--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Kimball, Solomon F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 18 number: 2 published: 1914-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Kimball, Solomon F., "A King of Western Scouts", *Improvement Era* 18, no. 2 (December 1914): 103–111.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1802unse 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: improvementera1802unse start_page: 103 end_page: 111 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1802unse publication_year: 1914 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 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A King of Western Scouts A King of Western Scouts BY SOLOMON F. KIMBALL In Three Parts —Part I Being of a roaming, restless disposition, Ephraim K. Hanks, the subject of this sketch, enlisted, in 1842, as a sailor on the United States man-of-war Columbus. He served for three years. During that time he visited many interesting parts of the world and gained a knowledge of earthly things that proved of great value to him in later years. Born at Madison, Lake County, Ohio, March 21, 1826, he was the youngest son of Benjamin Hanks and Martha Knowlden. He resided with his parents until he was sixteen years of age, learning the blacksmith trade from his father who was a firstclass mechanic. On one of his ocean voyages, during a heavy storm, he and two of his companions were thrown from the fore-royal yard into the rigging below. One of his mates was instantly killed and the other fell overboard, the big, blue sharks eating the body. Eph, who seems to have been a born athlete, grabbed a dangling rope, and amid shouts and cheers from his companions below, slid to the trembling fore-top, where he calmly waited for further orders. This marvelous escape from death made him the hero of the crew, and from that time on, Eph enjoyed the best that the ship could afford. When the Columbus sailed into the New York harbor, after a three years' cruise, Ephraim K. Hanks received from his superior officer an honorable discharge, after which he returned to his Madison home, a wiser if not a better boy. In the meantime, his father had died, and his brother, Alvin, had joined the "Mormon" Church and gone west. Ephraim, who was now in his twentieth year, had developed into as strong a specimen of manhood as could be found in that section of country. He was thus qualified for the work that Providence had marked out for him. Being of a spiritual-minded nature, he possessed really at this early period in his life the gift of prophecy to a considerable extent, though at that time he little understood such gift. He was certainly a man who was destined to perform a work which in later years caused even the savages of the plains to consider him with wonder and amazement. Shortly afte/ he returned home, his brother Alvin, who was living at Nauvoo, Til., had a dream that made such a firm impres- A KING OF WESTERN SCOUTS 105 sion upon his mind as to cause him to return to his mother's home to learn if possible its meaning. Once there, the interpretation was made plain to him as he beheld his long-absent, seafaring brother, Ephraim. Alvin, who was bubbling over with the spirit of the gospel, began to unfold to his widowed mother and his brother, Ephraim, the principles of life and salvation as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. He testified to them of how he had been healed through the administration of the servants of the Lord. This doctrine aroused the ire of Mother Hanks, who was verybitter against the "Mormons." It ended in her asking Ephraim to get the most able sectarian ministers that could be found in that section of country to controvert his teachings. As soon as the ministers arrived, an earnest discussion upon the principles of the gospel ensued, Alvin holding his own on every point of doctrine. As usual in such cases, the ministers became abusive and began to call the Prophet Joseph Smith and his followers vile names. Ephraim, who, up to this time, had been a silent listener, became excited also, grasped a chair and, pointing to the door, commanded the ministers to leave. It is said that they departed so quickly that one of them left his silk hat behind as a souvenir of the occasion. The young sailor then and there made a vow that from that time, henceforth and forever, he would be a defender of the gospel and of Zion and her cause, let come what may. At once he went to Chicago, thence to Nauvoo, where he was baptized soon after into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by the late Horace S. Eldredge. Shortly after, he was ordained a Seventy. He then went to work on the Temple, where he remained until he joined a company of pioneers who were preparing to go west. Before they were ready to leave, he