The Mexicans from Casas Grandes said that they were very anxious to capture the Tomoches, dead or alive, as they had been a source of great trouble and bloodshed for many years. The government had a price on their heads and there would be much glory to be earned through their capture. I told them that we were ready and willing to help in every way we could. With that I marked a plan by which we could surround them and capture them. They began to argue about the plan and were not too anxious to get started. "Let us wait till morning," they advised. The next morning we had another council. This meeting they said, "Captain [Orson] Brown, you take the trail and when you have found out which way they are going come back and tell us and we will come immediately and destroy the whole bunch."  At daylight I left with Ernest L. Taylor, Jerome Judd, Peter C. Wood, Carl E. Nielsen, Cox, and Brigham Stowell.

We rode to the top of the mountain, west of McDonald Spring, there they had had their camp the night before. There we found the remains of camp and that their trail lead directly south. We followed the trail for the greater part of the day until we hit a canyon or the stairs country because the rains had formed a little creek that had been flowing down the country through hundreds of years and the water had cut stairs down the mountain. Instead of following the trail across the canyon and up the high ground we went right up the canyon. When we neared the pass we saw a saddled horse and almost immediately a man stepped out and shot his gun in the ground as a signal. We had come upon them again suddenly. There was not time to stew or plan, I said to Brother Taylor, "You know the trail, take it."

As we ran by them they opened up on us. When we reached a little ridge where we had some sort of defense we stopped. I told my companions we would return the fire there. We opened up on them for about twenty minutes and kept it up. But neither side gained anything. We were too far to do any harm. Then I noticed that they were gradually creeping upon us. They had the advantage of the ground. I told our men, "We had better get away now before it is too late for the bullets will soon be coming where we are."

We went on down the ridge, the bullets began falling around us. One bullet struck a rock a few feet from Brother [Peter C.] Wood. He was hiding behind the rock and the hot lead sprinkled on his thin hair. Quickly we moved further on and took a good position about five hundred yards from the Tomoches. There we waited the coming of the Federal soldiers. They did not come. Finally, we spied them at a distance but they were hesitant of coming any nearer. I guess they were afraid. The only ones who separated themselves from the main body of men were the ten gendarmes. I could not understand what was the matter.  I decided that I go out and meet them while the rest remained

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in their fortified position.

Our last position was near the Alamita[Alameda] Ranch.  In the meanwhile the Indians had come through the pass and were now onto the low ground. Their proximity was getting more and more dangerous, as the minutes went by.

As I neared I could tell the gendarmes were nervous. They did not seem at all anxious to meet the Tomoches. Brother [Ernest D.] Nielson who had gone with [Ernest L.] Taylor recognized me.  He called me: "Here is the Captain." He came forward to meet me with Brother Carlton. They were the soldier's guides.  We held a parley with the Lieutenant in command of the gendarmes.  He said: " I have instructions to tell you, mi capitan, to come on in to the Colonia."

It was an awful let down.  We could have whipped them so easily.  I could not fight that told my cheese alone with my bed.  There was too much risk for so few.  I could not fight the Tomoches alone with my men. There was too much risk for so few.  I had no right to expose my men.  That was not their mission.  That was the duty of authorized government officials.  We had done our part, and above all we had protected our homes and families.  They had left even Johnson's four horses that the Tomoches had stolen from had been left for us by them. 

I was baffled and furious at their cowardliness but there was nothing to do but to follow them into the town. We rode on into Colonia Juárez and I went straight to Major Junius Romney's home to report. He took us all up to Apostle George Teasdale's home.  It seemed like everyone in the Colony had gathered at Brother Teasdale's. They were anxiously awaiting news of us.  Brother Neilson unfortunately reported that the Tomoches had us surrounded and were surely going to exterminate us.  There was some basis for his report.  There were only six of us and the Tomoches counted thirty-seven.

When Brother Teasdale looked upon us, he blessed us saying, "Wherein you have protected your home town, the Lord will bless you and be with you and you will have power over your enemies and they will not have power to destroy you."

That afternoon we had a meeting at the schoolhouse building with the Mexican officials.  These Mexicans instead of wanting to follow and capture the Tomoches were the most fear-filled lot of men I ever saw under arms.  They tried to excuse their cowardliness by crying, "Those Indians have a charmed life and bullets will not harm them.  Why one Tomache can whip a hundred ordinary men."

I could not make them budge. In vain I pointed out that the day before we had them bluffed and whipped them with only a handful of men. 

