Autobiography of Niels Bergeson

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Copied Exactly As He Wrote It

Logan April 5, 1922 A Short Skets of my life for a referens to my Famely the 29 of febr. 1840 a Streger (stranger) Cam to a famely alredy over stockt acording to ther Cirkumstanses but it Simes (seems) like i was welcum anny way for the time being a thrue (sic) mother wil do mor for her ofspring then anny other leving been but alas it wasint long befor we was to part ther was' 3 Sisters and one yunger Brother in the Famely my Father was an Old man being, his Second marigs (marriage) he was a Ship Carpenter by tread & war emploid by reparing & building litel boats for the fisher men at bout (both) Sids (sides) of the Sea Cald Eresun (Oresund betwin the Contrys of Sveden & Danmark wen barely 6 years old my diar mother Died & all the Famely was brocken up my Father found plases in Famelis for my Sisters & my younger Bro in Danmark but i was left alone in Sveden with some of my rallativs to tack (take) care of me but the (they) didint do it So i was Cast out like a Ship in the Osian to Swem or Sink efter about 6 monts loving alone in the Old home i tuck (took) sick & Som nabors tuck me in won i godt wel i was sold to the loest bidder (bidder) for to herd or any other Sirvis the (they) Cald (could) get of me i had verry littel Chans to goe to School my poer Old Father had all he could do to provied(sic) for him Self & my yunger Brother in this way i growd up (page 2) but i Cam (can) nor (never) foget (forget) a good old nebor women she sum time tuck me over to her home & Cliend (cleaned) me up & alsae (also) gived me Som thing to Et but She had a big Famely of her op & was . poor efter i had ben of (away) for 30 years i Cam back & fund her stil a life -bot befor this auction (action) took plaso i had a verry hard time of it for 5-6 monts i had to lef of som wild mielk wieds & groin peas & Sam tims i went with an Old blind man from plaso to ply bage (bogging) for Som thing to Eat ho was the Spocksman (spokesman) and Cariod the bage & won we Cam home he deviodod up with me i then wont home to my Old Caben to rest over niegt but loo it was hard no mother no Father not a Solo in the haus (house) but mo & the haus ful of big ugly rats & if i had a lithol (little) broad & Choos tho (they) would Eat it for MD Soo i had to tio it up & hang it in the Sealing and at tiems i was soo discorog (discouraged) that i hated to goo to bead and wen all was still & darknes Came i stad out Side the haus and Cride most bitherly for my dear mother at last i had to goo & lay down in this miseroblo nost to next morning this was the hardest life any Chiol (child) of my ago could hav & love (live) but with the help of God 1 Strogeld (struggled) thru & is still here at the ago of 82--wen 14 yers of ago i was going to be tuck up as a member in the luterian Church & had to goe to the roharsal bofar the Prist & be Comformd i remember my todos (thoughts) Cam to me haute (how) Shal i bo abel to Cape (keep) this promises as we had to mock befor we was promitod (sic) to portack of the Sacrament of the order of that Church (pogo 3) i do the best i Could under the Circumstanses but now i was froo to goo wer i ploast & i Sot Sael for Danmark to fiend (find) Father & Brother & Sisters we was now in Danmark i wonto (went to) work for farmers & Som time as a Temster in the City of Copenhagen allso at tims on the Realrod in this way the tim went on till i was 23 doring some of this years (sic) ther was a quit (quite) of Stier in the Robogios world & somthing was a Soprist (surprise) to the Comunotis a Church Cold the mormons or latter day Saints it was in the Erly foftys (early fifties my Brother godt to hear Some of the Elders intradasin (introducing) thor prinseplos & Camonsing in Wostogot tho Same ho wont to Copenhagen an ther found that an Apostel of jesus Crist h-ld Cam from America in Company with a Brother P. Fosgron he then found out to his satisfaction that Erastus snow was the man Claming the Sam (same) autorety (authority) that the apostols of Bibel history had & ho,,my brother, bocom a Convot (convert) to the Church ho heard the Apostl Spick (spook) in the donis langwits (Danish language) & Brother Fasgon (sic) tellon horn hau he was introdust to the party Cald thorn solvs the united Brodren as the apostel & Bra Fosgron wont au (out) from ther hotel ano (and) Caning to fion a plaso to hold meting the (they) met a man crosing the way the (they) wont (and) the (they) stopt and askt hem (him) (pogo 4) if he Could tel thorn a plaso wer the (they) Could hold a relis gu meting ho then told then (them) he was going to a meting & if tho(y) with (wished) tho(y) Cold (could) goo with hem to wich (which) tho(y) Consented & her(e) the(y) met with a Congrction (sic) of this united Brodren wor the apostol was Gond upon to S p ick & intorpctot (interpreted) by Br. fasgron the Spirit of God was pord out in Such fors that all to a man was Converted and was babtist & sot apart by the apostol to goo out amongs the Peapol (people) to intradus tho Gospel of joeos Christ & wos oxoptod (accopted) by Som of the poor &

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hnnble but met with gret oppersition amongst the Common Clasos osposely (ospocially) the wclty (wealthy) & religios piaplo (peoplo) i was at this time 15-16 yers old & didint payd much atontion to anny religion but ofun heard my brother talk abath (about) the mormons & wist at time that i had never hoard it as i felt in my harth (heart) that ther was som thing in it thor eventually) would demand obedions about this time i got mariod at the age of 23 & lcvd in the same town as my Bruthor & friquently Converst with horn evontuly his haus Cot fior (fire)) & him & his wife was Cast out & with out seater & no-ono would rent thor haus to a mormon see ho came to me & askt if i Coudint tack (take) them in for a wiel (while) til the(y) Could find Some plase to rent i felt it my dooty (duty) to help them in thcr disthros to tack (page 5) them in it was about the sam as to be Cald a mormon but i Consulton with my wife we tuck the Old Copele in & evontuly it Cam out as was ockspected we wor from that (day) on Cald by that dredful name but has pruvd a great biasing to mo & my lamely after the(y) had ben thor for a Short time a misioncr Came to visit thorn & won i Came home in the Evning i was soprist (surprised) to mote him thor & we had a verry interesting Convorcetion on the point of religion must admet that he had the best of the argument ho askt for porraition to stay over night to wich we consented that was the first misionor staing in my hauso but thank God not the last in the morning bofor he loft he ofrod a bock of mormon to me but i sayd i had no time to read it but ho sayd he wold love it with mo to read wen i get time with that he left & a long time wont on without mo finding time to read it Eventuli i was brouth (brought) down to tack time i was working in the Park wer the King and the roial lamely was living in the Sommer (summer) and i was ingeats (engaged) for a tim treming trcas (trimming trees) & one day was liko Soon Stracisun-struck) & morly manist (managed) to whck (walk) home & then i had to lay in baodo for 9-10 dayos onabol (unable) to rise (page 6) my self from tho bead then Cam to think of the bock that the mormon Elder had loft for me to read & i Cald for it my Wife brogt it & read it from pram to pram & won i was thru i declard it was not reaten (written) by the Wisdom of man but was the Nark of God & i hav that testamon privaling with me to this day & ha y brought the Sam to menny of my fellobeings both hiy & loo the 14 of jannuvar 1867 i was babtist into the Church of jesus Christ & for to prevent any onnessecery thesturbans (disturbance) i went out in the midel of nicht with the Elder P. A. Nielson to the Sea Shor & was bibtist & order in (ordained) to an Elder & Cald to asist the misioners in that Part of the Contry & now Comenst the triols for gud i was so beset by my wivs Brothers & Sisters that i didint kno(w) wat