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FIEST PLACE AHECLOTE WILL'S JOKE Mary Louise Seamons 1774 South 340 East Orem, Utah 84058 Will was a saver. Nothing was ever wasted. Perhaps he had learned this from the friendly Indian boys with whom he played as a young lad herding the family cattle in the Big Field north of his home in Mt. Pleasant, or from those who camped in his corral and prepared the offal he had discarded from his slaughtering business into "appetizing" meals, drying the stomachs and crushing then into meal, and roasting the entrails over their campfires. Perhaps it was a result of his early training as one of numerous children of a polygamous father and a conservative mother with limited means. Whatever the reason, Will was frugal. Once he was with a small group of other men, including his brother-in-law Billy Watson. When they spied a small piece of wire lying on the ground ahead of the wagon, Billy whispered to the others, "Watch Will. He'll stop and pick that up." Sure enough. Will, who was driving the team, stopped the wagon, stepped to the ground, and picked up the bit of wire before proceeding on their journey. The joke, however, was on Billy and the others. A short time later a part on the wagon broke, an incident which could have resulted in a costly delay. But Will, taking the length of wire he had salvaged earlier, soon had the wagon repaired, and they were on their way. Story told by Will's widow and children. Willard Frandsen was born 14 August I863 at Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and died there 24 May 1933. He is the grandfather of the author. 4 S2C01ID PLACE AllECDOTS FIGHT THAT FIRE Lois S. Broim Ilanti, Utah 84642 Fixe! The Tenple! The words spread rapidly and created panic. The fire high on the east tower of the Temple must be extinguished! But how? A bucket brigade from the Brigham Ditch up all those steps was considered and started, but what a trickle that was. Hoses? Problems of all kinds. Then-almost a miracle! About a year earlier, a salesman convinced a. local druggist to buy a fire extinguisher. The device was ?uite impressive, copper trimmed with brass, standing about two feet tall. It held about five gallons of water with a bottle of chemicals in the top. There was a hose, and when it was tipped upside down the water and chemicals mixed and a stream of fire-retardant streamed from the hose. In his store the druggist displayed his acquisition and several men purchased extinguishers. Then they ¦planned, hung the devices in their homes, and made a list of all locations where they were placed. The men had not experienced a fire of proportions that required calling all their purchases into use. But, when the panic button was pressed, fire at the Temple, their plan was activated. Into cars went men and extinguishers. Some of the men were unavailable, 30 volunteers quickly were found, and away they went. There was almost a problem when a man asked about their recommends, but the men were on their way to put out probably the cost important fire in Manti's history. Up the steps they went, strong active men, two, sometimes three steps at a time, and soon several streams of chemicals were working on the flames and 5 |