RECORD

Following is a brief history of the life of Samuel William Goold, son of Robert Franklin and Emma Watts Goold, Born in Pontnewyndd, Monmouth­shire, South Wales, G. B. Sept. 3rd 1845.  My parents were English people by birth and were religiously inclined from their youth up.  Early in life they united themselves to the English Baptist Church, and as a natural consequence I also became attached to that denomination and attended their Sunday School for a number of years.

Finally a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was raised up in the place where we were living; namely Abersychan, and Father hearing of the doctrine taught by this people became convinced of their truthful­ness, and soon joined himself to that Church.  My mother, however, was very much opposed to this people, and their strange doctrine and declared vengeance on the first one of its members that would put in an appearance in her house.  But as time rolled on, she became more favorable and in a short time she became convinced of the correctness of the doctrine, and decided to be baptized and accordingly became a member of the same Church.

The following four years were the happiest part of their lives.  About this time my Father got the spirit of gathering with the Saints to the great Salt Lake Valley; which desire was accomplished.  He gathered enough means to migrate to America.  This happened in a critical time in the history of the United States ('Cause great money panic).  Work was scarce and wages low.  The consequence was that we never saw each other again for about eleven years.  By the way I must here say, that previous to my Father's yearning for America there were five children born to my parents; myself (Samuel W) Sarah Jane (who died at eight months), Mary Jane, Frederick Binning and Emma Mariah.

During those eleven years it fell to my lot to act as father or head of the family.  During the last three years of the above mentioned time I saved enough means to emigrate myself to Salt Lake City.  But before proceeding further, I must say that as soon as I was old enough I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which was about the year 1855.  I soon received the Office of a Deacon in said church, which office I held with much pleasure and endeavored to fill with credit and honor.  I next received the office of Priest and in a short time I was ordained an Elder.  During all this time, I endeavored to labor faithfully in these different capacities, because I found pleasure and satisfaction in doing so.  All this took place in the Abersychan Branch, of the Herefordsire Conferance.  I also led the singing in the aforesaid Branch for several years.

On the 20th of June 1867 I left my native land, my mother, brothers and sisters and set sail for America landing in Salt Lake City on the Oct. 6th 1867.  I crossed the ocean on the Steamer Manhattan.  It being the first Steamer ever chartered by the Saints.  The trip being made in 14 days.  The company was an independent company of Scandinavians, with a few others.  I was very sea sick for 4 days.  We traveled by water and rail through the states until we arrived at North Plat, where the company camped for one month waiting for our cattle and wagons to be brought on from Chicago, and to make such other preparations as was necessary for our journey across the plains.  While staying here I tended masons for about two weeks, and also did some other odd jobs in the place.

Finally about the middle of August we started for our long and weary­some journey with a train of unbroken oxen, myself driving two pair the most of the way.  After traveling as far as Julsburg, we got in company with one Ben Cur, who had a large ox team train going to Salt Lake also.  He was short of hands, so he inquired of the Presi­dent of our company (Brigham Young, Jr.) if he could spare about 4 hands to help him.  He said that he thought he could after a little hunt­ing.  The required num­ber was found, myself being one of that num­ber.  We agreed to help him providing that he would keep up with our train, so that we would not be left behind.  He said that he thought that he could keep within sight of our camp every night, or that he would not be more than 4 or 5 miles behind at any time.  The arrange­ments were made in the evening, and we went to his camp the next morning.

Our train started out early next morning as usual, and he made prepera­tions to start also.  But in con­sequence of his oxen being wild it caused much delay, the consequence being that we only made a very short drive that day, and the second day was nearly as bad, and during this time our own train was making good time.  So we continued to lose ground until we dispared of ever catching up again unless we adopted some other measures.  We accordingly held a little council amongst ourselves (that is myself and the other three young men) as to what we had better do in the matter, and in this meeting we resolved to tell Ben Cur that we wished to be released so that we could push ahead on foot and catch up with our own camp.  But, said he, how can you do that?  You are now in the midst of an Indian country, and the Indians are very bad just now, robbing the US Mail, and killing white men wherever they can find them.  It will be a perilous journey for you to undertake, and I would advise you not to go.  But we were afraid to delay any longer.  We had laid the matter before the Lord in united prayer and received the assurance that we would be alright in the undertaking.