As soon as dark came they sneaked off in the direction of Casas Grandes.  Some of the more timid brethren were very much alarmed when they found out of the desertion of the Mexican soldiers and volunteers and gendarmes.  They were sure the Tomoches were going to attack the Colony under cover of darkness. Again I pointed how twice with six men we had beaten them the day before. I said, "You need not fear that they will attack. For they

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too are afraid for their lives." These few words seem to calm the colonists. But just the same some of us stood guard most of that night in order to avoid a surprise attack.

The next morning a small number of men went back wit me to the Alamita Ranch. We went up as far as the Pass that we had christened Tomoche Pass the day before. We found where they had killed three of General Terrazas' beef and only taken a small portion of the meat with them.   We followed their trail most of that day and found where they had gone to the west of San Diego. From there they continued their way south into the mountains. I knew I would know the Indian who had refused to lower his gun anywhere I might meet him.

It was not long after that I arrested a couple of Mexicans for drunkenness and carousing. I handcuffed them and left them under guard of Pablo Soso at the store with my gun in his hand. I was going to take them into Casas Grandes. I went home for a bite to eat before starting out.

When I returned Pablo Soso was gone but the men were there guarded by a stranger who had my gun in his hand. I went to thank him and take my prisoners on to Casas Grandes. As I thanked him and shook hands with him I recognized him and I knew he recognized me but he did not let on he had ever seen me before. It was no other than the Tomoche Indian who would not lower his gun when Cox and I met the Tomoche up in the mountains. Here he was back again and Pablo Soso turned out to be his brother. Pablo had gone on an errand and left him behind. He had gone back to the colony and Brother Stowell hid hired him to put up some fence posts.

A short time after Soso came to the Colony I employed him. One day he was up in the mountain behind the Colony working on the last of a piece of road I had given him to do. I happened on my way to the sawmill and stopped for a minute to give him some instructions. In a burst of confidence he said to me, "You people are the only outfit that ever opposed us Tomoches to the amount of anything. I have often wondered why we could not kill you. I have thought about it a great deal."

He said they had fired about 300 shots at us and had seen with their own eyes plainly that not one of us were hurt. He continued, "In the fight at Tomoche Pass you killed two of our men and wounded three others." I knew in my heart the reason they had been unable to harm us. The Lord had protected us. If it had not been for his protection undoubtedly we would have been destroyed. There were fierce Indians who not only outnumbered us but had the advantage of ground and who not only long past had caused the deaths of so many Mexican soldiers.

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Juan Pablo Soso [Juan Sasa] came to a bad end. He was a natural bandit. He began stealing around Juárez and when they went to arrest him he tried to kill the police with a shovel and they shot him.

A few months after the Tomoches passed through the country Apostle Teasdale and his counselors, Alexander Findlay Macdonald and Henry Eyring, learned the real reason of the uprising of the Tomoches. Some of the Mexican officials told them what it was all about. The Brethren saw the fairness of the fight in defense of their homes and land on the part of the Tomoches and they decided to take up their cause. They directed a communication to President Díaz telling him the reasons for the uprising and asked that these men be forgiven for the past and be given another chance.

The President replied, as always, graciously to the Colony. He wrote that he and his cabinet were taking the Tomoches rebellion into advisement. As a result of our intervention these poor Indians were given a reprieve.

Teresita of Sinaloa de Cabora, the unwitting cause of all this loss of life had had to leave her native town and country because of opposition by the Catholic clergy there. She came out through the mountains and went down to Florence, Arizona, where the Mexican people all over the surrounding country, even from northern Chihuahua and Sonora visited her.

All who visited her returned to their homes greatly impressed and influenced by her words and counsel. She later married an American in Florence, Arizona and lost her power of influence. What became of her I do not know.

Orson Seeks Mines with Aid of Tomoches

I had another encounter with the Tomoches of a different nature. It was a friendly and business meeting years later and it was then that I learned all the details of their rebellion.

I had been fooling around a mine for a long while. I could not help it. I had talked to prospectors, miners, mining engineers, had guided them through passes in the mountains, had warned them against Indians, so that I thought I knew something about mines and the time came when I began to dabble a little in mines myself. Of course, in that primitive country new travels fast and everybody knew I was a little interested in mining. So the second in command of the group who had tried t scare us on the march home in the south accompanied by one other Tomoches came. They had in the heads the history of three famous mines: La Guynopa, La Gunopita, La Tyopa.

They sounded interesting and worthwhile taking time to look into it was on this trip that they told me the whole story of their rebellion and the reason for it. At first we went over to find the famous Guynopa mine. This was in the month of July, our rainy season, and there had been some heavy rains. We never found it. When we came to the river the water was high and we could not cross. But on the trip we did find La Guynopa, an old rich silver mine. They had

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taken out much silver out of that mine. The Tomoches assured me that there was lots of gold bullion hidden in the Tayopa. It was suppose to be on the other side of the Arizona River but the river was too high to cross.

