Working on the Railroad and not all Eternal Marriages are Eternal

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad and not all Eternal Marriages are Eternal

All was not lost with the bankruptcy.  The same month, Brigham Young entered into a grading contract with the Union Pacific Railroad through the canyons from Wyoming to Ogden, Utah.  Brigham wanted the railroad for immigration purposes and the work because it would bring in hard currencies into Utah which were in short supply.  A couple of items come together at this time for George Henry. Unbeknownst to him a, long time friend, John Wheeler was a foreman for C. H. Wheelcock.  He had the contract to build quarters and manage a large crew to work on the grading in Echo Canyon. 

On December 28, 1868 George Henry started with Cyrus B. Hawley for Echo Canyon to be one of the day laborers on the railroad.  Upon arriving at Weber he found his friend John Wheeler, who was looking for someone to run the Commissary, buy supplies, hire cooks and feed the workers.  George Henry took the job and was paid $3 per day and board.  He supervised the feeding of 75 day laborers, which he noted was much better than working on the grading.  Due to his past experience and teaching school he was also hired to keep all the accounts.

His wives, both with new born babies missed his presence but were happy with the money he was sending back to them.  In March 1869, Sarah wrote him a poem:

“I breath a prayer from 1, to me of al the world most dear

Whose heart is like the golden sheaves that crawnd the ripened year,

Whose cheek is fairer than the sky when it blushes into morn

Whose voice was in the summer night-of silver streamlets born,

For 1 whose eye the brightest star might for a sister own

Upon whose lip the honey bee might build her waxen throne

Whose breath is like the air that woos the buds in April hours

That stirs within the dreamy heart a scene of opening flowers,

I breathe a prayer from 1 to me of al the world most dear,

Whose heart is like the clustering vine that crowns the ripened year

Whose love is like the living spring we on the mountain taste

Which travelers lip can never quench nor thirsty summer waste

Not like the rose may our friendship wither but like the evergreen live forever.”

Maria wrote him long letters telling him that while it is trying being apart it is for the best as he is able to support them.  “I know it is not as wel as U would like, but we must put up with that & do the best we can.”

She also wrote:

“When rocks & hills divide us

And U no mor I see,

Just take your pen & paper

And write a line to me.”

He notes that on March 31, 1869 he returned home from Weber with $270 cash.  On April 5^th, due to his current situation, he tendered his resignation from the Nauvoo Legion.  On April 21, he took a job herding oxen and cows.  He states: “We are al placed here on earth & should do something & when one thing fails, not wait for something to turn up, but with energy turn up something as e did the cattle on a 1000 hills.”  He continued herding until October 10.

He did hear from his brother that fall.  Shorland had gone to medical school and was now practicing medicine in Mason City, Iowa.  He had lost one son and still had a wife and then 10 year old son.  He was also opening a drug store in Chicago.  George Henry also makes an interesting note on October 28:  “Carlos Vivian weaned, & he made a pretty fuss about it.”

In November 1869 a tax dispute arose.  George Henry had been a tax collector but one tax case with a Wm. West was still outstanding and several letters back and forth were sent, each more acrimonious than the last about what was paid and what was turned in.  Finally,  George Henry found his receipt for the $15 dollars given him in October 1867 and they settled the matter by the payment of $1 as costs.

The next term of school he decided to set up a home school for  his 9 children and save $27 dollars.  He also includes in his diary the written speech given by a Sister Johnson to other Sisters protesting anti polygamy bills in congress.  She encourages them to fight the bills and keep their husbands out of jail and allow their sons to have multiple wives.  He starts planting again in March 1870 on the 40 acres he was allowed to keep in bankruptcy and as summer arrives he again hires himself out  as a laborer.  Of interest on January 1, 1870 he listed everyone’s age weight and height.  There are 16 entries.  The  three adults are:

Name                                     Age                 lbs                   Ft-In

GHAH                                    39                   154                 5.5 ¾

SLH                                         25                     96                 5 ¾

MLH                                       32                     87                 5 ¾

Through the remainder of 1870 he builds onto the house on the 40 acres and I am not sure how all 16 people lived during those times.  He also hires himself out as a day laborer until December 24, 1870 when he was injured.  He had been working for a sawmill and in his words:

 “…on the 24^th I went to get some wood down to the road to haul home for fuel when a log jammed my ankle so that I had to crawl on my hands & knees to camp & was in terrible agony al night.  In the morning Hamer White brought me some breakfast and hauled me out on a hand sleigh to the road when I came down home.  Captn Hawley advised me to wrap my foot up in salt wet cloths & it comenced to draw out the bruise til it left my toes.  Could not bear my weight on it for 4 weeks.”

