(Duckworth Grimshaw, who inherited an old family name and "didn't much like it," worked from childhood in English textile mills. After joining the LDS Church, he chose to emigrate to Utah Territory as a young, single man. He had to learn about farming to support himself and the family he acquired. His account of his life tells the story of a common man who drew on ingenuity and hard work to survive on the frontier. This excerpt begins on his arrival in New York City in June 1862.)
On arriving in New York, I had lots of chances to work, but I told them nothing short of Utah would satisfy me. The Civil War was on and we saw companies of soldiers at different points. At Niagara railroad bridge the train stopped and we had an hour or more to visit Niagara Falls, which was truly a treat. While in Chicago I bought a large ham for three cents a pound and all the eggs we wanted for five cents a dozen. We sailed up the river to Florence, Nebraska, to wait for the church train . . . all my money and provisions were gone. I met a man who wanted someone to drive an oxteam to Utah. In return, he would provide me with food, such as they had, and his wife would do my washing. I felt that I would get experience in driving cattle that would prove profitable in the future, so I accepted, even though I had never even seen an oxteam.The time arrived to move out of Florence to our camp ground. In moving up the street with a yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows, with a big whip in my hands about twelve feet long, I was met by John W. Young, who was in charge of the immigration company for the church, who said, `My young man, I see you have not been accustomed to driving cattle. Let me take your whip and I will give you a lesson. He took the whip and brought it down on the ox leader, then gave the nigh leader a prog in the ribs with the whipstock and this brought the cows up in good style. I thought, well they seem to understand that sort of driving, but when I tried it, I found the lash around my own neck and decided that to become efficient in driving required practice, like everything else . . .
(In Salt Lake City) I had not shed a tear on leaving home and had not given any serious thought to it, being busy all the time, but on arriving in Salt Lake City on Sept. 26, 1862, and after taking the cattle to the big field south of the city, I had no place to go and began thinking of home and Mother. There was a young man with me who pulled out his knife and cut some stubble of sugar cane and picked nubbins of corn which had been left. This was all new to me. He peeled the cane stubble and began to eat it, so I did the same. We sat there eating and looking at the beautiful bright moon, then I began wondering where I was going and what I was going to do. (Grimshaw decided to go to South Weber, where he had acquaintances. After several adventures he came to the home of George Washington Hickerson, who hired him on a month's trial.)
He put me to plowing and picking up potatoes. I could drive the cattle team but had done no plowing, but soon got on to that. At the end of two weeks, he was ready to hire me for twelve months and give me two hundred bushels of wheat and a written agreement to that effect. (The family) found I had a little education, most of it gained through study and attending night school for a short time, so they requested that I teach them reading, writing and arithmetic, which I did during the long winter evenings . . . The old father was so pleased he wanted me to apply for the position of teacher of the South Weber School, saying that I was as well qualified for the position as any teacher they had ever had. I told him I . . . would rather not apply.
In the spring of 1863, the call came for a team and wagon and provisions, with a driver, to go back to Florence, Nebraska, for emigrants. At the meeting Sunday, those present were asked to offer what they could. I had only recently come into the country, but I wanted to help. I said, `I have two woolen shirts I will give.' One of the sisters spoke and said, `He has only the two shirts, but I have material and when woven will let him have one back.' This she did.
(Grimshaw continued to work diligently, acquired land of his own, and gradually added to his livestock.)
One day as I was going to the river bed to get driftwood for fires, I saw a number of men trying to get a cow that was down in the mud. I asked the owner what they were going to do with her and he said he guessed they would have to kill her. I told him I would give him the worth of the hide for her. I had no money, but I traded my boots for his shoes and my coat for his and told him I thought there was about three dollars difference. He agreed to the bargaining. I had a large heavy sack which I brought from England, so we put this under her (the cow) and one took hold of her head, one her tail and a man got on each side of her and lifted up the sack. We got her on her feet and . . . in June she brought us a nice heifer calf. This was the first cow I ever owned . . .
That fall I suffered terribly from toothaches and as there was no dentist there, I went through a lot of pain. One day in desperation, I got a big spike nail and a hammer and handed them to Father and told him to knock the tooth out. I laid my head on a log in the stable, which had been cut for a window. Father took aim and just touched it, then struck it a hard blow, knocking half of it out. I told him to give it another blow. However, in taking aim, he did touch it lightly, then gave it another blow, which knocked the other half out and the task was completed.
On another occasion, when the pain was so bad I could not endure it, and as there was no one around to extract the tooth, I decided to get rid of it myself. The tooth was a hollow shell so I rolled some gunpowder in some cotton and placed it in my mouth and got a match. My folks were fearful and warned me that I might receive real damage from this procedure, but at the time, it seemed to make little difference to me. When I struck the match and put it to the cotton, there was a little hissing sound and the tooth was split in four pieces and came out without any trouble.
(In time, Grimshaw went to Beaver, where he obtained land, farmed and was among those called to Sevier to help guard settlers against Indians. He spent several weeks in this assignment. A family had been killed by Indians, but skirmishes among the two groups ended soon afterward, Grim-shaw wrote.)
One evening at a dance, I was attracted by a very beautiful girl. She was outstanding for her dark brown wavy hair, her honest frank blue eyes, her lovely complexion with such rosy cheeks. I immediately felt that some day I would marry her. I inquired about her and learned that she was Mary Jane Moyes. (He married Mary Jane and, in keeping with the church practice of the day, another wife. Along with many other LDS men, he was arrested for polygamy and spent some time in the territorial prison. He wrote:)
There was a Chinaman about twenty years old in the cell next to mine. He was very anxious to learn the English language and was trying to learn how to spell from an old spelling book which he had. He said, `The boys teach me wrong and laugh at me.' I helped him all I could and when he learned that my time would soon be up he thanked me for what I had done to help him and asked if I would give him my pillow when I left. Another man asked if I would give him my bed, which I did, and made them both happy.
Duckworth's final journal entry, dated July 4, 1924, says: `Mother went to the celebration, but I remained at home. There was no attraction for me in this hot sun.' He died June 23, 1926, and was honored at funeral services in both Salt Lake City and Beaver.
Source: "Our Pioneer Heritage," Volume 12, a publication of the Daughter of Utah Pioneers.