HISTORY OF JOHN THOMAS BATE
Born January 8, 1878 at American Fork. Very cold and a blizzard. I should know, I was there.
Nothing much happened after that, that I remember, until I was about four years old. I used to go across the street to Grandmothers place. My grandmother Bate married Samuel Vowels. We used to go over and she would always have a jar of molasses cookies to give us.
Our neighbor, Jeff Eastman had two boys, Birtie and John. They had a rocking horse that they would let us ride. Their father said he didn't believe there was a God until he was hunting ducks after dark. A storm came up and he lost his way on the Mullner Slough. Just as he was about to step into a very deep hole the lightning flashed so that he could see his way and he said God saved him. He never said again that there was no God.
Now I was about five when two boys were smoking Cedar Bark by a shed and the straw caught fire. I remember my father helping fight it when he took hold of the shaves of a new hay rake. He pulled it out but left the skin of his hands on the shaves. He went home and mother put molasses and flour on them and wrapped them up and they got well.
I remember Samuel Vowles having oxen he used to farm with them. The next I remember we moved into town where father had a store. I started to learn the Piccolo. When the boys would come in the store they would lift me up on the counter and give me candy if I would play the Piccolo for them and roll cigarettes for them. I got so I could do pretty well but a little later I used to roll them when they weren't there and I would put a little black gun powder in the center of it. It would go alright until it got to the powder an then puff......I rolled them but never used tobacco.
We used to take a little bucket and go to the molasses mill and get skimmings to make candy and the homemade wooden wagon used to gather kindling wood at the D & RG tracks.
We moved to Riverton, Utah about 1885 or 1886. Not much there only coyotes and jack rabbits. Lots of wind and snow. The water we had to use came out of Utah Lake. We used this water to swim in, water our stock, baptize, cut ice to put up and skate.
We walked to school one mile and a half. Church dances and etc. were in the same one room building. All grades with one teacher for all grades.
At the age of about ten the marshals started to arrest the Polygamists, Mormons who had more than one wife. At that time we had few phones, no radio, phonographs, electricity, motor cars. At about that time I rode on the horse and mule drawn street cars in Salt Lake City. We used bicycles. No paved streets. Fire departments in the cities used horses that were well trained.
Baseball was our main sport with horse and foot racing too. To brag a little I never was out run until I had my hip out. When I was 14 years old a horse threw me off and drug me by the foot. Knowing no First Aid or how to handle one with a hip out they tried to carry me every way. Laid me in a quilt but finally father put me on his back, that was tough...try it sometime. I lay for 6 hours for a doctor. Anthony Nelson took father to Salt Lake City twenty miles to get Doc. Pinkerton. Nelson`s horse, Silver, out traveled the Doc's fine team, the best he said in Utah. He offered to buy Silver.
Three weeks on my back and I was out again. Another time a horse kicked me in the head and they carried me in the house and after two hours I came to. Then a horse kicked me in the chest. One time a horse fell and broke my arm. I had lots of horses throw me and lots of them kick me. One fell with Silas Bills and I. It stepped in a hole in a bridge, I guess that was when I broke my collar bone.
Father ran a store and Post Office. I was night watchman when I was 14 to 17 years old. No one broke in while I was in there but one night I was ill so I slept in the house and burglars broke in and took cash, shoes and many things they could carry. Their burglar tools were found at the back door but they were never caught. I slept with two pistols under my head and a shot gun close and this was nerve racking for a boy my age.
Hunting deer, sage hens, ducks, jack rabbits, white hairs and cottontails was our game. Choosing up sides or shooting in competition with other towns for a dance to be paid for by the loosing side was one of our Winter Sports.
Very few telephones, no movies, radios, football, basketball. Our lights were coal oil, lamps, candles. No flashlights, no autos. Bicycles had hard rubber tires. Few buggies. Saddle horses and carts is the way we courted the girls. If we could get the Home Sweet Home Waltz with a girl we could most always take her home. Some dance halls had a coal stove in the center of the hall and sometimes they would get tipped over. We had good times. The dance would start at 8:00 o'clock and the Home Sweet Home Waltz at 1:00 a.m.
I have had four dogs bite me. I like dogs in their place.
(Following was written March 1952 to November 1953)
We left Riverton, Utah when I was 20 years old. Father's family moved to Charleston, Utah in Wasatch County. I met a lot of nice girls and nice people. My Uncle Heber Wagstaff said he had a wife picked out for me up there and her name was Mauddie Simmons. He said that she was a good singer, good looking and a good girl. I went with some of the girls but I did marry Maude Simmons so my Uncle was right about what I liked.
While in Charleston I worked for George Simmons. I got his daughter for my pay.
I was Constable for 4 years. This was some experience what with the Indians and all.
I was Sunday School teacher at 21 in the 10 and 11 year old boys and girls class and now at the age of 75 I am still teaching the same class.
We had home dramatics and played at dances in the band in the Winters. One baby girl, Lillie, was born there then we moved to Garfield, Idaho which is west of Rigby, Idaho.
I got logs from mountains north an east of Rigby and built a two room log dirt roof house. The first Spring the mud came through. We used sage brush for firewood. We ate lots of eggs at 10 cents to 12 cents per dozen. The next winter I had 3 horses die and 35 head of hogs. Winters were cold 20 and 30 below zero. We broke ice on the Snake River which was 3 and 4 feet thick and hauled water to drink and water for house use. The Snake was five miles West from where we lived.
After father died I took Arnold my half brother to raise. I kept him ten years.
I worked in Sunday School in Garfield until we move to Perry, Utah. I worked with Fred Korth on W.T. Davis farm. We took it for five years but my name was not on the contract so after the first year Fred took over and he ran it one year but it didn't work out.
I rented land for a few years. Bought one acre for $1,000.00. Then worked at Perry Cannery for 27 years.
Worked in Bushnell hospital for two years during the 2nd World War.
Moved to Brigham City, Utah and bought home on 54 South 2nd West for $6,000. I then worked in Sewing Machine Repair work. I have been Supervising a Teen-age Club for about nine years.
Now it is 1958. I am still supervising the Teen-age Club. I started at $10.00 per month and now I am getting $100.00 per month. I am 80 years young. Besides supervising I clean and wax the floor. There are three pool tables, three ping pong tables, checkers, record player room, snack stand (soda water and candy bars) and free telephone. All games are free. We have teenagers from other towns such as Logan, Tremonton, Garland, Honeyville, Bear River, Corinne, Willard, Perry, Mantua, Ogden, and other farms around. Average crowd at a time is 25 with 100 in and out during the evening. No bad language, no tobacco, no roughness. Three nights a week, Mon. Wed. & Sat. Art classes in the winter. I have worked with them 12 years now.
I took Scout training under Oscar Kirkam in Ogden. It was the first scouting that came to this County under the M.I.A. I was President of the Mutual in Perry then. I was Scout Master first, then Councilman and group leader. I was registered in Scouting for over 25 years. Everyone should take Scout work or at least First Aid. I will never regret all I have paid out and the time I have put in scouting.
Special thanks to ViAnn Neibergall for sharing this history
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