Written by Thomas Charles Martell
(1823 - 1905)

Submitted by Dr. Wells R. Martell

Going On a Mission in 1875

I was set apart for said mission by Elder E. Carrington.

At the time of the appointment, I was a member of the 18th Quorum of Seventies, clerk of the Mass Quorum at Spanish Fork, Secretary of the East Bench Farming Company, Superintendent of the Sunday School in Spanish Fork, Director in the Board in the (United) Order, teacher in the quorum of Seventies, teacher of a beat in the ward, member of the City Council of Spanish For, committee on finance, and chairman of the committee on public works, and also secretary of the Spanish Fork Co-Operative Lumber Company, and had a large charge of the account books of the original Co-operative Society of Spanish Fork. I also followed farming and other occupations.

On Sunday the 2nd of May while at Sunday School I tendered my resignation as Superintendent, but the school refused to accept my resignation, wishing that I should remain superintendent and appoint someone to take charge of the school during my absence.

Several of the members of the school delivered speeches on the occasion, but my feelings were such that I could hardly reply. Some of the people around me were shedding tears. The secretary, George H. Brimhall, read some poetry which he had composed himself for the occasion.

On Sunday the 9th of May, Bishop George D. Snell, having requested Brother Thomas D. Evans and myself to deliver what he termed a farewell address, we were expected to address the meeting at 10:00 p.m. – other business hindered me to be punctual to the time. When I arrived, Elder Evans was on the stand speaking, after whom I made a few remarks, desiring an interest in the prayers of the saints and bidding them farewell.

At 12:30 the members of the Sunday School voluntarily convened enmasse at the meeting house, where they were formed into a procession, and under the direction of Brother William Robertson, accompanied by the choir, conducted by Professor W. R. Jones, escorted us to the railroad station, singing appropriate selections as we traveled.

After (we) arrived at the station, the conductor of the train stopped 30 minutes extra in order to give us opportunity to speak and sing. A piece of poetry composed by Sister Hannah Cornaby was then read by her husband, Brother Samuel Cornaby. After speeches and singing, we parted with our friends, our wives and children, amid adieus, goodbyes, and showers of tears.

The number of men, women, and children that formed the escort was estimated by some passengers on the train to be about 800. Bishop Snell and Sister Pricilla Evans accompanied us by train to Salt Lake City where we arrived in the evening.

I was kindly invited by Brother William Lloyd to stay at his residence in the 15th Ward while I would be remaining in town, which invitation I thankfully accepted. Moreover, Brother Lloyd presented me with a pair of good boots and a pair of very good blankets for the journey.

Brother James Miller, superintendent of the Spanish Fork Co-op Mercantile Institution, very kindly introduced me to Col. Bealy at the ZCMI, where I was fitted out with a good valise, hair brush, pocketknife, stationery, etc.

While in the city I called at the Juvenile Instructor office and settled an account which was then existing between the office and me as agent for Spanish Fork City. I recommended William Robertson as a suitable person for my successor as agent.

I had prior to leaving Spanish Fork resigned my office as secretary of the Spanish Fork Co-operative Lumber Company, to which office Brother William Robertson was appointed as my successor…

I dined with Bishop Snell at the residence of his mother-in-law and supped at the residence of Elder J. L. Lewis in company with Brother William Lloyd, with whom I returned to his own house, where also Brother and Sister Evans slept that night.

Prior to visiting Elder Lewis’s place, I had responded to the call of Professor D. O. Calder at whose office I was appointed to take the oversight of the company of missionaries to Europe and others who had been set apart to labor in the United States—to arrange for and obtain passengers’ tickets, etc.

On Wednesday the 12th we left for Ogden City per 6 o’clock a.m. train…Our passage fare from Salt Lake City to New York cost us each $56.70.

Ozias Kibom and Asa W. Sabin stopped at Chicago and from there would wend their way to their respective fields of labor; the remaining portion of the company arrived at New York in good health and excellent spirits at 9 o’clock on May 17th. We were kindly and respectfully treated by the officials from first to last and had a very pleasant trip. Having reached the terminus, I considered that I had discharged the duty imposed upon me by Elder Calder.

Elder E. Clark, having received of Elder Carrington some letters of introduction to President or Agent Stairns and other, was supposed by me to be the first person to take the lead when we arrived at the station in New York. But through some oversight, no person particularly superintended, which even gave the cabmen chance to overcharge for taking us to the Belmont Hotel.

When we arrived at said house, we had to pay the cabmen $1, one dollar each, which everybody considered an imposition.

We were well treated while we stayed at the Belmont House; from thence we embarked on board the iron steamer “Wisconsin” in the afternoon of Tuesday, May 18, 1875. After securing our berth, Elders Maughan, Hopkins, Griffin, Nelson, Goodlife, also Cain, Young, and Johnson, who had arrived by another train, took cabin passages at $80 each, and the remainder took steerage berths at $21, including bedding and dishes. At the meeting of the missionaries I was appointed Captain of the company, with Elders Clark and Christiansen as assistants, Thomas D. Evans as secretary, and William J. Lewis captain of the guard. We kept one person on guard at a time during the day and attended to prayers night and morning.

We enjoyed our voyage well and had fine weather from the day we embarked till Tuesday the 25th, when late in the afternoon, a thick fog overwhelmed us, causing great excitement and fear in some genteel passengers; so great was their fear that some exclaimed, “We shall be lost,” to which the Captain Forsyth replied, “There is no fear—we have too many saints on board to be lost.”

While this was taking place, I was reminded of what Patriarch Coltrin had said in the blessing which he pronounced on my head while at Spanish Fork City, “That you should have power to rebuke the elements if necessary.” I was simple enough to ask the Lord to verify the same, and in less than 30 minutes the fog disbursed to each side and aft, leaving the course before us clear which continued so during the remainder of our voyage.

We landed in Liverpool at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, the 29th of May.