort Ward,
7th and 2lst Wards. Brother Wm.
Greenwood was his last companion. H
faithfully discharged this duty until he
83 years of age at which time his heal
failed him as he had to give it up. I ha
always taken pride in the fact that my fi
Ward Teaching assignment was with m
Father. I felt very proud that the Bishopri
asked me to be my fathers Ward Teachi
companion along with Elisha McCloud.
was only 15 years of age.

Joseph B. Moore's Home

10
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

It was a rich experience for me as father had always been my ideal. I forgot to mention that
father was baptized as a boy in the Ogden River just east of the Washington Blvd. bridge. He lost
his baptismal record and when I was about 10 years of age, (2 Nov. 1898) he and mother took the
family to the Logan Temple. He and Mother took out their endowments, had the work done for his
first wife, Louisa Bybee. Then she was sealed to father with their children. My mother was then
sealed to father and mother's children sealed to them. His first wife, Louisa Bybee bore him 5
children, Donald Irvin, Laura, Joseph Byron Jr., Esther and Nellie. She gave her life at the birth of
her last baby. The three younger children died in babyhood. Irvin and Laura still survive. I think
it was some eight years later father married my mother Alice May Twitchell. She bore him 4 sons,
Wm. Byron, Wallace, Franklin Charles, and Eli. Eli died a few days after birth. I mentioned about
father losing his baptismal record. Before he could get a recommend to go to the Logan Temple he
had to berebaptized to establish his membership in the Church. He was rebaptized on October 28,
1898 by Wallace Barlow and reconfirmed the same date by Walker Barlow. Ordained an Elder by
Bishop James Taylor, October 28, 1898.
There is one interesting circumstance I would like to relate at this point. Father had become
careless and neglectful in his living habits and inactive in respect to his church duties. When he was
manied to his first wife, Louisa Bybee, they were maried by the civil law. When he was married
to my mother, they were married by the civil law. It was about 1896, two years before they took the
family to the Logan Temple, his first wife, Louisa came to my father's sister Aunt Nell Wilson and
plead with her to get father to go to the Temple and have their work done so she could go to her
children, the three youngest had died some time before this. She said they were separated as she was
not permitted to go where they were. Father at this time was disinterested in church work. His
habits were such that he couldn't obtain a Temple Recommend had he wanted one. He also
neglected paying his tithing. Aunt Nell said, she looked so unhappy and with a pleading look on her
face, she again asked Aunt Nell to work with father to get him interested. Aunt Nell did so but it
seemed her efforts were in vain. A few months later she agwnappeared to Aunt Nell, pleading again
that she try once more and then she asked that Aunt Nell would solicit my mothers interest and the
two of them work on Father. Aunt Nell said, she never saw anyone look so unhappy as she did. So
Aunt Nell and mother went to work on father. And so after a few months they convinced him that
was his duty and responsibility . If he wanted his family in the next life, he had to obey the law
which made this blessing possible. So he quit his tobacco habit, his tea and coffee habit and
commenced paying his tithing. So in the first part of November 1898 having received his
recommend and one for the family, we went to the Logan Temple and had this work done. My
mother stood proxy for his first wife Louisa and she was sealed to father with her children. Two
nights later she appeared to Aunt Nell with her three children and she never said a word only thank
you, and she pointed to her children with her arms around them. Aunt Nell said, she never saw a
person with such a heavenly happy expression upon her face. And she never appeared to her
anymore. This is a testimony to me if we want the blessings of the next life we have to work for
them. We have to obey the laws here upon which these blessings are predicated.

11
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

Father was a product of the old school, having been taught in his youth, the sacred principles
of morality, truth and honor and these teachings he endeavored to instill in the hearts of his children.
He was a noble father and a kind and loving husband. While he left no material riches, yet in the
language of the poet, he has bequeathed a legacy to his posterity that riches cannot buy.

