Person:Mary King (154)

From the Book "Our Black Family in America" compiled by Chester A. Black and Sarah H. Black

page 249-251

A letter written for her by her brother-in-law William Hite. to her brothers, William and John, while she was in Utah.

17 Dec 1864 Dear brothers and sisters; It is with pleasure that we address you these few lines at this time. We are well and sincerely hope that this will find you the same. Times are pretty good here at present. Wheat is worth five dollars, corn four, oats from two and a half to three dollars per bushel. Common labor is four dollars per day.

This country is not much like the States in many respects. In the first place, if you want to buy a farm in an old settlement you would not always buy the land but you would buy the water that is necessary to irrigate it. The land until it is watered is worth nothing, but if watered from one to three times it will produce fine. In another respect it differs in timber. All the valuable timber is of pine and fir species, also quaking aspens and cedar. All of these are found on the mouhntains and in the canyons or hollows. As to stone, it is abundant and of the best quality for building but the cheapest house here is of the adobe or sun dried brick. Salt Lake City is more than two-thirds of that kind of building. It also differs in the manner of making improvements. The settlements are made in villages or towns and the fields are all in one enclosure, with the town or settlement in the center. It looks strange to see the grain stacks in the towns but so it is. All of the towns in these valleys have the same features. They have on the town lots their gardens, their corral or cattle pen as it is called. The water for drink or other purposes is conveyed in ditches into the several streets so that there is no street but has water running on one side or the other.

Benjamin is now gone to Circle valley to build a house preparatory to moving in the spring. He is going to quit logging and going to farming. Perhaps you wonder at the high prices of produce here and will think it is a consequence of a failure of the crops. But that was not the case. There was nearly 45,000 bushels of wheat sold from this valley in Salt Lake City of last year's crops and it is supposed that the present crop will be as abundant so you see that the wheat fields of this country are and will be a great source of wealth.

I want you to write as soon as you get this and send your likenesses as we are going south in the spring and will be a long distance from a post office so send them if you please as soon as you get this. No more but remaining affectionately your sister. Mary Black

Dear Brother John and Family, We embrace the present moment to write you a few lines and hope that they will reach you and find you all in good health. We are sorry to hear of the troubles of the war continuing among you for so long but of one thing be assured, the war has just begun and it will continue till north and south are exhausted and humble, and they will submit to the authority of the saints and acknowledge the Prophet Joseph Smith, and obey the Gospel. Here is the prophecy of the prophet. "Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls. The days will come that war will be poured out upon all nations beginning at that place; for behold, the southern states shall be divided against the northern states and the south will call on other nations, even on the nation of Great Britain as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations and thus war shall be poured out upon all nations and it shall come to pass after many days slaves shall rise up agaist their masters who shall be marshalled and disciplined for war and it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themsleves and shall become exceeding angry and shall vex the gentiles with a sore vexation and with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath and indignation and chastening hand of the Almight god, until the consumation decreed has made a full end of all nations and the cry of the Saints and the blood of the Saints shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Saboath from the earth to be avenged of their enemies, wherefore stand ye in holy places and be not moved untl the day of the Lord come, for behold it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen."

Now brother, you have the prophecy, you can take it as you please but look upon the events of the day and see if you see anything like the fulfillment of the things spoken. I need hardly say to you come to the valleys for you will not believe, if you will not you must suffer the consequences but if you cannot make up your minds to come we would like if you would send your likenesses. Do send it by return mail as we will be gone some distance from the post office, send all of your communications to Fort Ephraim until directed to send them elsewhere. Mother Black and William Hite's folks send their love to you all. When you see Luther's folks say to them to write to us. We have not had anything from Lawrence County since last August exept a letter from you to Robert McGuire with picture. I must close by saying adieu to the John King family. Mary Black

Both of these letters were written for Mary Ann King to send to her brothers becaused Mary herself could neither read nor wirte. Later when she was left in Fort Washakie, Wyoming, she was completely out of touch with her family in Illinois because of this. Someone wrote to us that she married a soldier but until we found her daughter we knew nothing about her and thought Uncle Ben, as he was known to the family, died without leaving any descendants. Mary Ann King died in Gillett, Montana.

1. ↑ Chester A. Black and Sarah H. Black. Our Black Family in America. (1960 Printers Inc. Sugar House)
   pg 249.
2.   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ancestral File (TM) 1998 (2). (Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998).
3.   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ancestral File (R) (2). (Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998).