Jean Russell Driggs

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Incidents in the Life of Jean Russell Driggs

As recorded in my mother's journal, I was born in Teton Valley, at the mouth of Teton Canyon, then called, by my mother, Aline, later called Alta, Wyoming. Since that eventful day the log house has mingled with the soil of the roof and the floor so that when I visited the spot with my father in the summer of 1929 no trace could be found of the structure but the location, with its majestic scenery is as beautiful as ever and my father, a year later, July 23, 1930, was laid in his final resting place not many miles, almost due west of the place where his pioneer spirit first struggled for a foot-hold in a virgin valley.

November 1, 1892, was winter in that valley and my sister Lenore, eleven years old, trudged through the snow to the neighbors for aid at the time of my arrival. My grandmother, Olivia Pratt Driggs and my Aunt Jennie Tanner and Aunt Sarah Robinson have told me many times of the struggle they had to keep me alive when I was a baby, both before and after my mother's death, February 5, 1893. Oftentimes I have wondered if orphans don't have an advantage over the rest of the people, especially when they have the care and love that has been my lot to receive during the first 20 years of my life.

Trials? Yes - plenty of them - but they are past history. They are good things to have passed. For a couple of years after my mother's death Grandmother Driggs took me in hand and spent those trying hours that come with infancy, just how, I don't remember. But after growing up with Gordon, Byron, Leonard, Melvin, Glen, Dorothy and Alice, John Jr., Hoke and Dick, and four of my own, Alice, Jean Jr., Marjorie and Lois, I have come to appreciate the fact that there is plenty of responsibility, sleepless hours and extra effort running into years with every child and I feel grateful to the host of people that have endured for me what I could not do for myself.

I have come to know something of my mother through her writings and especially her journal, which I have read many times. It is always an inspiration to me. Due to circumstances over which I have had no control, I have not lived in the home of my father except for about three years between the ages of three and six and my memory does not recall many incidents during that period. There is one thing that did make an indelible impression upon my mind during that period and that was that the woman my father chose after the death of my mother was a dominant character, the only child of a dominant father, and it will be for powers and judgement greater than mine to pass on the justice of events that followed.

I suppose I was unruly, don't remember just why I couldn't have the things I wanted or why so much punishment should be meted out to a youngster too young to talk. Lenore revolted and left the home and grew up almost an orphan, taking me with her on several occasions. But it was during the summer of 1900, if I remember correctly, that my Grandfather Driggs came to salt Lake, where I was then living, after he had been advised by some of the neighbors of my treatment and just politely asked me if I would like to go home with him? Sure I would like to go with him. I had been to his home in Pleasant Grove for a few weeks' visit the year before and had a most enjoyable time. But what would "Aunt Letha say? He said I needn't fear for her ever getting me again so I was "kidnapped." My father made a threat to recover me by legal means, but I think it was mostly for show. However my grandfather took no chances and I was 'hid up' on a farm north of Pleasant Grove for about two months and then was taken to Uncle Ben Smith's place in Thistle, Spanish Fork Canyon, until school started.

I might recite an incident that happened when I was about five and one-half years old. Some trees had been cut down on the street where we lived and all the small limbs had been stacked in our yard, a pile higher than my head and proportionately wide. Aunt Letha made a proposition that if I would cut them up into stove lengths she would give me five cents for my work. How well I remember the days I worked on that pile of wood. It may not have been more than ten days but it was a long time to me. Finally the day arrived that I reached the bottom of the pile and received the money. I was hungry and I asked permission to buy cookies, and it was granted. I received five of them for my nickel. Proudly i marched home, but low and behold a lesson in generosity was in store for me. I had four brothers and I was advised to not be selfish and should give each of them a cookie. My eyes wistfully followed four of them at the parting and just at that time my father returned home from his work and I was instructed to give him one. I didn't enjoy that remaining cookie very much. My mind was on the justice of me cutting all the wood while the others did nothing and then they shared alike with me. It soured me on generosity, perhaps to some extent even to this day.