Finally said Ben Cur, Well boys I am sorry to have you go, but if you are determined to go, I will lend you a gun each, and you are welcome to take all the provisions you wish.  But realiz­ing the fatigue that would attend the journey, we did not wish to take much provisions for what with the above mentioned gun each (which by the way were very large ones) and a change of clothing each which we each one took with us to Ben Cur's camp we found ourselves pretty well burdened for such a trip.  By the way, I must here state that we did not know when we first started out, how far we would have to travel before we would catch up with our own train.  But we had been informed by other trains that we met before we left Mr. Cur's employ, that our train was about two days ahead of us.  Just before starting out we went off a short distance in the brush and bowed ourselves in humble prayer before the Lord, each one praying in turn and dedicating ourselves to the Lord and imploring his protection.

I will here state this was in the evening strange as it may appear, for we prefered to travel in the night as the days were extremely hot, it being about the first of August.  We traveled all night the first night, when towards morning we became very thirsty and we thought that we could hear water running in the distance.  We eagerly made our way for the direction of the sound, but proved to be much further off then we expected, that we tired ourselves out very much in reaching it, it being altogether to one side from the main road which we were traveling.  Having at length reached the river we took a good drink and rested a little while.  When we again wended our way back to the road which we had left, but what with it being so extremely dark and we being so much fatigued, and no doubt having wandered considerably out of the proper course.  It seemed as though we never would reach the road again. But finally we found it and oh how thankful we were, we then resumed our journey with renewed diligence until the day dawned and found ourselves in Fort Learimy [Laramie] a soldiers camp.

Some of the soldiers thought that we were crazy, while others advised us not to go any farther, for we were very likely to be killed with Indians.  But we did not heed their talk but continued our journey.  I must state here that we were liberated from some of our load here, which were those heavy guns, which Mr. Cur band us with the promise that we would return them at this point.  We traveled on all that day with but very little to eat or drink until evening, when we arrived at a kind of a post kept for Soldiers by an old man.  On our arrival here we were foot sore, tired and hungry.  We went in and reported ourselves and our conditions to the old man, who listened to our narrative with marked attention by which his sympathies were moved and he accordingly entertained us for the night.  He invited us to sit down to his table, set with some bread and sardines and told us to eat all we wanted.  We each one thought that we had never tasted anything so good in our lives.

After supper we had quite a long chat with him about Mormonism.  He was very much taken up with the doctrine and was con­vinced of its truthfulness.  At a late hour he gave us some blankets to sleep on and we retired for the night feeling very thankful indeed for the comfortable quarters that we had been led to.  We were informed by him that our company had passed by there the day before, and that they were stopping that night at a place called the Horse Shoe about 22 miles from there.  We got up early in the morning to resume our journey, when to our surprise an escort of soldiers drove up, who were going on to the place where our company was camped.  We went to the lieutenant and asked him if he could take us in.  He said that he was entirely full and it was impossible for him to do it.  But that we were welcome to put our things in that we were carring, which we did and they started off on a good trot, and we started out on a run after them, with the idea of trying to keep up with them, but we were being left behind very fast: however the soldiers looked back saw us running and trying to keep up with them, had pity on us and stopped their teams until we caught up with them and told us to get in some way, which we were very glad to do, and we were soon speeding on our way.

By noon we reached the place where our company had stayed the night before.  We lost no time here, but pressed forward on foot again overtaking our train about the middle of the afternoon.  We were very thankful indeed to meet them and they were very glad to see us.  They were fearful lest something bad might have befallen us.  From this time on we continued our journey with our own train reaching S L C Oct. 5th 1867.  I remained in the city during the semiannual Conferance which convened on the 6th and attended all the meetings.  Here for the first time I saw and heard that great man President Brigham Young as also several of the twelve Apostles.  It was a great treat to me.

A few days later and I was on my way for another 300 miles to Washing­ton, Washington Co. Utah.  Where my father was living and whom I had not seen for eleven years.  I traveled this journey with Bhp Covington of Washington, arriving in Washington on the 25 of Oct 1867, after a long and tedious journey of 4 months and 5 days.  It was a happy meeting between myself and my father.  I lived in Washington about two years.  The fore part of which time I worked with my father on his farm, after which I got a position in the Washington Factory,^[1]  then owned by President Brigham Young which was run night and day myself taking the night shift for one year.

