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Father Bundy and His All Wood Wagon

By JOB SMITH

(The faith of the Pioneers inspired them to accomplish almost unheard of tasks. Think of Father Bundy attempting a thirteen hundred mile journey in an all-wood wagon. But he arrived at his destination.-P. N.)

AFTER the authorities of the Church and many of its members had left Nauvoo, in 1846, for their journey across the plains, the mobs became active again, not only against Nauvoo, but they threatened the small 'Mormon' settlements in the vicinity. Father Bundy lived about five miles from Nauvoo in a small settlement of English converts. No actual mob violence was offered them, but a cool threat was made that if they were not moved out before a certain day, they would be burned out as had been some others, more distant from Nauvoo.

Most of the families in this settlement had teams of some sort; but Father Bundy had none-no team nor wagon nor money to purchase these things. Even his little home could not be sold or traded-it simply had to be abandoned if he did not wish to be 'burned out.' There remained only three weeks before they would have to go. Renounce 'Mormonism' and they could stay, and all would be well; but no such thought could, of course, be entertained; they had taken hold of the Gospel plow and could not look back, come what may. God was relied upon for help, and help came.

A man by the name of Brownlee, across the river in Iowa, wanted some ditching done and he would give for the work a pair of three-year-old steers. Two hundred rods of ditch, to be made with sod bank, were the terms, which were gladly accepted. The time being short, Brother Smith, then a boy of seventeen, and a Brother Harris offered to help him. They crossed the river and walked twenty miles to the place where the work was to be done. In about ten days, half of it was finished. Having gained consent of the owner, the steers were brought back across the river to help fetch the family away, with the understanding that the men were to stop on their way westward and finish the ditching.

Only one more week of the allotted time remained, and still Father Bundy had no wagon. But a report came that a man named Slater (the same after whom Slaterville in Weber County, Utah, is named) had an old wagon that had no tires upon it, and which the owner did not think at all available for an emigrant wagon. It was an only hope. The family was small, only Father and Mother Bundy, the boy, Job, and his younger sister. It might carry them some distance, at least away from the immediate vicinity of the threatening mobs. So Father Bundy and Job, taking the steers with them, went to inspect the vehicle. Surely enough, it had no tires, the felloes were clumsy looking and already considerably worn by use, hickory pins for bolts, a split pole for a tongue pinned to the axle, no body-and the price was three dollars. Brother Bundy did not have three dollars, so Brother Slater kindly accepted a vest pattern and some other small articles to pay for the wagon. The steers were hitched to this contrivance and they drew it back home.