The six summers I spent in Pleasant Grove are the happy days of my life. Herding the cows, getting wood for winter from up behind Little Mountain, at the foot of Timponogas, fishing, swimming, hauling water, milking, preparing the gardens, picking berries, thinning sugar beets and the one thing that I did the last two summers that had lttle joy in it was the house-to-house canvasing with an assortment of pins, needles, thread and several dozen articles the housewife needs. It was tough work those hot days, but the profits from those sales bought me clothes and kept me busy. In fact, aside from the vacation time I had during the six summers at Pleasant Grove I have had practically no play time in my life.

King was attending the B.Y.U and the last year or two of the elementary school while I was there. Aunt Alice was teaching school in American Fork and doing her courting with John Z. Brown. Burton was aobut three years ahead in the grade schools and I was the "flunky" for both of them when it came to errands and the chores. I would drive the horse and buggy to Provo to take King and his change of clothes and a half dozen loaves of new bread and some jam, etc., and I would accompany Burton with a load of fruit to West Jordan or Bingham. We could clear from twenty to fifty dollars on a load of fruit and vegetable produce on those trips and it was beter money than selling notions and much more interesting. When I see the fruit vendors now I think of the good old days.

Burton's sisters were in the courting age, Lorne, Genneive and Lucile and Burton and I learned how it was done in the days when the girls had no waist and their hips were padded to look like a wash tub. The dresses have changed a lot but courting hasn't.

The turning point in my life came when my best friend, Grandma Driggs, passed away in June 1906. She had been suffering for a number of years with asthma and the last year had several severe cases of nose bleed. It was a frequent experience to have her awaken in the night choking while I would run for Brother Haliday or go for the doctor or some neighbor. About ten days before her death she told me, and I think King, that the Bugle had sounded and that she had been called back. We paid no particular attention to her story but she passed away, apparently peacefully, not ten feet away from my bed while I slept peacefully on and King in an upstairs room knew nothing of her passing until he came downstairs the next morning. A wonderful way to end this life's mission. Uncle Don, after the funeral, told me I could go with him to Teton so I returned with him. At the station Grandfather Driggs said "Be sure and come back." With the carefree feeling of a youngster I took a literal interpretation of his statement and inferred that he meant when school started in September.

In Teton Valley I assisted with the chores, helped with the haying and made myself generally useful. During the construction of the Driggs State Bank Building I drove a six horse team outfit, hauling stone from trail canyon, or the lower part of Teton Pass, some six miles up the canyon from Victor. The stone was loaded and unloaded by others and the brakes on the running gears were operated through a set of pulleys so I could get pressure enough to control the loak in the canyon.

When it came time for school Lynn was going to Ricks Academy and Uncle Don wanted me to stay there and make my home with them but I said no. Grandfather had told me to be sure and come back so no amount of persuasion could keep me in the Teton Basin. Uncle Don bought me a suit of clothes and gave me some money, Lynn drove me to St. Anthony and off I went for Plesant Grove. Never a thought in my mind as to where I would stay or who would be looking for me. Just a boy, that's all. I arrived in Pleasant Grove and there was no one at the station to meet me. That seemed queer. So I walked staight east to grandmother's home and found strangers living there. I began to come to my senses then. I just hadn't realized what had happened, and that it was my departed grandmother that had made the home for me, instead of just the house. I told the lady who I was and I suppose she saw the tears in my eyes and suspected something was not just right. I asked for permission to see inside the house, but it did not look the same. Beds and chairs and cupboards were diferent and I felt heartsick. I went out into the lot and looked things over and ate some fruit then went over to Aunt Rosalia's place. Even there things were not the same. Birton had left for Ogden to attend High School so I filled my pockets with the ripe juicy pears that I hadn't tasted all summer and sat down under the tree to eat and figure what it was al about. Pears wouldn't lay on the ground through the winter, nor could I sleep under a tree in January.

