Westons Go West 3 - Dinner with the Captain

 June 4, 1873, out in the Atlantic, but nearing New York

It is dinner time and a table is elaborated set in the Captain’s Quarters, with wine glasses, table cloth, silver, etc. The Weston parents, Captain Trueman and James Blake are seated around the table.A sailor who is acting as the server,  is going around with a decanter of wine. As he comes to Mary, then Simon, then Blake, each indicate that they do not drink wine. He poured the Captain’s glass full, and then continued with another decanter to put water in the others’ glasses.

Holding up his glass the Captain said, “I wish to offer a toast to you all, for helping us to have such a successful journey.”

“Tell us Captain, a bit about this ship we are on, the SS Wisconsin,” put in Simon.

“Well, it was built in 1870, so it is fairly new. It carries a gross tunnage of 3238 and it was built by Palmer’s Shipbuilding Iron Co. Ltd. As you know it is run by the Guion Line, which is officially the Liverpool and Great Western Steamship Company, and we do most of the runs with Mormons.”

“When do thee expect us to dock in New York Harbour?” asked Mary.

“All being well, by mid afternoon tomorrow. It has been an arduous journey, with some sadness, due to the smallpox deaths, which were inevitable, but thanks to you and your team of nurses, Mrs. Weston, we saved the majority of our sufferers, and the result might have been much more tragic. On the last trip across, we had fourteen deaths. This time, we have only had two.”

He started to eat his meal, without having offered grace. The others are worried by this, and don’t want to offend him by calling his attention to his lack in this regard, so with Blake’s suggestion, the three bow their heads and make their own silent grace. The Captain carried on eating, not paying any attention to this at all. Mary and Simon started to eat, and Blake picked up his fork.

“Mrs. Weston and her ladies were an example to all of us, Captain,” he said. “They worked morning and night for the last few weeks, protecting the rest of us from any sort of contamination from the patients. I had not realised until Mrs. Weston told of it, how each helper’s clothing might have been a source of contamination to the rest of the boat. Her suggestion for each to put on a separate overdress while in the sick room, and then leave it behind when she left, was no doubt what made all the difference. Thee would be well to tell others of this, and see that they do similarly in the ships from now on.”

“Excellent suggestion. I wonder if you all heard about one of our passengers, Charles Penrose, who awoke one morning to find that a mother rat had given birth in his shoe during the night.” Everyone laughs.

“Now, tell us, President Blake, more about your background. I know that you have been a Mormon for some time. When did you get the call - if that is what you call it?” asked the Captain.

“It was 1850 when I first came into contact with the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My conversion was rapid and complete, and I was baptized 8 February 1851 as was my wife, Elizabeth. I was appointed second councilor to Pres. Armstrong of Whitechapel Branch in 1852 and set apart as President of Whitechapel Branch 5 February 1854. Then I was appointed clerk of London, England Conference 7 August 1854 where we were encouraged to migrate to Utah. So in the spring of 1856 we and our four children, Richard, Thomas, James Jr. and Mary, began to make preparations to go to Utah, which we did on May 23^rd on the ship Horizon.”

“Had thee been consecrated by that time?” asked Simon.

“What does that mean?” put in the Captain.

“It is the special rite by which one becomes fully into membership in the church. One receives a special garment as a visible sign of being amongst the chosen.”

“On March 16 of the year that we left, I was baptized into the Law of Consecration and was promised by the Elders of the church that I would bring my family safely to Utah, answered Blake.

“How can anyone promise that?” asked the Captain.

“We were at prayers one day, and a women stood to bear her testimony. As she did, she spoke in tongues and the other woman receiving the interpretation of tongues said that the Lord promised James Blake that he and his family would arrive safely to Utah.”

“Surely you don’t believe in tongues and things like that?” 

“Well, as I continue with my story, thee will see how important her speech was to me.”

“How many were on your ship?” asked Mary.

“Nearly nine hundred. and all of us pilgrims travelling to Utah.”

“Who was your captain?” asked the captain.

“He was called Edward Martin, and by the time the trip was over, we had 54 new converts from among the crew.”

“I like having you Mormons on my ship, but don’t you even think of trying to convert me!”

“The grace to convert is a gift from God, and thee have to be open to receiving it. No one can force true conversion on thee.”

“I expect your trip was longer than this one will be. Presumably the Horizon was a sailing ship,” said Simon.

“Yes indeed, and one that was converted for taking emigrants to the United States, and returning with goods - so it was not exactly the standard of comfort that we have experienced on this ship, Captain.”

“A happy ship is a healthy ship, but I must say that my work is so much easier when I have a load of Mormons to take with me. You do much of the work for me. You have heard about what Charles Dickens had to say on the subject haven’t you?”

“No, what was that?” asked Simon.

“Well, the story goes like this. The Amazon, a passenger ship with 891 Latter-day Saints aboard, was due to set sail from London in June of 1863. Just before the voyage, many Londoners - government officials and clergymen included - came for a firsthand look at the Mormons and their traveling arrangements. Among the visitors was Charles Dickens, who spent several hours on board the ship questioning British Mission President George Q. Cannon and quietly observing the Saints.”

“And what did he say?” asked Mary.