During this time I saved considerable means towards helping my father to emigrate the rest of the family from the old country.  Their voyage across the sea was not as pleasant as mine, they having embarked on a sailing vessel (named John Bright) and was six weeks on the water.  They arrived in Washington on 1869.  While living in Washington I joined the Elders Quorum.  Producing my recommend from the Abersychan Branch of the Hereford Conferance.  I was soon appointed secretary of the Washington Branch of Elders.  Shortly after this I was chosen as a Sunday School teacher.  My father, Robert F. Goold being the Superintendent which position he held of 5 years.  I also became a member of the Washington Ward Choir singing bass under the leadership of Washington Jolley.

After living in Washington about two years, I went to St. George to work as a gardener for one Joseph Birch, whome I worked for, for the next two years, with much satisfaction to both parties. During this time I saved up considerable means again which I gave to my father towards emigrating his Father (my Grand father) from the old country.  But he was taken sick about this time and died.  The means sent being used for the payment of Doctor bills and funeral expenses.  At the expiration of about two years, Joseph Birch sold this same property that I was working on to President Brigham Young, who desired me to continue in the same work of gardening for him.  But I had already engaged to go back to Washington to work with my father, which I did for one year more.  Then on President Young's returning to St. George the following winter, he sent over to Washington to enquire for me, I was seen by the paries and went over to St. George, saw the Prest. And entered into an agreement with him at once and commenced work about the last of 1871 or the beginning of 72.

By about the middle or last of June 1873 I had saved up considerable means again which I sent to the old country to assist Miss Sarah Ann Lewis (a particular friend of mine) to emigrate to America.  She came to Salt Lake City.  I again made the trip of 300 miles by team to Salt Lake City.  Where I met Miss Sarah Ann Lewis, and on the 28th of July 1873 we were maried in the endowment house Salt Lake City.  I returned to St. George again after a short stay in the City.  My Wife desiring to remain in the City for a while for the pur­pose of seeing her mother who she expected to come in with the last company of imigrants that season 1873.  My Wife did not come to St. George (where I was) until the last of December of that year.

Thus we were seperated for about 5 months immediately after marriage.  On her arriving at St. George we went at once to house keeping, living at first in a house belonging to Prest. Young, whome I was still working for and he was so kind as to let us live in his house free of rent and also have the use of the City lot.  The House was in the 3rd Ward of St. George directly opposite the 3rd Ward School House.  I will here state that I received in compensation for my services before marriage $30.^oo per month and board.  In passing I would say however that while I was yet single and boarding with Prest. Young's family in St. George, there was organized a School of the Prophets, of which I had the honor of being a member.  The School continued to hold its sessions for some time in St. George after I commenced to work for Prest. Young.  Finally however when it was decided to build a Temple in St. George, The School of the Prophets discontinued their meetings, for the sole purpose of spending the time on Temple grounds making the excavation for the Basement story, and also for making drains around the Temple.

This change placed me in rather an awkward position, for I had agreed previously to work for Prest. Young, and still I wanted to put in my one day a week (namely Saturdays) with the rest of the School of the Prophets, but how to do this, and be true to my agreement with the Prest. was a question with me.  However after some consideration, I resolved that I would put in my Saturdays on the Temple Block, placing alternately, one day to my credit and the next to President Young's credit and so on untill he returned the following winter (for it must be remembered that for several years previous to this, and for several years after even up to his death, he was accustomed to spending his winters in St. George).  Then I reported to him what I had done, and said that you must deduct 12 days from my wages, (this being the number placed to my credit) and charge me with my board on those days.  He said in reply, (Brother Samuel,) I am glad that you have put in so much time there, and you are entirely welcome to your full wages and board on those days, and whenever you have a day to spare I shall be pleased to have you put it in on the Temple Block.