Aunt Rosalia had seen me wandring about the yard and came out to see what I was doing down here. She thought I was going to stay in Idaho and that was the first inkling I had that my home wasn't in Pleasant Grove, but was Driggs, Idaho. I don't remember what I did or said but Aunt Rasalia said I could stay there for a while and do the chores, so there I stayed and finished the seventh grade of my schooling. In the meantime my sister Lenore, then living in Bingham Canyon, had told me I could stay with them. In June 1907 my grandfather took me as far as Dalton and Lark, from which place I was going to carry all my possessions over the mountain to Bingham. Fortunately I obtained a ride around and up the canyon and there started my independent career. George (Steele) got me a job in the Drug Store, attending the soda fountain, cleaning up, etc. It paid me twenty dollars per month duing the summer and ten dollars per month during the winter, when I was attending the 8th grade.

At the end of the second summer, 1908, I was ready for high school and had saved $63.00 and had my clothes. George suggested I attent the West High, than the Salt Lake High School. Uncle John (Brown) and Aunt Alice offered me the chance to live with them and work for my board and I gladly accepted. They suggested attending the L.D.S. so I registered there and attended the four years without missing a day's school and successfully completed every subject for which I registered.

The first year I took woodwork and at the close of the year I returned to Bingham Canyon and met the next and probably most important turning point in my education. George had arranged with Joe Boughan, a carpenter and general contractor, to hire me as an apprentice. I was acceted as an apprentice in the union and worked three summers as a carpenter apprentice. The three following summers I worked for the Intermountain Milling Co. and as an 'outside' carpenter for Roy Jacobs, then with the firm of Morrison-Merrill co. in their mill for three summers. This work gave me steady employment and valuable experience that established the course I followed in my engineering work at the University of Utah.

During the years that Uncle John and Aunt Alice were in Chicago Uncle Richard and Aunt Amy Lyman let me work for my board and room with them and this arrangement kept up until my sophomore year at the U when my courses became so heavy that I needed all my time for study. At this time I lived with Reve and Aunt Sara Robinson and part of the year with Hazel and Jay Milner. The following two years I lived with Lois Chrestensen and paid for board and room, giving my promissory notes, payable the year following my graduation. Again Uncle Richard Lyman came to my rescue when i needed money for books and tuition and was under the necessity of obtaining help or staying out of school a year to earn money. He advised me to stay in school and he would loan me the necessary money. At the time of my graduation I owed about $800.00 but I had it paid back within a year after I left school.

The following incident relative to my school work is recounted to show the struggle I wet through to finish my work at the University of Utah in the sophomore year: During the previous summer a tack in the bottom of my shoe had caused an irritation on the ball of my foot that developed into a corn or bunion growth. It was most painful at times and would interfere with my sleep and study and often I could not even remain at the table long enough to finish a meal. The pain would go up my leg and cause much pain in my ankle. this condition was at its worst during the December of 1913 and January of 1914. The February examintations were coming up especially calculus and physics. I was run down physically and discouraged mentally and was debating whether or not to stop school for a year or switch over to the easy courses in general science, eduacation and subjects that would prepare me for teaching school. At that time I took into my confidence Richard Lyman, John Z. Brown, Howard R. Driggs and last but not least Medora Henry. No one but I will ever know the encouragement that Medora gave me to 'buck' up and complete my engineering courses. The opinion of all my advisors was to stay with the course I had started. Uncle John said to have the growth taken from my foot so I went to the L.D.S. Hospetal and had the growth removed from my foot and walked on crutches the two following months. It was great relief to have that operation and with the encouragement given me by my friends I completed my schooling but never did get the full understanding of calculus that I might have had if the proper attention could have been given the subject the first half of the year.

The freshman class at the University of Utah, in engineering subjects, numbered more than 200 in the fall of 1912. As the years passed sme of these went into other lines of schooling but the big majority 'dropped out' and the graduationg class of Engineers in 1916 numbered thirteen. I was the only one to take out a degree in Divil Engineering that year.