“Well, no one knew what he thought at the time, but a month later Dickens published an account of his visit. He pointed out that these were primarily working-class people, including craftsmen in many trades. Though he remained skeptical about what the Mormons would find when they reached Utah, he was impressed by their thoroughgoing organization, their calmness, and their quiet self-respect:

“ 'I went on board their ship,' he said, 'to bear testimony against them if they deserved it, as I fully believed they would; to my great astonishment they did not deserve it; and my predispositions and tendencies must not affect me as an honest witness. I went over the Amazon’s side feeling it impossible to deny that, so far, some remarkable influence had produced a remarkable result, which better known influences have often missed. The most of these came aboard yesterday evening. They came from various parts of England in small parties that had never seen one another before. Yet they had not been a couple of hours on board, when they established their own police, made their own regulations, and set their own watches at all the hatchways. Before nine o'clock, the ship was as orderly and quiet as a man-of-war. If I had not known they were Mormons, I would have described them as, in their degree, the pick and flower of England.'”

“But he didn’t become a pilgrim himself, then?” asked Simon.

“No, although all of us sea captains have noticed a remarkable influence and indeed his words produced a remarkable result. The influence enables the emigrants to become a large family that works successfully together toward a difficult goal.”

“I suppose that people think our success is due to our organisation, which is very thorough,” put in the minister, Mr. Blake.

The Captain carried on, “Interestingly enough, Dickens said the following. 'What was behind the organization and its smooth operation? Only through the Spirit of the Lord could the full answer be found.'”

“He was indeed inspired by God to say those very words. But we have got thee off your subject of your first trip to Utah, President Blake. Do carry on, “ said Mary.

“Our voyage took 26 days, and we had a smooth uneventful crossing. We docked at Boston, and then spent a week there, and continued to Iowa City where we were 17 days getting ready to cross the plains with our handcarts.”

“Did thee not go in a covered wagon?” asked Simon.

“Some who could afford it travelled in wagons. But most of the Pilgrims were going in a sponsored group, and it was found that much money could be saved, if each of us carried our own possessions in a small hand cart and we walked all the way to Zion. (pictured above) It was called the Mormon trail - and others continued with this up until the time when the railways could take us all the way to Salt Lake City.”

“I expect thee had many hardships on thy journey,” put in Mary.

“I wrote a diary, not that I would have ever forgotten anything about that journey. We left Iowa City July 26. After three weeks, we had reached Florence, Missouri, 300 miles. By the end of the month we were still 992 miles from Salt Lake City. We traveled as many as 23 miles a day but in early September a violent storm limited us to six miles and some days we were snow bound, not moving a step for days.”

“I expect some didn’t make it all the way,” said Simon.

“First, we left a cripple behind. Then, I took ill with bloody flux. I was very sick. Because of the early snow and thus slow traveling, cold, short rations, etc. many became ill and died. I was so ill the others thought I was dead and members of the company told my wife that I must be left behind so the company could keep going. Reluctantly she wrapped me in a blanket and left me beside the road. When they pulled into camp that night a sister in the company came to inquire of their well being and when she found out that I had been left for dead back on the trail she reminded them of the promise that had been made when she had spoken in tongues back in England and the Lord had promised me I’d reach Utah safely with my family. A wagon was sent back for me and they nursed me back to health. The Lord's promise to me was fulfilled.”

“Hallelujah. Thank thee Lord,” exclaimed Mary.

“But the story isn’t over yet. Later on we passed scattered blood-stained articles, and parts of a human body and remains of the Babbit wagon which had been burned by the Indians.”

“Indians? I thought they were friendly to the Mormons,” said Mary.

“For the most part they are. It was very cold. We were immobilized nine days because of heavy snows. One day we traveled ten miles but in early November a great deal of snow fell and in eight days, we moved only nine miles. Rations were reduced again to four ounces of flour for adults and two for children. That made a pound for six of us compared to when we started when we had a pound and a half each. But through the blessings of our Father, we felt contented.”

“You must have been nearly there,” said Simon.

“Sunday, November 9^th , the company traveled five miles but nearly all of those on foot were left behind. However, I walked the five miles and as a result my feet were frozen very badly and I was forced to ride the rest of the way to Salt Lake City, and Elizabeth had to pull the handcart. “

“Surely things must have got better by then,” said the Captain.

“Not really. On Friday, November 21, we reached the Green River. Our five year old, Thomas, fell into the river, and when we recovered him, he appeared to be dead. Elizabeth and I and others of the company worked over him trying to revive him; but it was apparently hopeless and members of the company pleaded with me to bury the child. I refused. I remembered that I had been promised in England that I would bring my family safely to Utah.”

“Promised by that mad woman who spoke in tongues, you mean?”

“Both Elizabeth and I prayed fervently and finally Thomas revived. Finally supplies and wagons came to help us and the company entered emigration square in Salt Lake City November 30th, six months one week after we left our homes in England. It was two and a half months before I was able to walk again, but as God promised, I had been allowed to bring myself and all my family to Zion.”

“Where did thee live when thee got there?” asked Simon.

“Blake: In Ogden, where most likely thee will be settling. And then after a few years, we went to Salt Lake City.”

“Remarkable story, President Blake,” said the Captain, “and I congratulate you on your faith and your hard work that got you there. Tell me something, how many wives do you have?”