--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Crocheron, George W. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 10 number: 12 published: 1907-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'George W. Crocheron, "A Reminiscence of Nauvoo," *Improvement Era* 10, no. 12 (October 1907): 959–961.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera10012unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera10012unse start_page: 959 end_page: 961 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1907-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera10012unse publication_year: 1907 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1907, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Reminiscence of Nauvoo A REMINISCENCE OF NAUVOO. Bfhold a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up; some fell upon stony places,where they had not much earth and when the sun was up they were ; scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. The words of the Savior are applicable, in the present in- 960 IMPROVEMENT ERA. stance, to illustrate the hapless conditioi.i of some converted per- sons to the restored gospel in these last days. In the early settlement of Nauvoo, eleven families of profess- ing Latter-day Saints, arrived there from Boston, Massachusetts. In those primitive days of settlement of the place, agricultural pursuits were mostly in demand, the mechanical trades did not offer much inducement till later on. The company took under consideration the subject of how to provide means of procuring a living for their families. After mature deliberation, it was agreed advisaole that a committee be chosen to represent their physical necessities to President Brigham Young. President Brigham Young's abode was a diminutive log cabin. On introducing themselves, they presented the matter of their vis- itation. President Young remarked, "Organize the elements." Bidding him good day, they departed, feeling much disappointed in their expectations. On returning to report their findings in the premises, it was agreed that they forthwith return to Boston. One family concluded to remain. Brother William Wordsworth, the head of the remaining family, took a walk down to the shore of the river, and after walking for awhile, came to a bend in the river, and remarked to himself, "This is a good place to catch fish." Looking in a certain direction, he saw a house in the dis- tance, to which he wended his way., Arriving there, he found a small store. He inquired of the proprietor if he had a seine. The answer came that he had one, but needed some large holes in it mended. Brother Wordsworsh asked him if he could let him have some twine to mend it. Procuring the twine, he proposed to give him one half of the fish caught; to which he agreed. Having pro- cured a skiff, he rode to the bend of the river; after casting the net, he hauled in two wagon-loads of fish. He sold enough fish to provide his family with provisions for a whole season, and this was the method he adopted to "Organize the elements." The writer is informed that Brother Wordsworth is still living at Spring ville, Utah, "A true born son of Zion," a faithful Latter- day Saint. George W. Crocheron. Salt Lake City, Utah. "