Several of that number and some who did not graduate were West High School Boys who had military training and belonged to the Utah National Guard so in the fall of 1915 I joined Battery A, Utah Field Artillery, under Capt. Webb. About Chtristmas time I took the examinations, with others, and became classed as an EXPERT Battery man, a FIRST Class SPECIAL DETAIL man and was rated as an EXPERT SHOT with revolver, or Colt Automatics and received the rating of First Class Private. All these ratings were later confirmed under regular U.S. Military observation on the Mexican Border.

Within a few days after receiving my degree from the University of Utah, with all the social and traditional stunts that make up the Commencement exercises our battery was ordered to the Mexican Border and assigned to patrol duty at Nogales, Arizona. This gave me ample time to learn of the military side of life and for the boys who were not Latter-day-Saints it became a profession, which some are now following. Naturally our engineering training stood us well in hand and Capt. Webb used us to good advantage. We made a map of the territory about Nogales, had it accepted and used by the commanding officers before the company of Pennsylvania Engineers got theirs ready and it pleased Webb very much. On account of my experience as a builder I was called out much of the time on special duty, during which time I had charge of the ocnstruction of the Ordinance wareouse at Nogales and detailed an armored car for mounting a three inch field gun such could be constructed in the Railroad shops at Tuscon within 60 hours in case we were ordered on to Mexico. We left Nogales about December 19, 1916, were mustered out of the service a few days later at fort Douglas, Utah.

January 6, 1917, I accepted a position as assistant Mine Engineer for the Morris-Brooks properties of the Consolidated Copper Mines Co. of Kimberly, Nevada, under Sam Karrick, who was under G.M.P. Dougal, chief Engineer. The next few months found us with the Draft and War and the soaring price of copper and urgent demand for all raw products. The company held me from the first draft on industrial exemption and by the time the first three drafts were filled there were scarcely any 'white' people in the district and we were seriously handicapped in carrying on the work of the mines. About this time legislation became effective covering the residents not of American birth or parentage and when this class was called by the draft there were many available to fill the quota for overseas.

My courtship and Marriage: When I started High School I was a frail, pale-faced youngster, strong and healthy, weighing less than a hundred pounds and less than five feet tall. I hadn't had time to think about growing or a balanced diet and felt lucky if I wasn't hungry or cold. At the L.D.S. the advisory teacher thought I should take a light course because I suppose he thought me too frail to carry the full freshman course. I overruled his advice and checked my indignation and completed the course. Aunt Alice and Uncle John (Brown) were living at 1068 3rd Avenue and they gave me my home during the school terms and in the 27th Ward I attended Sunday School and in my class was a pale-faced girl, not the live vivacious type but quiet and reserved, always prepared to answer the questions, and it seemed that she would be one of the few that was prepared, sort of one of those diamonds in the rough that improve and acquire lustre with use. But anyway she impressed me of being a mighty fine girl and on one or two occasions she displayed spunk that was not at all evident in her general make-up, sort of like the flavor in a cake, can't be seen but it's there.

Amy Lyman through some sort of excuse invited me to a party one night where I became better acquainted with this LaNola Callister. In a sort of natural way we occasionally met at ward affairs but our school activities were widely separated because she attended the West High while I attended the L.D.S. In her third year and my fourth year of High school she changed from West to the L.D.S. and during that year we spent many enjoyable evenings together. My principle failing was that I didn't seem to realize when the evening ended and Aunt Alice would have to call and remind me that it was bed time. Her folks knew it was late but they were not so strict with me as was Aunt Alice. We courted during my fourth year High and first year University. The following year she started the U of U in a normal course but as I remember it she went with her family to Lyndyl, Utah, before the year was over and our courting was intermittent from then on.