On the arrival of my Wife in St. George (as I said before) we went to house keeping and of course I discontinued boarding with President Young's family, when my wages were increased to $50.00 per month, with the use of a house and lot.  While we were living in this house, commonly known as the Townsend house, (which by the way was Prest. Young's house) there was born unto us on the 16 of Dec 1874 a daughter, whome we named Sarah Emma.  When she was about two years old, a little boy was taking her out in the baby bugie for a ride.  He had not reached the garden gate, when he hollered out, Sarah is in a fit.  My Wife and (Sister Beachem a friend of ours) ran to the spot and sure enough she had been seized by some unseen power, which nearly overcame her.  A boy was hurridly sent for me, I then being about 5 blocks away at my work, saying come quickly, Sarah is dieing.  She will be dead before you can get there.  I told the boy I thought not.  So I hastened to the spot as quickly as posible, being nearly exhausted when I got there.  Immediately on my arival Sister Beachem (our friend) said Your child is dying.  I at once laid my hands upon her head, rebuked the destroyer, and blessed her.  She was immeadiately restored to consciousness, but was still very sick and parelized on the right-side and arm.  The fits (or what ever it might be called) continued for about ten hours.  In the meantime however Brother Wilford Woodruff (one of the twelve Apostles) being in St. George, we sent for him, and he came and administered to her, and said that she should not die, but live and grow up to womanhood.  Notwithstanding this promise however (on account of her affliction being so great) there were those present who doubted her recovery.  However she got alright again.

When Sarah was about a year and five months old My Wife went to Salt Lake City to visit with her mother, a distance of about 300 miles by team and wagon, and stayed about 7 months, during which time I kept Batchelors Hall.  But during my Wife's visit to Salt Lake City she gave birth on the 31st of August 1876 to our daughter Mary Elizabeth, and in the following December, she returned to St. George.  I was still working for Prest. Young, and living in the same place.  When Mary Elizabeth was about two years old she had a very serious spell of sickness.  On Sep 29th 1878 there was born unto us another daughter whome we named Emma Mariah, whome when she was about eight months old, also had a sevier spell of sickness, the doctor in attendance, giving her up, saying that he could do nothing more for her, but through the blessing of the Lord she lived and grew up to womanhood, and is living at this time of writing Feb. 1st 1901 and is maried.

Right here I must go back a little in this history.  When we went to house keeping, this change brought us out of the 4th Ward St. George, to the third Ward.  Soon after our removal to the third ward, I was recognized by the Ward Authorities, and was asked to take the position of a teacher in the Sunday School.  Shortly after this I was apointed 1st counselor to the Prest. of the Y M MIA and also a Ward Teacher.  During this time Walter Granger was Bhp.  Shortly after this Bhp. Granger moved into the second Ward and was succeeded by James W. Nixon as Bishop of the 3rd Ward St. George who immeadiately desired me to organize a Ward Choir, it being the first one in the Ward.  Soon after this I was apointed Superintendant of the 3rd Ward Sunday School, which position I filled for 2 ½ years, with Don C. Robins and John M. Moody as my assistants.  After laboring in these positions with much satisfaction for some time, I again removed into the 4th Ward St. George, David H. Cannon Bishop.  I continued however for some time after my removal to the 4th Ward to fill those positions in the 3rd Ward.  Finaly the Bishop of the 4 Ward desired me to bring my reccomend to the 4th Ward that they might have the benifit of my labors there.  I therefore tendered my resignation in the 3rd Ward, which was accepted with a vote of thanks, and a commitee was apointed to draft resolutions of respect, which I received in due time, accompanied with a new gilt edge Book of Mormon, which I valued and appeceiated very highly.  These labors were performed in the 3rd Ward between the last of 1874 and 1879.  I bought a lot in the 4th Ward which cost $400.00 in cash down.  I put out a choice orchard, and many choice grape vines, and built quite a nice little house on it, and moved into it, and thus we became fully identified with the 4th Ward St. George, in which I was soon enlisted as a teacher of the Ward, and also as a member of the Ward Choir and later as to assistant Supt. of S S.

George,

COPY OF RESOLUTION OF RESPECT TENDERED TO SAMUEL W. GOOLD

St. George, Washington Co., Utah

Nov. 23 1879

To the Bishop, Superintendant, Teachers and members of the Third Ward Sabbath School, Your committee appointed to draft resolutions of appreciation to Br. Samuel W. Goold beg to report the following. Resolved: That Brother Samuel W. Goold has been a faithful, kind, energetic, and competent Superintendant of the 3^rd Ward Sabbath School for the last two years. That we hope to ever remember him and the good example he has set us. That in consideration of his faithfulness as a token of our appreciation of his labors and as a tribute of respect, trust he will accept of a Book of Mormon from the School, also that a Copy of the foregoing be entered upon the minutes of the School.