Due to his injury he wrote his brother Shoreland and asked for a loan of $100 to help his family through the winter as Shorland had been writing him of his great success.  His brother responded that it was impossible for him to send any money as he had used his money to supply the drugs in his new drug store and will not have any until they are sold.  Their church meeting house burned down due to a faulty stove and in his entry he makes note of the great Chicago fire that had happened later that year.

May 19, 1871 Frank Loader Harris is born.  1871 was a hard year for him working various odd jobs and trying to farm.  He hauls timber from the mountains, helps others with their farms, worked in the tithing office and as a school teacher. 

As we move to 1873, Sarah has moved out to help a widower with his young children.  John G. Holman.  Maria moves out to live with an aunt.  Holman was one of the founders of Pleasant Grove and a prosperous person at the time.  For reasons unknown to me, Sarah decides to marry Holman and to divorce George Henry.  It could have been due to the comfort of his home or that George Henry’s business had failed him and he was now a laborer for the most part.

Whatever the reason, she files for divorce and convinces her sister Maria to do the same.  ( A side note here.  Even though Maria divorced him and had a short third marriage that ended in divorce, it is alleged in several family letters that she regretted supporting her sister in the divorce and still loved George Henry.  Burial lots were bought for both of them and today they can be found in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Utah next to each other.  She is lot A-13-001-08 and  he is lot A-13-001-09)

Upon Sarah moving all of her last things into the Holman residence, George Henry writes: “ But it’s al the same to I.  I help George H B get down some firewood for her.  He has Holman’s cattle on shares.  I get his mules to work on shares, & with a cart I plot up Battle Creek every day to 2 ft of snow get my load & deliver.  I furnish Patience on rent, Maria on love, Sarah on duty, Holman on mule flesh, Mrs. Shiftlet, Holman’s sister, on respect, tything office on debt, meeting house on donations, so al are pleased except myself, who has to get wet every day & not a particle of love, or comfort in return.  Though now officially separated he eats Christmas dinner first a Maria’s and then with Sarah.

Back tracking a month, in November he received a letter from Hyrum Tremayne  writing for his consent to marry his daughter Eliza.  He spells out he is in a good situation and able to offer his daughter a comfortable home and offers his bishop  as a contact should he so wish to inquire.  On November 30, George Henry writes back; “I shal be satisfied of you respectability by your perusing a course in accordance with the principals of the C. of J. C. of L. D. Saints recommended by your bishop.  Then if Eliza is wiling & desirous, I have no earthly objection.”

1874/1875 are spent teaching school, helping his older sons in various jobs, hauling, farming and in writing his brothers various discourse on Mormonism.  “I feel to do my duty by them so that hereafter my skirts may be clean.”  A typical reply from his brother is :  “U can do as U please about sending your Mormon papers, I have no prejudice but canot tel how many bushels it wil take to convert me.  I do think it would not take me a week to get up a more rational religious faith & one that would suit everybody.”  Of which George Henry notes “So could the devil in less than a week”.  His diary indicates they are hard times for him, the winter was harsher than normal, his lumbago acts up more than usual, at times he is lacking in basic food and keeps what little he has for when the family visits.

On November 26, 1875 he received  a letter from his Bishop asking him to come see him.  “I immediately went & he requested me to sign the bills of divorse that Sarah & Maria had signed 2 years previous.  I protested but said I would do as he wished under protest. So I went to E. May new at the tything office & signed them.  Dan M. smith also signing as witnesses.”

John Holman then encouraged the women to file on the last 40 acres that George Henry still owned and to claim in court that he should provide it to them.  A Bishops court was held on March 17, 1877.  He argued in his defense “That when Sarah & Mariah came to me their wardrobe was slim & they came to a comfortable home & had 5 children by the former & 3 by the latter, but when reverses came, when poverty came in thro the door, love flew out of the window & they left me and took everything that they thought valuable, even the bed & bedding of my beloved 1^st wife.  On April 1, 1877 the Bishop’s court awarded Mariah 10 acres of the land and none to Sarah.  His comment on the decision was “But it is beter to sufer wrong than commit rong”

But our story does not end there.  Mr. Holman convinces the two sisters to appeal the decision to the High Council court of appeals.  The case was heard on May 13, 1877.  He gave a written and spirited vocal defense of his right to the land, the work he put in it, and the amount taken by his wives from him.  He happened to slip in that Sarah had given birth to her first child with Holman only 7 months after he had signed the divorce decree.  At the end, the two high councilors asked to speak on each side easily ratified and supported the original decision by the bishop and the appeal was denied.

(while this ends this chapter, left out and included in other chapters are events dealing with the construction of temples, the Mountain Meadow Massacre and events of the trial that led to the death penalty of John Lee, letters to siblings and some poetry he wrote.)