Earlier survivor

Dear Editor,

Generally, Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family, published in the Gazette is right on target. I saved the column printed on Aug. 23, 2001, because it made me think of my great grandfather, August A. Hjorth. The main theme, "Rough Times Build Maturity," truly applied to his life.

He was born March 4, 1846, at Braaby, Luv, in the county of Soro, Denmark. His ancestors were guards to some of the Danish Kings. Painted on their shields was a hjorth or stag (male deer). They were descendants of vikings.

By the time August was born, those exciting days were gone forever. "The Isles, a History," written in 1999 by Norman Davis and the World Book Encyclopedia both describe the hardships faced by Denmark. Until 1788, a majority of Danes were serfs tied tot he land. In 1847, public pressure forced King Frederick VII to accept a democratic constitution, which was signed in 1849.

Loss of political power and possessions, sea power and trade, caused big economic losses. Denmark's working class was dependent on craft guilds for training and employment. Most of the common people could not afford a formal education. Niels Hjorth, August's father, was a hardworking blacksmith from Norager (Holbek), on the Sjaelland peninsula. Yet, he could barely support his family. So, he arranged for 7-year-old August to be apprenticed to a shoemaker. The boy received room and board in exchange for work. Young August often was homesick and cried himself to sleep. At age 10, he was given a written recommendation stating that he was a good boy and a good worker and sent to Hans Hansen, a master shoemaker.

Hansen treated him like his own son. He gave him a special colt to train, and a dog. Sometimes he accompanied Hansen on business trips to Copenhagen. Just as August was ending his apprenticeship in 1860, he and other family members joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hansen urged August to walk through the door of opportunity and go to the Utah Territory in America with his two older brothers. He bought a new suit of clothes and sold his colt and dog so he would have traveling money. August was forever indebted to this friend and mentor for his kindness.

Eagerly, August and his brothers, Peter and William, boarded the Monarch of the Sea at Copenhagen. Two days later, they landed at Hull on the west coast of England. They traveled across the English countryside to Liverpool. May 16, 1861, they boarded another ship and sailed to New York. Then they were crowded into box cars with other Scandinavian immigrants and some Civil War soldiers. Finally, they reached Iowa City. They traveled in wagons to Florence (Omaha), where John R. Murdock, a guide sent by Brigham Young, waited to lead them to Utah. Peter went ahead with another group. August and William were in Murdock's company. They left in July 1861 and reached Salt Lake on Sept. 12.

Williams, 17, was husky and 6 feet 3 inches tall. Quickly, he was hired as a blacksmith's assistant. Eighteen-year-old Peter soon got a job herding cattle. Fifteen-year-old August was left totally to his own devices, in a strange land, unable to speak the language. He wandered around the streets attempting to find work. Levi Kendall of Springville, Utah, took pity on him and invited him to stay with him until the spring of 1862. His parents and sister were scheduled to arrive then.

The Hjorth family went to Cache Valley near the Utah-Idaho border. Their first winter, they lived in a dugout and nearly froze to death. They endured insect plagues and repeated crop failures until 1866. They could no longer afford such losses and went to San Pete County.

August did master English gradually, and was hired to bring three companies of immigrants to Utah from the Omaha area. He conversed quite readily with those from England. When they reached the Green River in Wyoming, he and some other men were put in charge of taking 240 head of cattle through a place in the river that was about a mile wide. Some of the animals willingly swam across it, but a group refused to cross it. They had to build a ferry for them. Unfortunately, they crowded onto one side and the ferry tipped into the river. August and another man nearly drowned. During that time, August forgot most of the English he had learned.

In their later years, August and his wife grew millions of strawberries on a commercial basis for the entire Salt Lake Valley. They spent 20 years as missionaries to the Indians. He was called Tokepo (pointed). The Indians said that he always made his point well. He died June 13, 1935, at age 89. The immigrant shoemaker's apprentice was respected by all who knew him.

Helen Ruth Arnold

McCook