was sent by the authorities of the Church to Indianapolis after a company of Saints. These he successfully piloted to the Temple City, returning just in time to join the pioneer company and go west with them as far as Mount Pisgah. At this place they remained until President Brigham Young overtook them and called for volunteers to join the expedition known afterwards as "The Mormon Battalion." Ephraim was among the first to offer his services on that occasion. How faithfully, how nobly, and how bravely he worked and sacrificed to make that dreary march a success will perhaps never be known in this world. As soon as the battalion boys reached San Diego, California,, Ephraim received an honorable release from the officers in charge and started on his seven-hundred-mile journey to meet the "Mormon" Pioneers. After passing through many hardships, he reached Salt Lake Valley, July 29, 1847. Here he spent the winter with the Saints, sharing their joys and sorrows. The next spring he selected a farm on Mill Creek, near the site HARRIET DECKER HANKS AND FOUR GENERATIONS Front, right to left: Harriet Decker Hanks, born March 13, 1826; married E. K. Hanks, Sept. 22, 1848. She is great-grandmother of 115 children, and 11 great-greatgrandchildren. Mrs. Frank H. Hyde. Back row, left to right: Mrs. John J. Sears, Mrs. Walter Lawrence. Child: Madie Louise Lawrence. where John Neff built the first Utah flour-mill. Here for the first time he commenced to till the soil. That fall he went as far east as the Sweetwater to meet President Brigham Young. After returning, he was selected Salt Lake City's first pound-keeper, with Horace S. Eldredge as his assistant. But farming and pound-keeping were too tame for Eph. As a consequence he hired out to a Mr. Magraw to carry mail from 108 IMPROVEMENT ERA Salt Lake City to the Missouri River. In this avocation he was # in his element, and during the next seven years he made the thousand-mile journey over the plains and mountains more than a half hundred times. He kept no journal, consequently most of the incidents and achievements of his life during those stirring times are lost to the history of Utah. Eph was always found in the front ranks, eagerly facing any danger that threatened the Latter-day Saints. A braver man probably never lived. During the winter of 1850, we find him in company with about one hundred of his comrades fighting hostile Indians on the banks of the Provo River. He was one of the fifteen invinciblcs who captured the stronghold of the red men on that occasion. He had his horse shot from under him while the gallant charge was being made. Chief Big Elk, the leading Indian in command, with about fifty of his warriors, were killed during the three-days' battle. The white men lost only one. We next hear of this king of scouts in the Skull Valley fight, From a painting by H. F. Farney AN EFFECTIVE SHOT during the summer of 1851. For several year's the Goshutes of Tooele County had been killing settlers, driving off their stock, and committing various kinds of depredations. Early one morning Eph and his companions charged into the headquarters of the hostile Indians, took them by surprise, and annihilated nearly every warrior in camp. Those were days that tried the souls of men. For eighteen years following, Ephraim K. Hanks was certainly one of these souls who were being tested, but he successfully emerged from the ordeal. On one occasion while crossing the plains, the Indians robbed A KING OF WESTERN SCOUTS 109 him of everything he had, except his clothing, and a butcher-knife concealed in his boot-leg pocket. Hundreds of miles from home, what to do under such circumstances was enough not only to frighten but to puzzle the most resourceful mind. Eph, however, continued on his way as if nothing unusual had happened. Inside his coat pocket was an important message sent by the authorities of the Church to the president of the British Mission. The failure to have that document reach its destination might cause much sorrow and trouble. Ephraim K. Hanks felt that he was on the Lord's errand, and he had received a promise from the Lord's authority on earth that his mission, on that occasion, should be crowned with success in every particular. Our scout cautiously moved along until he came to a mountain stream almost hidden from view by heavy clumps of underbrush. On the south bank of the stream he spied in the distance a herd of buffaloes, warming themselves in the noonday sun. Keeping out of sight until he came close in behind them, with catlike agility, he sprang behind a full-grown cow that was lying down, and cut her hamstrings. He then killed the animal, and jerked as much of the meat as he could carry with him. Not far on his way, he came in sight of a camp of Indians belonging to the same tribe that had robbed him some two days