Very Respectfully,

A.R. Whitehead, D.C. Robins, Elizabeth Star, Committee, Miles P Romney Stake Supt. Charles A. Terry Bip.

We now move to Belvue earley in the spring of 1880.  While here there was born unto us our first son on the 18 of Sep 1880, whome we named Samuel William, he being our fourth child.  We remained there 3 years.  This was a very hard place to live in during these three years, from the fact that the year previous to our settling here, there had been one whole year of drouth, causing much of the orchards, and vineyards, and lucern patches (for which this place was noted) to die out.  During the greater portion of the first year that we lived here, we had to haul all our water for culinary purposes for several miles.  During the year however there were storms in other parts, which brought down flows in North Ash Creek, some of which however we caught and stored away in a cis­tern.  This we used for months.  Of course it would get strong and stringie, still we were glad of even this kind.  For even our animals had to be watered in this way.  Water was very scarce during the three years that we lived there, and we had to do much the same as above mentioned the rest of the time.

Right here I would relate a pecular sircumstance that hapened in the fall of 1880.  We were living about a mile from the rest of the people of Belvue.  There were several stands of bees left on the place by one Joel H Johnson who had formerly owned the place, and no one was engaged to take care of them, consequently they became wilde.  On one Sunday while we were down to the other part of town (or village rather) some boys thinking that there was no one around, concluded to have what they called some fun by tipping those stands of wild bees over.  But this proved to be very dear fun for us, from the fact that just as they had tipped the stands over, myself and three children came right on to the spot, not knowing what had been done, the children were Sarah, Mary, and Emma.  The bees alited on us all in such quantyties that we came very near being stung to death.

I endevored to make my escape from the scene as fast as possible draging the three children with me over fences, through garden patches and through brush into the hills on the west.  The children were all crying in a very pityfull maner from the efects of the stings.  I was doing all I could for them to relive them, while my own head, face, neck and hands were covered with bees.  Finally when I was nearly exhausted by my endevors to extricate the children, the boys who had overturned the stands of bees, saw what happened, ran to my assistance one taking Sarah, another taking Mary, and the third one taking Emma.  I then turned my attention to brushing the bees off myself.  But by this time I was so nearly exhausted that I had to lay down in the hills.  A neighbor one Peter Anderson came to me and ofered to help me to his house.  But by this time I could not walk.  He then ofered to carry me but I was to sick and sore from the effects of the stings to be moved.  He then profered to go to his home and get some quilts, which he did and made me a bed in the hills until I recovered somewhat from the exaustion, when he finally succeded in getting me home, but we were each one very sick and much disfigured for a long time, so long that we began to feel that some of the children would never look natural again.  But in the course of time we all got alright again.  On the 1st of Dec 1882 while still living in Belvue there was born unto us another daughter whome we named Ida Rebecca.

In the Spring of 1883 we moved to an entirely new country, where no one had ever settled before.  It was called Graves Valley.  This proved to be a very unsuccessfull move to us looking at it from a financial point of view.  Here we remained from early spring until about the first of Dec. 1883 having spent considerable means in connection with some others in bringing out the water upon the land, grubbing brush off the land, making ditches and puting up corals and other temporary buildings, all of which we left without any returns.

About the first of Dec 1883 we moved to and settled in Monroe, Sevier^[2] Co. State of Utah.  Here I had a brother living by the name Frederick B. who had wished me for a long time to come to Monroe to live.  This place I found to be atmoste a farming district entirely, with a population of about ____, mostly Scandinavian people.  The town is situated near the foot of High Mountain on the east side of the valley.  Good water and good climate, soil dark and inclined to be gravely, general products: Wheat, Oats, Potatoes, Lucern, with some Cattle and Sheep industry.  I found it rather a difficult matter to get started in this place.  There were no rich or well to do people here at this time.  No School house though schools were held in private buildings.  Two small stores.