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Show John Tanner and His 300 Family sons 1849, Elizabeth had all her family together. Four of her were now grown men, able Myron, Seth, Freeman, and Joseph of - and to take their willing place in the world. The winter of 1849-50 was a sad one for the family, John Tanner, short of though not an old man by present standards (he was just While rheumatism. seventy-two), was attacked with an acute form of the do work, there there was plenty of manpower in the family to who Tanner grew pro was no one who could take the place of father gressively worse and died April 13, 1850. The Tanner home would never be the same without this colorful, devoted man, and his efficient management would be sorely missed. Soon after their father's death, Myron and Seth decided to go to the gold fields of California to seek their fortunes. There is no in formation as to what prompted this action, but brother Albert was there panning for gold, and besides the gold fever was epidemic in Utah at this time. George A. Smith, Mormon apostle and long-time friend of the family, loaned the boys a yoke of oxen and a wagon and presumably gave them his blessing. Whether President Young was consulted is not stated, but many of the stories that are told of his dislike for California and its gold are misleading. He had no objection to the gold, and in a number of instances he encouraged parties to go to California and bring back the precious metal, which on occasion found its way into the coffers of some of the less affluent church leaders. What he did not want was for the Saints to abandon Utah for Cali fornia. Myron and Seth met with fair success in the gold fields. They leader, George A. Smith, who had staked them. With their first earnings they sent him $400 in gold were - generous to their beloved church three or four times the value of the team and wagon he gave them. It is not known if Myron and Seth worked as partners at the mines, nor is it known how much Seth was able to accumulate, but Myron states that during his stay he saved $1,250. If Seth did as well they would have had a nice sum to make a payment on a farm in San Bernardino, when they arrived in the fall of 1852. In the chapter on the San Bernardino Mission the decision of Mother Elizabeth to accompany the Amasa M. Lyman Company to California is related. Her decision to move to San Bernardino may have been influenced by the fact that two of her sons and a stepson |