I follow a noble father, his honor is mine to wear. He gave me a name that was free from
shame. A name he was proud to bear, he lived in the morning sunlight and marched in the ranks of
right. He was always true to the best he knew, and the shield that he wore was bright.
I follow a noble father andhim I must keep in mind. Though his form is gone, I must carry on
the name that he left behind. It was mine on the day he gave it. It shone as a monarch's crown, and
as fair to see as it came to me. It must be when I lay it down.

A good name is better to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and
gold.

Father was a man of great faith. He possessed the gift of healing and had great power in
administering to the sick. I shall now relate two very fine examples of how the Lord did
acknowledge him as his servant and an instrument in his hands to convey blessings to those in need.
Father's half sister Clara Fronk had a daughter by the name of Pearl. While in her teens, she was
stricken with spinal meningitis. It seem with all medical science could do for her, she continued to
get worse. The doctor, attending her, a doctor Brown, finally announced that he could do nothing
more for her. Aunt Clara had great faith in the powff of the Priesthood and now felt that Pearl was
in the hands of the Lord. I recall, father and I were called over to Aunt Clara's at midnight. The
doctor was there. He was making his final examination of Pearl. I remember he came into the room
where father and I was waiting. He said to us, "Well the girl can't possibly live more that three
hours. She is in the final stages of the disease. She is now completely paralyzed from head to foot,
every muscle and limb is set. She is now unconscious and will be gone before morning." He then
took his departure. It was between one and two o'clock a.m. We then went in to Pearl. She lay just
as the doctor had described her condition to us, to all appearances she seemed most dead. We
kneeled at her bed side and had prayer. We then anointed her head with holy consecrated oil and
then placed our hands upon her head, sealed the anointing and in the power of the Holy Priesthood
of God, we rebuked the disease. We then left, assuring Aunt Clara that she was in the hands of the
Lord and that she had no cause for worry.
We were back there again, shortly after 6 a.m. and when we went in, Aunt Clara greeted us with
a smile and said everything is alright now. The Lord acknowledged your administration last night
and Pearl is alright and she is now going to recover. We went in to Pearl. She greeted us with a
smile and seemed perfectly normal in every way. She then related her experience of the past night.
She said that she was conscious of everything going on. She heard and understood what the doctor
said to her mother, but she couldn't move a muscle, completely paralyzed. That as long as we were
there she felt safe for she could feel the power of the Priesthood and when we would go away from
her, she could feel that power leave her and the evil power commence to surround her again. We

T2
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

had been there in the aftemoon of that day and she said just as soon as we walked into the house, she
knew we had come for she could feel the power of the priesthood and the evil power would leave.
So she said she againwanted us to administer to her and ask the Lord that she might be completely
healed and made well and normal again. We kneeled at her bed side and thanked the Lord that he
had acknowledged our administration, that Pearl's life had been preserved, and gave him the credit
for her improved condition. We then anointed her head, sealed the anointing and again invoked the
blessings of the Lord and the healing power of His Holy Priesthood upon her, that she would now
completely recover and live a normal life. That she would live to become a mother in Israel. Aunt
Clara had called the doctor before we arrived and shortly after we had completed the administration
he came. He went in and made his examination of her. Was in with her more than half an hour and
when he came out he came to father and myself and said, I don't know what has happened, but
something beyond the power of man has intervened, for that girl is perfectly normal and shows no
trace of ever having the disease she had last night when I said she couldn't possibly live three hours.
We then told him what had happened. He wasn't a member of the Church. He stood in deep thought
and then said, we doctors have got to admit that there are some most miraculous things happen
through the ministrations of the Mormon Elders, something we don't understand, a recovery of the
sick that is entirely beyond the power of man. Pearl recovered her health, and became normal, a
robust and healthy girl. When of marriageable age she married and raised a family of three boys and
a daughter. One of those boys filled a mission for the Church. Sorry to say she married out of the
Church. She and her husband have since separated. At present she is single not having remarried.
I relate this testimony to show the faith my father possessed and how the Lord acknowledged his use
of the Priesthood.
There many more such testimonies I could relate, showing how the Lord did acknowledge father
ashis instrument in the blessing of those distressed, but time and space will permit me to relate only
one more.

