waiting, Valentine Rock found it necessary to postpone his trip for another year. Whatever the reason for his delay, however, it did not apply to his mother Catherine Mentzer Rock, who was very anxious to go to the valley as soon as possible. All she needed was a reliable driver for her team, and Harriet's twenty-one-year old brother, Dan, was given that responsibility. Perhaps this was the opportunity for which Mary Catherine had been waiting. She must have long since become impatient to reach her destination, and now there was a way for her to go, if her guardians would grant their permission. She was now seventeen years old, and she felt sure that she could find a place to stay and a way to earn a living, if she could only get to Zion. We do not know what Harriet thought about the Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together matter, but in the end Mary was allowed to go. So bidding farewell to the dear sister who had mothered her all her life, she faced the hazards of the long journey with a brother who was but little older than she. What a courageous decision for a girl of her age to make. If Mary could have foreseen all the hardships she was to endure before that journey was over, she might not have been so brave! She soon found that the wagon was crowded, and because she was young and strong, she walked most of the way. How long the miles seemed! Then one day, in the vicinity of Fort Laramie, she was caught in the quicksands of the Platte River and narrowly escaped death: The whole journey was a severe test of endurance, but the day finally came when Mary Catherine Smith arrived safely in the valley of the Great Salt Lake. ©9- Benjamin Franklin Smith Benjamin was born on February 22, 1846 at Thomastown, Pennsylvania. He was the eleventh child in the family. He was given the name of George Washington because he was born on his birthday. His mother died when he was two weeks old, so he was taken to his uncle's home to be cared for. They had a boy by the same name, so they called him Benjamin Franklin. He was known by this name for the rest of his life. When he was a boy he had his leg broken and as it grew crooked, it had to be reset. As anesthesia was not known at that time, it was very painful to have a limb set. The doctor called him a booby for crying, so he decided that when he grew to be a man, he would give the doctor a good thrashing for being so cruel to him. He moved to Morgan City with his family in 1864. In the year of 1869 he went to Laramie, Wyoming, for freight. He brought back the first telegraph wire in the state of Utah. In early days, they used to take vegetables or any thing they raised to pay for their dance tickets. At one time, Father took an extra large squash to pay for his ticket. As he left the ticket stand, they called to him to come get his change and they rolled out several small squash to him. He and some of his friends would sometimes walk the distance of thirty- two miles to Farmington to attend a special dance held there. It would take them four days to go there and get back. Ten children were born to he and his wife, Mary Ann Simmons, seven boys and three girls. He was well versed on the scriptures and quite often, he would quote a passage of scripture from the Bible incorrectly, just to get the boys into a religious discussion. He was always prompt at having family prayer and asking the blessing on the food. He was always anxious to pay his share in the erection of Church buildings and freely contributed to the different organizations. He was always ready to help those in need, and once he gave the only coat he had to a tramp. At the age of seventy-seven years, he visited Yellowstone National Park and with his wife, walked down a flight of five hundred steps at the Grand Canyon. His hobby was fishing and hunting. At one time he killed two deer with one bullet. He loved good books and would sit up late at night reading. Despite his years, he never had to wear glasses. ©9-