to do bosids all my farmer fronds & Comorads wor (whore) i was working my wife was by all this proveld to Call on the prost & the offisers of the law to ither got mo to renauns my religion or giv her a dovors (divorce) this was the hardest triols of my life i ernetly (earnestly) prod (prayed) to the Lord to giv mo power to stand this hardsiop (sic) or a chans to emogrot a forseblo answer cam to me if thou is featful in 3 years you shal hav a Chans to Enegret had now to aper bofor the Priast to answr (sic) to her Cal for a Dovors or ronouns my religion i met at the apointod tim (page 7) together with my wife the quistion was puttomo (sic) wath (what) wil you do in this Case wil you ronouns yur Conexian with this onpopul (unpopular) & disgrosful propel Cold mormons or will you Devors your wif to with (which) i answered i wil not ronouns my fact in the Gosple of jesus Crist & if my Wife is the torment (determined) to have a devors i shal have to submit but at that point she Comens to Crie and we went home together & the devors was never askt agane was now working in the Park & garden bofor montiond & had the oporturneti to bor my testamony to manny bout (both) hie & be & in short time i babtist my wife in to the Church & a brother Hanson fron Hierum (Hyrum) Comfornd (sic) her from now on we wer unieted & the Elders was allways wolcum in our home i was happy to hav the hop(e) in 3 years to Emigrat during this time i had the opporturnity to Con yers with Some of the Royoal famely & esposoly tho Kraunprins (Crown Prince) ho was vorry free & often mod (made) inquiry in to temporal tints as wol as religos condions (conditions) i told hin my rolius (r eligious) standing & tostefied of the Gospel of jesus christ being rostord to Erte (earth) in this our days by this way i had som vorry interesting conversotions with him & was nowon (known) as a mormon by the hol Lamely oven the Old King Crestin (Christian) IX askt questions at tins my Brother & his wife was allsoo working thor in the (page 8) garden but i was sot to weat (weed) the Royal famely play graund noe had to mongol with them Evry day the(y) wor vorry & Convorst wit(h) any onv rdlout, minmontingo (oomments) but prins frederick being abut (about) the same age as me wer mor fre & taketiv (talkative) then any of the Famely i had to opporturnet(y) to talk to the King of Greco° & his quin (queen) Olga she was a verry happy & lifly young lady at the time the(y) was ther for a visit to the Old King & famoly also the Czar of russia & his wifo Prinsos Dagmar was thor i had the oporturnety to waoto (wait) on all of them Ciping (kooping) thor play graun in order & bringing froth flaurs to thor windows at one time thor was a tent braut (brought) ther for to sleep in if nessosory as the 2

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Old pallas (palace) was over field (filled) an(d) as thor was no admittens for Strangers tho(y) war verry free & ful of play the tent was a verry fien and Costly one made of find linnon lind with Silk i was told to dig a hole for the Sentor Pollo & thean the Krawnprins wont & Set the Poul in plas but won the(y) all Comens (cociencod) to pull in the rops he Couldint hold it & all the tent foll in a hop (heap) then the Old King Crostian told me to go in & Sot the pole in plaso an hold it ther in order to goo over the silk lind tent so i Set my Shoos ther &: wont in to put the polo in plaso & the(y) all Comcns to pull the rops & the tent wont up won i Cane out from the tent i was laking (looking) for my shoos but the(y) wasint thor laking round for them i Saw the Crowd all in a ring with (page 9) Prinsos Olga stip dansen in my (stop dancing) shoos & all had a jolly time won i was standing ther waiting for my shoos the Kranprins Can & told me prinses Olga hav your Shoos & dancing in So i Sayd She will Soon get tiord (sic) of thon & So i godt then back on one ocatian (occasion) i had the operturnaty to treat the prinses Dagnar with Chorrys She was out for a Waolk in the park Caning raun (around) wer i was to