This is of an entirely different nature. My sister-in-law Vera Thredgold, wife of Arnold

Thredgold, my wife's brother, when she first came into the church, seemed to become overpowered
with the evil spirits. While under this influence, to all appearance she was dead, she would lay, her
body stiff as a board. While in her native land of Australia, she had some very remarkable healings
by the power of the Priesthood through the administration of the Elders. When they came to Utah
they made our place their home until they could affange to go to themselves. It seems that when she
became upset in her mind or what she thought her feelings had been offended, she would give way
to this power and become over powered with evil spirits. Shortly after their arrival here, she got her
feelings hurt somehow and immediately became overpowered with evil. She went into one of these
spells. To all appearances she was dead, she lay stiff as a board. Her husband, Arnold Thredgold,
with his brother Wm. were out in West Weber of Hooper, I forget which, picking tomatoes. My wife
finally got word to them by telephone. They rushed home. It was 5 or 6 o'clock when they reached
here. She was still out cold. I had called my nephew, Francis Moore, who lived next door to come
and assist me in administering to her. He had filled a mission in Germany, was a very fine clean
living boy and possessing great faith in the power of the Priesthood. When we had finished she

13
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

rallied some and went back agatn. After Arnold arrived and we had supper, I called for father to
came and assist me in administering to her. He came, we kneeled and had prayer and then anointed
her head with Holy Consecrated Oil and placed our hands upon her head and sealed the anointing
and invoked the blessing of the Lord upon her and rebuked the evil spirits, commanding them in the
name of Jesus Christ and the power of the Priesthood of God to come out of her and never again
return to torment her anymore.

After we had finished and removed our hands from her head, she opened her eyes and was
perfectly normal, but very weak. She lay there for sometime resting and getting her strength again.
After a while she got up, my wife got her something to eat and after she had finished eating, we sat
there talking about her case. When all of a sudden the screen door slammed just like someone was
angry and slammed the door shut. At that time our present dinning room was the east outside room
and the screen door was on the east door, This was before I had put an addition on as we have it
today. I rushed to the door thinking a heavy wind had come up and caught the door and slammed
it shut. But to my surprise it was as calm as a summers day, not a breath of air stirring. The only
conclusion we could come to was that it was the evil spirits taking their departure from our home
and in leaving they gave vent to their anger in being banished never to retum. To my knowledge
Vera has never been possessed since. The power of the Lord and His Holy Priesthood surely was
acknowledged in the administration. Father never was one to be frightened of any.thing, but he said,
he was surrounded by evil spirits al the way home. Thus another testimony, a most remarkable
outpouring of the spirit of the Lord in acknowledgment of the faith of my father. Truly the power
of the Lord is great to those who obey his commandments.
After father grew to maturity, married and went to himself, he farmed, worked for the railroad
on transfer for a number of years. Also worked for D.H. Perry at his mill located at Mill Creek and
Wash. Blvd. He used to sack 150 sacks flour in one day and worked from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. for
$1.50 per day. He also worked for Ambrose Shaw, (father of young Arn who Married LrzzieDee)
during harvest time and rec'd $1.90 per day. He would commence work at 4 a.m. work until 6
o'clock, have breakfast, work until 12 o'clock, have dinner, work until 6 o'clock, have supper and
then work until 10 o'clock and quit for the day.

During his life time he was privileged to note great strides in advancement in many ways. For
lights as a boy, put tallow in a dish with a string in it for a wick, then home made tallow candles,
then candles purchased at the store, then coal oil lamps, with improvements in them, until the
invention of the electric light.
Then for transportation from the ox team saddle horse, horse and wagon,, horse and buggy to
the automobile, railroad train, street cars and airplanes.

He was present and witnessed the first railroad train to come into Ogden which was a red letter
day, a gala occasion for the people of Utah.

