Journal: Jeanette Sperry

1903 (Friday) – We packed our valises and got ready to go to Manti. Minnie Lunt (Minnie Ann Lunt) was going as far as Moroni, so we went down to the train together. Mother (Caroline Webb) went over with us. Father (Charles Henry Sperry) took us down in a wagon, it was a few minutes past one o’clock. Some boys in a sleigh ran a race with the train, they kept up with it for a block or two. It seemed like the train kept stopping every few minutes for something or another and when we got up to the divide it stopped and couldn’t go any farther. They would go a little ways and then stop and back until it seemed like they were going to jolt us to pieces, at length. They went ahead with half of the train and then came back after us. Some of us us felt as if we should get out and push. The remarks that were made by some of the passengers were anything but complementary to the S.P.V.R.R. Company. Some of the men were sheepherders who had been out to the herd for a long time and were anxious to get back to their families. Other remarks were: “Suppose we have to stay here all night?”, or ‘What if we have to back all the way back to Nephi?”. Some said, “Suppose the couplings should break or the breaks couldn’t hold us while the engine was gone with the first part of the train?”, then another bright remark was “My, wouldn’t we go back a-flying”. Finally the women began getting nervous. By the time we reached Fountain Green, it was time for the lights, but when they came to light up, only one lamp had a chimney on, so at least there was no danger of the bright lights hurting our eyes. It was almost nine o’clock by the time we reached Manti. Mother and I took the hack to ride up to Uncle Harry Sperry’s (Miles Harrison Sperry). They were all as pleased to see us as we were them. It was the children’s (Alfred Oscar, Jr. and Lillian Lunt) first trip on the train, they were very good, in fact they slept most of the time.