waok (walk) nor a grow of Cherey trees with Som fine fruit on She lockt (looked) up an Sayd 0 wor the lacks good (look good) wis(h) i could rech them to with i Sayd if your hignes (highness) wich (wishes) son of then i Cou rich (could roach) them then i wont up in the tree & brock down Som Bransos full of frut & Cast ten (them) down Sho Standing under the tree holding the dros out to Catos (catch) thorn & bofor i Cam down her Brother Frederick was thor ho Sayd wont it hurt the treo to brock the lcmos (limbs) of(f) to wich i answord it wil do the Prinsos nor good than it wil hurt the throe (sic) than ho tuck out has pars givd me a dollar it was a butyful plaso to lov in ful of all Clan (kinds) of flauors & trees birds of all Crind & a fick pond with Swans Swarming in won tho(y) See Son on(e) Conming the(y) Can Clos to the Bank waiting (waiting) for Somting to be trowon (thrown) out for then to Eat i would had a good opporturnoty fo(r) a posation in thor sirvos if i had :..plied for it but i had no dosior for it becaso i lockt fowerd to the time won i shald gather to (page 10) Zion wich was nor than all the riches of the World to me an(d) oventuly the tine Came as i had ben told by the still & inspiring Spirrit of the lard the three years was hardly past as bofor meniond (sic) won a man that i had novor soon or Spook to Can & ofrod to laond no monny to Emogrot to Zion & i was glad to ocsopt of it but bofor this i had tryed to get Son mons (moans) for this purpos but fold (failed) i onos askt the Kranprins for Son help but he Sayd he was not in favor (favor) of Emogrotion betas nanny of our best poopel (sic) is Enogroting but he govd no 5 dollar but Sayd he would gay me son more but ho didint had anny nor with him at at (sic) present but wont of(f) sem war to England or Rusia Soo i didint godt to So horn bofor i Emogrotod & didint not him agon bofor 20 years had past won i Came back on a nision in 1890-92 but in the last year i was thor ho was ongods to the Svodis Prinsos Lawis & at tins tuck a walk with her in the Park one day tho(y) Came arm in arm walking wor i was to wark picking Chorrys as i Soo (saw) them Conning i Stipt down from the tree with my basket of Cherry and hold it to then to help them Sclvs the(y) thock (took) a hand ful its an(d) in all Somplessety Started Eat Chati (chatting) plesantly an left a dollar in my hand the next day he Cane alone (page 11) the first thing otter i had saluted horn he sayd howe do you like my lady to wich i answord i like her fine but i think thor hiones (your highness) like her bettor & Congratulodod him with his intended bride that was the last Convocation i had with hem wen i loft my Old Brother & Wife was working thor for Sam years in wits i Coresponded with them & Some times he Enquierd for no how i was gething along & at Som oketion (occasion) my brother handed my letter over to hen & he road it & handed it back to (him) saying won you wrigt to hem ga y my bast regards Eftcr Som years the tow (two) Old people was gettig (sic) anabol (unable) to work & was about to be Sent to the Pourhaus but wen i heard that i Send for my Bro first as i hadint monny onogh to Send for them boot (both) he Cane thru allrigt & the next yaor(sic) i Send for his Wief (sic) Soo the(y) war bout (both) Emogrotod from thor bofor i Cane back on the nision & won i had an audions with the Prins regent at the Pallas of Amalionborg in the City of Kappenhagen he inquiord to the Old folks how the(y) war gething (sic) along i had a verry interesting Coversution with hem both) on religion & polletick i ronowd ni tostamonny to him we not with a harty hand shack & eftor we war thru ho rich (reached) out his hand & Sayd God blos you on your jorny (page 12) home & if you Can to Danmark agon Can and Soo me but i never Can to Danmark agon i Gros the atlantick in Company with brother Fjolsted & jesse N. Smith in 1870intho_first _ Emegrant tron (train) Coming tru (through) to Ogden on roalrod ---- wo was about 300 from the Skandinavian Contry my Lamely & Several others Cam to Logan and gotled down in the bogining of agust the Same year i wont to work for the farmers & in the Conlon the first of the winter & had a hard tiro to mack a leven but i was in Zion an(d) i never lockt back wit(h) regret for the step i had taken but was glad

