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Show Myron Tanner 291 the various properties he owned while in Provo, a his most important asset. "When the mining probably gristmill broke out in excitement Montana, the demand for flour brought that to a sack.'?" This was the time of his greatest $25 commodity up or in his own words, "During the days of the Montana prosperty, boom I did better financially than any similar period in my life.'?" Among was Myron gave up his farm when he turned his attention to pursuits, in fact he acquired even more land, but the farm never industrial was never his chief source of income. had been in Provo Myron elected to the City Council, a only two years position he was when he was first to hold a total of twenty years. In 1864 he was made bishop of the Provo Third Ward and held for twenty-seven years until 1891. The circumstances position of this appointment are of interest. Speaking of this he said: that was in Salt Lake at the time and knew nothing of it. Brother George A. met with the ward, and asked if they would sustain me, and the vote was unanimous. On my return home the news was broken by a neighbor, a Jew by the name of Ben Backman. Learning that I was coming home he came out about four blocks to meet me and I greeted me with my new title, "Bishop." surprised in my life and was, perhaps never more For three days I did not venture down town. Of all tried. severely positions I considered that of Bishop in the church most undesirable." I was never more rough people, and was probably the toughest "Many of the neighbors ridiculed territory religion and made the bishop often the butt of their ridicule. Being a bishop in Provo was a most difficult position to fill. It would be exciting if one could say that he brought about an immediate reformation and changed the place into an ideal Latter-day Saint community. Such was not the case; it was a slow and painful But when he retired as bishop, he knew that he had left process. the place much better than he found it. In 1866 Myron married his second wife, Ann Crosby, and brought her to his home. Mary Jane had been prepared for the event, but no amount of perparation or relgious indoctrination, can prevent a deep hurt in the soul of a woman when she is called upon to share her husband with another. Jane's journal has this to say: "May Provo town in the was full of at that time. "26 |