Truly he lived in a great day, when the wondrous works of the Lord began to be manifest in the
earth.

t4
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

I have heard him relate how poor the people were in the early days here, and how they had to
assist each other. When they were living on the corner of Adams and 24th Street, they had a
neighbor who lived about a block east from them. They had a 17 year old daughter, she didn't have
any shoes and had to go barefoot in the winter time. She would get lonely and craving association,
she would come down to visit with grandfathers family. With the temperature down below zero u"td
the snow 3 and 4 feet deep she would leave her home barefoot and run thru the snow until her feet
got so cold she couldn't stand it, then she would sit down in the snow, curl her feet up in her calico
dress, get them wafin and then get up and repeat until she reached grandfathers house. When one
family ran out of wheat and flour they would go to their neighbor who would share with them.
Father went barefoot most of the time when was a boy except for winter when his father
made him shoes out of buckskin of cow hide.

In the spring of the year when the potato supply gave out, they had to go in the hill and dig sego
bulbs and use in place of potatoes. The Indians had taught them the food value in the Sego root.
The Sego flower or Sego lily as it later was called is the State flower today.
Many are the stories father told me and some the details have left my memory. One I recall, was
when he was cutting timber in the mountain east of Ogden. He was working for Billy Wilson who
operated a saw Mill. Billy was the one who built and operated the Hermitage Resort in Ogden
Canyon. This was a very historic and popular amusement place. There was the famous Hermitage
Hotel, dance hall and other concessions. In the horse and buggy days it was a favorite place for
Ward picnics and family gatherings. Billy's saw mill was down the canyon below the Hermitage.
He was a brother to Uncle John Wilson. I recall as a boy, the old Mound Fort Ward held its annual
picnic at the Hermitage. Billy Wilson wasn't a member of the Church but his residence was on 12th
Street and in the Ward. He paid for the transportation of the ward members up there and back. It
was the first time I had ever been there. I recall how excited I was as I went to the old Hall that used
to be located on 12th Street just east of Lee Richards Home. The ward members were to assemble
here. Billy Wilson had engaged Jeff Slade with his long excursion wagon drawn by 2 span of
horses. What a day we had and the fun we experienced in the ride up and back. And the wonderful
day we enjoyed.

Well back to my story. Billy employed a number of men, among whom was Byron Chase,
father of Doris Chase Richards. He and Billy slept in an old cabin at night. They were working in
abear country. Oft times they would see a bear in the day time. And was a common thing to see
bear sign throughout the day. One night they retired for bed and shortly after midnight, Billy had
to get up and go outside. Chase was sleeping on the outside of the bed and in order for Billy to get
out he had to crawl over Chase. Working in a bear country as they were, the men were always in
the look out for bear and naturally the men were a little nervous and at night they sometimes
dreamed of having and encounter with bears. This night Chase was having just such a dream. As
Billy was crawling over Chase he was dreaming that he was being attacked by a bear. As Billy was
in the act of crawling over Chase, Chase began to kick with his feet and he never quit kicking until
he had kicked Billy clear outside the cabin. When Billy was able to get his breath, he said to Chase,

15
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

"What's gone wrong with you Chase, have you gone cruzy?" Chase, a little embarrassed replied, "Is
that you Wilson? I thought it was a bear."

Another time the men were working in a wooded section cutting down trees. Bear signs were
all around. They had an easterner with them. The old timers had filled him full of bear stories.
They told him if one was seen to run for a tree and climb for his life as they were vicious. Father
had a dog with him. The old dog went out wandering around the trees and in coming back going
through the brush he made a crackling noise and father shouted, here comes abear, climb your tree.
This eastemer run for his tree and was climbing up, got about I0 or 12 feet off the ground with his
arms and legs wrapped around the trunk of the tree and he started to slide down. He got so excited
he thought he was still going up and he was shouting at the top of his voice, "Climb boys, climb here
he comes, I am safe.", and at that moment fathers old dog came into the clearing. Instead of this
easterner being safe up in his tree, he was sitting on the ground with his arms and legs wrapped
around the tree. How they did tease him about this.

