California Gold Miners Help the Saints

People were going to the gold mines in california in 1849. These people were in such a hurry and if their loads were too heavy, they would discard some of their articles along the trail. Elijah Hancock would find articles of all kinds that proved to be very helpful to the company. He found a big heavy flatiron, his brother found a pocket knife and others found chains, which they used on their wagons, leaving their old poles behind. Elijah found old clothing of all kinds. Heber J. Grant's father, Jedediah M. Grant, would take his pocket knife and cut the best from all the old pants, coats and clothes they would find, rolling them up and then tying them to a bow of Wilford Woodruff's buggy, where he was riding. Elijah gave his mother some of the pieces to make clothes for the family. When they got to Salt Lake, his mother made him a suit and cap out of these pieces and they had clothes for the winter. Taken from Elijah and Francis Hancock, by Spencer Palmer