. Utah since statehood, historical and biographical . ll business. Brighter opportunities and the irresistible lure of the new country had broughtthem to America, but instead of finding here the good fortune for which they had hoped,prayed and of which they dreamed, the next year they met with the direst of tragedies,when the father and two daughters were fatally stricken during the cholera scourgeof 1851. The situation which then confronted the mother and her four sons may wellbe imagined; it was one approaching utter desperation and which would have dauntedeven braver hearts. The boys secure
. Utah since statehood, historical and biographical . ll business. Brighter opportunities and the irresistible lure of the new country had broughtthem to America, but instead of finding here the good fortune for which they had hoped,prayed and of which they dreamed, the next year they met with the direst of tragedies,when the father and two daughters were fatally stricken during the cholera scourgeof 1851. The situation which then confronted the mother and her four sons may wellbe imagined; it was one approaching utter desperation and which would have dauntedeven braver hearts. The boys secured positions as peddlers of fancy notions and inthis way managed to keep themselves and their mother away from actual want. Allfour of the boys early exhibited the talents of born merchants and in the few monthsof apprenticeship which they served in St. Louis they learned many things pertinentto business life and at the same time came into the notice of William Nixon, a promi-nent merchant of St. Louis and later known as the father of Utah MATTHEW H. WALKER UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD 93 At this time tlie broad areas beyond the continental divide were attracting atten-tion, the mountains were yielding up their mineral wealth, land thought to be arid wastewas blossoming under the care of the settlers, communities were growing, business ofall kinds was being established, so it was only natural that Mercy Walker and her sonsshould consider seriously the advisability of emigrating to the new country. In April,1852, their decision was made. They disposed of most of their household goods, purchased a stout wagon and someoxen and then joined a wagon-train which was beginning the journey across the long trip proved to be one of great hardship, superinduced in large measure by thefact that they lost most of their cattle en route and were forced to trade the remain-der to the Indians, in exchange for ponies and other equipment with which to continuethe journey. The wagon
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