Another time, they had another easterner working with them. He had never been in the
mountains before. He had never seen a wild bear. As they were working in bear country and would
see bear signs everyday and they were continually telling him bear stories. He got so frightened that
he wouldn't budge away from the camp alone. They told him if abear attacked they at night to
always run for the campfire as bears were afraid of fire. One night they decided to play a trick on
him. They hid all the guns. One of the men slipped away as they were gathered around the camp
fire and put a buffalo robe over him and came back toward camp crawling on his hands and feet
through the brush. The horses commenced to snort and paw their feet. This easterner looked and
said what's that as he heard a crackling in the brush. Someone shouted it's a bear. Put more fuel on
the fire and stay close to the fire. The would be bear kept coming right toward the fire and making
for this easterner. He commenced to run around the fire and the bear after him. He noticed the other
men step away and that he and the bear were the only ones left. And around and around the fire they
went when all at once he broke and started to run and he ran down the canyon as fast as he could run.
There was a saw mill located about 3 miles down the canyon and he never stopped until he reached
the camp. As he came into camp, the men there said, as he came running into camp his tongue was
hanging out he was that near exhausted. He stayed there that night and the next morning he left for
Ogden. He wouldn't go back. And so that ended his career as a wood cutter.
I also remember hearing father tell about a Halloween prank, he played one time. Unknown to
his first wife, my brother Irvin's mother, he got a bed sheet, wrapped himself in it and went out on
the street. As he walked along he caught up with a little Englishman carrying a rooster under his
arm. He looked over his shoulder, hearing father approaching him and he quickened his pace, father
quickened his pace, and the faster he walked the faster father walked. Pretty soon he broke into a
run and father commenced to run and as father drew near to him, he looked over his shoulder and
in a terrified voice yelled out "Holy Ghost" and burst into a dead run, frightened to death. He
thought sure he had seen a ghost. After a few more pranks, father went home. As he came into the
house his wife was down on her knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. When she saw father with this

t6
 Historical Sketches of Joseph Byron Moore

sheet wrapped around him, she gave a scream and on all fours she scrambled out of the room,
thinking it was really a ghost, How father did laugh. Father had a way in telling these stories that
just made them real.

One more story I shall relate, this one I have told my children and my grandchildren times
without number. Father had a beautiful white rooster. He thought a great deal of it. During the
summer time it would roost in the cheery tree that stood south a little east of the house. This rooster
was always an early riser. At the break of day, he would fly down from his perch and commenced
to scratch for worms. One morning while he was interested in getting a good breakfast, a coyote
came on the scene and took the rooster unaware and before he knew what was happening the coyote
had him firmly in his mouth. The old rooster gave a death scream. Father always a light sleeper,
heard him. He knew what was taking place. He jumped from his bed, ran to the window and saw
the coyote running toward the barn. He pulled on his pants and grabbed his gun which he always
kept at his bedside. And not waiting to even put on his shoes ran outside and straight up the hill.
When he got on the hill just below the North Ogden CanaI, the old coyote was just coming up over
the brow of the south hill on his way to cross the canal and hit for the mountain. As he came up over
the brow of the hill he saw father on the north about 75 yards away, He stopped with the rooster in
his mouth and looked at father. Father pulled his gun, drew a bead on the old coyote and pulled the
trigger. BANG, and a yelp from the coyote. As he opened his mouth to yelp the rooster dropped
to the ground and just as soon as he felt his feet touch the ground off he ran just as fast as he could.
The coyote had not injured him as yet. He ran for his life for the barn and ran inside the horse stable
for protection.
The coyote seeing the rooster running away was going to give chase but he saw father drawing
another bead on him and he started for the canal. Father fired but he was so for away with the shot
father was using it didn't do him much damage it only stung him. He crossed over the canal and up
over the hill and disappeared on his way to the mountain again. A very disappointed coyote having
been cheated out ofhis fine chicken breakfast.

17