#64 Eruption is Here

Man, it was busy this week!  Yes, there was the usual office work, but there was also all kinds of other things.

Sister Teuscher & Sister Smart at Handcart Parking

Sister Smart spent a day serving at handcart parking.  It just also turned out to be the same day as her niece from the Cheyenne area happened to be here.

Sister Smart & Jeneal Christian

Does everyone or anyone think they look a little alike?  Check out the smile and the eyes.  It has been a considerable time since Sister Smart had seen her.  Obvious this was a fun reunion!  It also was a break from our usual office work.

One of the many office things we do is preparing the Sunday church program.  Sister Smart actually does it with Elder Smart being the proof reader.  If you read this one, you will note that we had a part in the Church services.

Recent Sunday Church Program

Another extra activity we did this week was a campfire and picnic at Whiskey Springs. Interesting name.?  It must have been some 20 or 25 miles from here and no one who valued their vehicle would drive to it.  Our Jeep did just fine, but we often chose to take another route other than the extremely washed out and rutted regular road.  Our meal was sumptuous foil dinners.

This place has a great name and a fun story about where the name came from.

  The people of Denver had longed been working to secure the regular overland stage route then connect the east and west. In 1862 Ben Holliday, a veteran stage ,am became the proprietor of the great overland line, and he agreed upon a route running through Denver to the west. He decided to discontinue that part of the road running up the North Platte and Sweetwater rivers and across South Pass Wyoming. The many Indian difficulties experienced on this route was the inducement to abandon it. The new trail led by way of Julesburg Colorado to Denver and on over the established wagon road to Fort Lupton and north across the Laramie plains then due west through Bridge-water Pass Wyoming, joining the old trail leading across the country to the Pacific coast. The change was made on the summer of 1862. All the rolling stock, horses and other property of the company were gathered at the station just above Devil's Gate in central Wyoming. Company A of the Eleventh Ohio cavalry, with Major O'Farrell in command was the detail escort at the time. 
             During the first day the long train of coaches, wagons, horses and mules made eleven miles from the station where the property had been gathered. The route chosen was directly south from the Sweetwater River. The camp selected was in a gap in the mountains, where there was a fine spring and plenty of wood for cooking purposes. Shortly after going into camp the major discovered that quite a number of his soldiers were intoxicated, and he at once sent for Lt. W.H. Brown, who was the officer of the day, and informed him of the condition of many of the men and gave it as his opinion that someone was selling whiskey in the camp. The command was doing escort duty not only for stage. Stock and stores but also for a number of emigrants who had availed themselves of the opportunity for safe conduct over the plains. 
Lt. Brown received orders to search all wagons and if he should discover whiskey to destroy it. Taking a corporal and three or four men he commenced the search for the contraband article and found at least a barrel of whiskey in an emigrant wagon. The officer ordered his men to roll the barrel out of the wagon, knock the head out of the barrel and empty the contents on the ground. This was done but it chanced that the spot where the whiskey was emptied was just above the spring and the fiery liquid went pouring down into the water supply of the camp. The soldiers saw what was going on and they rushed forward with cups, canteens, buckets, and camp kettles to save what they could of the coveted spirits. Many a man stopped over the spring and drank almost without a breath until he was drunk. A half hour later the intoxicant was showing its effect pretty generally around the camp and soon but a few sober men could be found. One soldier who had succeeded in getting a full canteen from the spring paid his respects to Major O'Farrell at the head-quarters tent assuring his commanding officer with maudlin mein and many a “hie” that that was the finest spring he had ever seen and the very best water he had ever tasted. 
           Major O'Farrell was apprehending an attack from the Indians that night and the condition of his men fairly disheartened him. He saw at a glance the even a small band of savage could make a successful raid on his camp consequently the sober and less intoxicated men were kept on alert all night. Fortunately no Indians put in an appearance and by morning the debauched men had slept off their intoxication. 
Thus the gap in the mountains where the camp was made received the name of Whiskey Gap. For many years it was the favorite camping place for the more credulous of the old freighters and emigrants of the trail days, but the little spring was never a “fountain of youth” as it had been in the old days when “fire Water” gushed out of the rocks to quench the thirst of a company of United States soldiers... 

Before closing, we'll just mention Sister Smart's trek. On Tuesday we were up bright and early.  She had to be at Cherry Creek Campground by 6 am and greet the group.  They pulled out of camp at 6:45 and headed for the river to do a river crossing.  From the river they went to the rescuer statues and then to handcart parking for a quick snack.  From here they went to an amphitheater and Sister Smart told them about Martin's Cove.  This was followed by the quiet walk into the Cove.  Then it was back to handcart parking for lunch.  After lunch was the return trip back to the homestead.  On the way they stopped at the Veil Crossing Bridge and Sister Smart share more stories.

Needless to say, Sister Smart loves trekking!

Time to quit and move on with our day.  We are in the Visitors' Center tonight until 9.

We just wanted to say how much we love you all and how much our mission means to us.  If we didn't know the Church is true we wouldn't be here.

Grandma & Grandpa. Mom & Dad, Sister & Elder Smart, Annie & Paul

PS  Happy Birthday this week to Matt, Connor, Harlie, Jessilyn and Paul's sister, Donna🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