It had been my desire to get married the Thanksgiving season following my graduation from school but that time found me on the Mexican Border on military duty so the event was postponed. The events of the spring of 1917, with war declared, the draft, the success I had had in paying off the debts of my schooling all pointed to the fact that if we were going to get married then was the time and so we did, the 24th of May 1917. Lenore gave us a wedding supper and Uncle Howard and Aunt Eva Driggs gave us a dinner. We packed our possessions in a pair of trunks and boarded the train for Ely, Nevada, man and wife. The attatched clipping from the Salt Lake Telegram of May 24th 1917 shows how unsophisticated I was at the time. This same day Lynn Driggs and Margaret Van Brinton were married, also Medora Henry and Will Benge. Bishop Joseph Chrestensen performed the ceremony for Nola and I and Waldo Lyman was witness to the marriage.

Activities in Married Life: May 26, 1917, found us a newly-wed couple in a hotel in East Ely, Nevada, with me working in Kimberly, 10 miles up the canyon. Nola sort'o'felt like a cracker shut up in a box so in about ten days we obtained a couple of rooms in a house and a month later we rented A. B. Lightfoot's house in Ely and George Steele lived with us and worked with me in Kimberly. The following Sunday Bishop Carl K. Conrad of Ruth (Nevada) came over and notified me that I had been selected as Presiding Elder of the Ely Branch of McGill Ward and I was duly set apart to that office, which I held until my return to Salt Lake in the spring of 1919. The Wednesday following my appointment as Presiding Elder I had to conduct a double funeral for a family of saints in Ely who had lost two boys through some intestinal poisoning. Funerals were my new line, having attended only one before in my life, but Verne and Earl McCullough were there and Earl did the praying and Verne, recently returned from a mission, did the speaking and everything passed as smooth as clockwork. Vern's sermon did much good in the vicinity and we conducted several cottage meetings in the few months following.

The power in the Priesthod was made manifest on many occasions: A Catholic lady had a daughter down with pneumonia and she was frantic for aid. She saw my temple garments hanging on the clothes line at Sister Goodall's place (she did my laundry work) and she went in and asked who they belonged to, she said she knew that whoever wore those garments could heal the sick. However, by the time she found me and we reached her home the girl was breathing her last and she just asked me to bless her and seemed to feel a great relief and satisfaction at having that blessing before the girl passed away.

Sister Sorensen, of Kimberly, a sister to Sister Goodall was taken down with pneumonia and flu during the 1918 epidemic. The doctor had been treating her but the case became too severe for him to devote his time to it in connection with all the other urgent cases and he gave her case to us, saying he had done all he could for her. Her husband came up and asked me to come to her place and I administered to her and she obtained almost immediate relief and the next morning when the doctor called he found no indication of pneumonia and was so surprised that he said some power greater than his had been at work to make such a change.

A few days after the above incident Bro. and Sister Goodall came down with the flu. They doctored themselves as best they could, the quarantine was in effect and they said nothing to other people until abut a week had passed then she became worse and he got up and administered to her and she was practically healed or cured from the affliction but he took a set-back and took to hiccupping. After a couple of days of this he was taken to the hospital in a critical condition. He had been in the hospital several days before my attention was called to what had taken place and due to the stict quarantine we were advised to keep away from other people and public places. Sister Goodall sent for me about midnight. I sterilized my masks and went down to the hospital. He had been hiccupping for a week and had not been able to keep anything on his stomach for a week. When he came into the hospital the nurse said she had never seen a case with the hiccup live. Two had died that afternoon of the Flu and when the nurse asked if she should call the undertaker's car. The doctor said, "No, wait a little while and there will be another one and they can take them all in one trip." Charlie heard this conversation and raised up and said, "I'm not going to die, doctor."