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& thankful to God for the prospockt i had in the futur to mack my home with the Peopol of God i had the opportunety to Shack hands with President Brigham Young as ho mot us in Ogden & wont thru the Cars & bed (bid) us all wolcom this was the beginning of a new era of my life Bro Creston Nielsson the man hom (whom) i godt the monny from for my Emegretion wanted me to Setlo in Logan Soe i mad my home ther for 2 years my Lamely Consisted of Wife & 3 Children 1 Son & 2 datyor the next Spring in 71 i went out to litho]. Cottenwod Canion to work in the mins & Stad ther for 4 monts $2.50 per day i had bad luck Cam nor (near) ben laded (leaded) & had to quit & goo home on my way hom i had the Expiriens of ben robed of my littel iernnings as i was riding with a Bro. Chadwig from franklin Idaho (page 13) this hapend in the mont of Agust 1871 he pretend to be a Brother he had a Son leving in Slatersvil & ther we Stopt over nigth (sic) the next morning we had Breckfest & Started of(f) for home efter travling a littel ways i faund mi pocket bock goen with all i had about $85 i went back to to (sic) find it but it was goen for good Soe i faund my Self Sick & pennyles in a Strens (strange) Contry it was a trying ordel for me to pas tru (through) in my exstrim distres i went to my only hop & trust in God to help me overkom this triels i therfor went in a lonly plase & pord out my Sold in hambel (humble) praer to my Hevenly father to giv me Strengt to Stand the triels ther was Cam opon me i emiedent (immediately) found Som reliv & i presided (proceeded) to Start on Lot (foot) Sick & pennyles to fin(d) my Famely in Logan it was a Sad Condition to mit (met) my famely poor as the(y) wer & another Son was Com Wiel i was a way from home We naemd (sic) him Ephrahem (Ephraim) as he was the first of my famely born in the Land of Ephrahim (sic) in this trying Condition i had to faes another winter Emty handed & a Strenger in the Contry but i Staed with it & by the help of God i Cam out wicktorious but that man hom i was traveling with wen i went back to lock for my lost Bonny he trowd (threw) my things of(f) the wagon & prosided on his way Soe i had to fotit (foot it) from Slatersvil to Logan & hag (find) my way but i Stod it & Cam home the next Day (page 14) Efter a few days of rest i godt wel & wont out to hunt for wark & i was sun (soon) bessy (busy) as over i vent to work Cutting hay & Stack it for winter efter Wiel a man Cam & ofrod me a Cow for half of it i took hom up on the trod (trade) an(d) we had a Cow and hay itch (sic) my hay land was the Stroots & Slus (sic) wer i Could find Som. greas (grass) Standing i Soon Omens (commenced) picking up the Castums (customs) & langwich of the Contry i wil mention Som other very Sore tril (trial) wiol working in the miens (sic) a man by the nano of Halverson a former president of the Coppenhagen Confercns hoses (sic) levd in Logan & had his famely ther was going home & i tuck hem for a brother & a honest man & Send $25-with hem to my Wife but ho was a falen Subjockt (fallen) & boom a tivo (thief) he gievd (sic) my wife $10 and Cipt (kept) the $15 for hemself he Came back to work in the mine & Sayd nothing about it in till i godt a letter from home tenon math (what) he had don i godt after hem & with a lot of trubel godt Som of it back but not all an(d) to nack it Still more agrevoten an apostate) was tolling the man hom (whom) i owd (sic) for my Emogretion that i hadint lost anny monny it was only an excus for not to pay anny on my Emegretion but the(y) bout (both) went down in missery & wil hay ther roward i hav ben blest & prosprd bot(h) temporal & Spirituel & acknollego the hand of God in all tings (sic) this was my first yaer (sic) in Zion (page 