before. He made up his mind to "get even" with them, if such a thing were possible. He soon located their herding ground, and during the late hours of the night he selected from their band of horses two of the finest steeds that could be found. By daylight, the next morning, he was thirty-five miles on his way and still going. He reached Fort Laramie the next day, and secured from the government officers another outfit which enabled him to reach the Missouri River several days ahead of schedule time. One of the strange personal peculiarities of Eph was that he had double front teeth as well as double back teeth. He could bite accordingly. His stomach was very strong, and it is a fact that he could masticate a chunk of broiled rawhide just as readily as an ordinary person could a piece of boiled beef. On occasions, when his food supply was exhausted and could not be replenished, he has been known to kill his pack-mule and eat of that until a badger or other wild animal could be obtained to take its place. He crossed the plains during the winter months with as much readiness as during any other season of the year. It seemed not to matter what conditions were, for he was always equal to the emergencies. On one of his trips across the plains, he fell into the hands of a band of hostile Utes who began to arrange matters to burn him at the stake. Eph, being somewhat acquainted with the ways of the wild-men of the west, soon devised means to prevent them from carrying out their nefarious designs. He knew that Indians INDIANS OF THE PLAINS Top Row, left to Sa-lo-so, son of Satanta, Kiowa; Sa-tank, Kiowa chief, right: killednear Fort Sill, Iowa, June, 1874; Black Hawk, Apache chief. Center Row: Kicking Bird, Kachita chief; Now-way, Comanche chief. Bottom Row: Rig T*ee, Kiowa chief; Otter Belt, Comanche chief; Horse Back, Cc tranche chief. A KING OF WESTERN SCOUTS 111 were dreadfully afraid of insane persons, and that a tradition existed among them that if such a one were killed at their hands it would bring destruction upon them.. So, to save his life, he began, it is said, to play the part of a crazy man,- by singing songs, dancing jigs, making faces, and exhibiting his double front teeth in such a manner as to cause a general commotion throughout the camp. Seeing that the Red men feared him, he began to tear tents, turn summersaults, chase bucks, break bows, being buckets, burn bedding, and many other seemingly insane things, That sent the fleeing Red man, to caverns, coves and cave; To hide from "pe-up'' captive, that cranky, crazy brave. A Mountain Thunderstorm I followed far the canyon's course, dividing mountains high; On either hand the peaks pierced through the clouds that lined the sky; A frantic torrent at my feet dashed over jagged rocks; The canyon's floor was wildly strewn with huge volcanic blocks. T climbed and leaped as on I pressed o'er crag and tangled vine, While higher and still higher grew the walls that here define The gorge's narrow, winding depths, where sunshine is unknown, And nature's secret powers have built God's battlements of stone. Anon the echoes were aroused by blue jay's saucy scream, A mountain sheep or graceful deer leaped o'er the foaming stream; A crow's harsh cry, and dove's soft note were borne upon the air, While squirrel's chirp and lone wolf's howl disturbed the quiet there. A thousand living things were there, bright birds and beasts so wild, Each in its sphere rejoicing as nature on them smiled; - , But hark! an ominous roar assails the stillness of the scene, And o'er the northern sky there shoots the lightning's vivid sheen. Then black and thunder-laden clouds the canyon quickly fill, And suddenly both bird and beast become alert and still. One moment all is motionless, all, leaf and foot and wing; Then quickly flees to shelter each living, moving thing. Now bursts upon the heavy gloom a roar that shakes the earth; The mountains tremble at its power so quickly given birth; Then swiftly follows flash on flash of lightning's blinding glare, And heaven's flood-gates in the sky pour rivers through the air. The cannon of the gods bombard those mountain walls so vast, And torrents from the firmament continue to pour fast. Terrific peal on peal resounds, and flash on flash comes bright, While nature seems to stand o'erawed, and trembles with affright. The fury of the elements so fierce is quickly o'er; The cannonading ceases, and the lightning gleams no more; The clouds roll back disclosing a sky of brightest blue, And bird and beast again come forth, and work or sport renew. All life had seemed imperiled by the terrors of the storm, But strange to tell, no living thing had known the slightest harm. While nature's forces fiercely ra.yed, a kind, protecting power Safeguarded bird and bensf like, through that appalling hour. ?i B. F. Cummings