When I reached the hospital Charlie greeted me and as best he could in his feeble condition and between the hiccups told me what he had done and heard. He then, with great difficulty, offered a prayer and promised his creator that if he would preserve his life he would devote it to His service. I administered to him and from that minute the hiccups ceased. I stayed there a half hour and left. About a half hour later Sister Goodall came wading through the snow to tell me they had started again. I went back down and as long as I stayed there he was alright. After about an hour I left, telling Sister Goodall that if they started again to give him a teaspoonful of the consecrated oil. During the remainder of the night she gve him oil several times and in the morning they had ceased. He was improved, had slept and retained an egg for breakfast for the first time in a week. The doctor and the nurse marvelled,and the incident was the talk of the staff for weeks. Charlie got better. He stayed out as the presiding Elder in my place and became active in the church. He and his good wife saved about three thousand dollars, came to Price, Utah, built two frome houses, rented them and he went on a mission and has been active in the Church to this date, November 1931.

I was very successful while in Nevada but following the war the copper mines closed down and in the spring of 1919 we returned to Salt Lake. In the meantime our baby girl, Alice, was born in the L.D.S. Hospital at 8:45 a.m., March 12 1918. Prior to this time Mother Callister had a paralytic stroke and was confined to her bed in their home at 271 Belmont (Salt Lake City). To be near them we purchased a home at 279 Hubbard Ave., Salt Lake City. It was my desire to invest my money in something in Salt Lake that would enable me to live here in the city and to be where we could go to the Temple and be near Nola's mother and father and Laura. I invested about $1,200.00 in the home and $1,700.00 in the Twin Screw Pump Co. I took the agency for the pumps in Idaho and spent about $600.00 in travel, with Nola, and included a trip through Yellowstone Park, came back home and operated the pump plant for the greater part of a year.

The pump plant at 465 West 8th South became too much involved to bring in any revenue so I went to work for John Lyman and Herman Schrader. I worked out a water system for Scofield and Goshen and St. George. While in St. George, Jean, Jr., my first and only boy (to date) was born in the L.D.S. Hospital at 3:30 on the afternoon of May 9, 1921. Alice was a plump, round, chubby bit of a youngster but Jean, Jr. was long and angular. I'll never forget how long and flat his feet were and his hands and fingers seemed half as long as mine when he was but a few days old. In December of 1921 I went to work for the State Road Commission and worked with them as Field Draftsman, Location Engineer, Designer, Bridge Inspector, Resident Engineer and Office Engineer until April 15, 1925. During this time my second dughter, Marjorie, was born in the L.D.S. Hospital at 7:03 a.m., February 5, 1925.

April of 1925 found me with Glen and George Steele aboard a truck with several month's provisions headed for Gold Hill, Utah, to take up mining. After a few months of prospecting and operation of the Monoca property, I decided it would take much more capital than I had in sight to carry on so I came back to town and in a couple of days had a job as a designer at Bauer, Utah, with the Combined Metals Reduction Co. After completing the disign of their propose leaching plant, I worked six months surveying the Honerine Mine. The drain tunnel caved in and shut the mine down six months, during which time I operated the crushing plant. Then orders came to increase the capacity of the flotation mill and I worked on that design until the design was complete and construction nearly complete.

The summer previous July 31, 1928, Nola's father, after a life of usefulness and a day of service lay peacefuly on his bed and passed into the great beyond to join his dear wife who passed away January 2, 1920. That left Nola and the children, with Laura, alone and I made application with Howard Barker for the position of Building Inspector for the Board of Education. This positon was open February, 1929. With the Board of Education I checked the design of the Jordan and Jackson Jr. High Schools and took charge of the Irving Jr. High and in May of 1930 I took active charge of the South High School and was engaged in the inspection of that building until the opening of school September, 1931.

My third daughter, Lois, was born in the L.D.S. Hospital February 19, 1930, shortly after 12 0' clock noon. She was a tiny babe, six pounds and one quarter of an ounce, much like Marjorie in disposition and features. Harold Starley, my adopted son was left an orphan by the death of his parents. His mother, Edna Callister, a sister of my wife died July 28, 1927, and her husband, John Wade Starley, father of Harold died October 2, 1927, from intestinal trouble developed after the death of his Mother, Edna, and prior to his father's death October 2, 1927.