15) the next yaer (sic) in the Winter i was working in the Canion Cuthing (sic) tember i had prepard to mack my hom down by the Logan rover Close by the Canal wer joseph my Second Son was born in October 72 won i made up my mine (mind) to nog; to Lewiston wer i Started to work for Bro Olson the firs winter in the Spring i took up a homestad of 80 acors (sic) riot (right) on tho bank of Cub river wer i dug a seller and levd in for a year or tow (sic) it was a hard time no wathor (water) we was working on the Cub river Canal for. Several yaers (sic) befor we got the wathor out dur withs (which) timo we had the Greshoppers & Crocets (crickets) frost until the pla.se was Calid the poverty flat ther was no Sheol or meting haus i had the opporturny (sic) to help to build the firs mithing (meeting) haus tiler Bishop Lewis was Stil loving in richmond in 1875-6 We camonst to improv a littel an(d) then Cam the realrod in to Cache) Vally & with it a littel monny befor it was noting (nothing) but trod (trade) of products cr Stor order About 1875 i with my Wife went thru the Endoment (Endowment) Haus at Salt Lake City and godt our Endonents Br Daniel H. Wels and Hirun Simht (sic), Joseph Snit was the workers in the Haus together with Lis° (Liza) Young for th(o) Sisters in 1877 ther was a genneral procecution Sot a flot by the,Gentils agenst the Church of God becaus of poliggano as the goverment. (sic) had been stord (stirrod) by apostat(es) to Such a pit(ch) that nanny of the lodors (sic) of the Church was arestd & all the Church property was Confisketed under this Condition (p71ge 16) Brigara (sic) Young Died 1877 & john talor (Taylor) was in oksicl (exile) but but (sic) eventual all was Set right & we wer levt (left) to Sir y God as we

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felt i was striving to build a haus & Godt a log haus put up So we Could get cut of the Seller to do this i had to work for Bro Hagen a day to get a tome the next to goo in Canion to got the logs for the Haus i rented Son land of Bro. Hagen robert loves on the Est (cast) Sid of the Cub rover & had a litel grain to troko (trade) in the fall abut (about) this tim(e) the Temple of Logan was Started & i was Cald to Wark thor i Hald (hauled) manny lods of lumber & rocks from the Canion & wen the ralrode started i went out to work ther & had good Sucses & mod (sic) Som monny & build up the home by this time my Famely was increasing (increasing) & Soon Counted nerly a dosin (dozen) my Oldst Dagthor (sic) Josephin was then 19-20 & was mariod to Niels Hagan & mov to Idaho & my Oldest Son Frederick was mariod 2 years later ho also moved to Idaho by that time i wont to buld (sic) a Haus at Cherry Crick (creek) Clos by Richmond & planted an Orcher (sic) thor & i had Send for my Brother & his wife tho(y) levd in that Haus for a wiel in 1890 i was Cald to goo on a vision to Skandynavia i lef Salt Lake City at the Oktobor Conforens & landed in Coppenhagon 2 wicks letr (weeks later) (page 17) Wen i returnd in 1892 i dovided my property with my first Famely & went down to millard County on the Church farm Cald (called) Abrahm (sic) i buold (sic) a Doha haus & doug (dug) a artison (artesian) well the first one ther & as a School trusti (trustee) i help to buold the first Shool Haus in that part of the Contry after 5 yers exspirion with poor Crops i Concluded to liv & Cam to Logan with my Second Famoly with wifo & 5 Sons the(y) all green (grown) by this time 2922 I am past 82 but Still in fare helt (health) Som of Sons & grand Sons has Sirvd in the armo as Soldiers Som on mexekan (Mexican) Borders & Son over the Sao (Sea) 5 of them hav traveld as misionors in diforons (different) parts of the World in the united Stats & Europ & australia tho(y) ar(e) all Chruch (sic) members & to Som extent do thor duty the Oldest of the last famel(y) Aborham narian Bergeson has just roturnd from a mision to the Sentral Stats St Lewis, Mo. wer he has ben working for 2 yaors (sic) from 1920-22

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