1893 Another Incident: Trip to Salt Lake City

In March 1893 together with my good friend Joseph F. Cardon and his wife Rhoda Cardon. We went to Salt Lake City and to Logan Temple where we had the privilege of having our wives sealed to us by Apostle Merrill President of the Logan Temple. Then we returned to Salt Lake City in time for the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple which was very inspiring privilege. While Joseph Cardon and his wife, my wife and I stood in the Assembly Hall of the temple we heard the most wonderful singing and while we couldn't distinguish the words we knew by the inspiration that came to us that they were the voices of angels. This gave us great satisfaction and joy. We returned to Mexico with thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the privilege that we had had.

I am just reminded now of a very important incident and circumstance that came unto my life. There had been some discord and President Macdonald who was first counselor had gone out and who was President of the Juarez Colonization Company had gone to Mexico City and a false report had come to us that he was using his office as President of the Colonization Company to power his own personal interest.

The Bishop and about two thirds of the members of Colonia Juarez signed a petition and sent it to the Presidency of the Church asking that President Macdonald be removed from his office without having made proper investigation. The Presidency of the Church sent Apostles Brigham Young and John Henry Smith down and they together with Apostle George Teasdale called all of the Brethren together to find out what the matter was. After several hours of hearing it became evident that the complaint that had been sent was without foundation in fact. President Macdonald was exonerated with the satisfaction of the Brethren. But because of my stubbornness I was not converted. In the conference following I voted against President Macdonald and so Apostle Teasdale who presided over the Colonies instructed Bishop George Seavey and his counselors to call me before them to see if they could not convert me of the error of my ways. And that if they couldn't convert me to send me to him and as they didn't convert me they sent me to Apostle George Teasdale.

He was waiting for me in his office. I knocked on the door and he said to come in and as I entered, he said for me to take a chair in front of him and he said to me, 'My boy did the brethren convert you of the errors of your way?" and I said "no" I asked him this question "SHOULD A MAN FORGIVE HIS BROTHER WHEN HE DOESN'T REPENT?"

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He didn't answer but just looked at me as though he was looking clear through me. I hung my head in shame and when I raised my head I said to him in tears. "Forgive me Apostle Teasdale I know my  duty now, for these words have come to me. 'Of you it is required that you forgive all men and I will forgive whom I will.'"

I was as humble as a lamb and he said to me, "My son as with Peter of old slight(sp)? And blood has not revealed this to thee? But my Father who art in Heaven. For I have been praying to Him that He would reveal this unto you." And as we stood up he clasped me in his arms and kissed me and blessed me. It was another very important turning point in my life, forever since then I have known my duty, in regard to that great principle of forgiveness.

After the Tomoche incident I went in business with Ernest L. Taylor and Joseph C. Bentley. In buying and selling of cattle and after the first year of successful business, Brother Bentley withdrew from our co-partnership. Brother  Taylor and I continued in business for a number of years.

 The Apache Indians had been raiding through the country. They were called the Kids Renegade Apaches. They had killed a part of the Thomson family who were living at the Pratt's ranch, killing Sister Thomson and her oldest son and wounding her second son. The Apaches had been raiding and stealing stock in the colonies when Bishop Smith from Colonia Pacheco came down and advised President Teasdale and asked what could be done. They had just been another raid of the Kids Renegade Apache Indians and President Teasdale advised Bishop Smith to came and consult with me. I went to Pacheco with Bishop Smith and we organized a little party of men consisting of Bishop J. Smith, John Whetten, Jorge Nutly, Robert Beecroft, Samuel Jarvis and myself.

We left Colonia Pacheco in the morning going into the Gavilan country and making our first night camp on Quigley Creek about twenty miles west of Pacheco. The next morning we went into the Apache Valley which was at the head of the whole country about a month previous to going in there. There had been three prospectors, one man with the name of Quigly. When they got into the Apache Valley they saw an Apache Indian, he immediately ran and they made their way to the north of a very high mountain where they made their camp at the rim of the mountain. They stood guard that night. The very next morning just before daylight one of t hem was making breakfast, the other two making guard. Not seeing anything the one that had made breakfast told them to come and get their breakfast. They went down and were eating when three Indians raised up from behind the fortifications they had built and shot at them. They being in a low place their bullets went over their heads. They ran as hard as they could run and arrived at Colonia Juárez in two days and a half and the other two in three days and a half, all coming in separately. As I was saying before, when we arrived at the Indian valley we found one of the burros belonging to these Americans, we also found that the Indians had seen us and they went down to a box canyon on the right hand canyon. Going west we camped

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that night in the box canyon where it rained and snowed all night. We knew that it would be impossible for us to follow those Indians any farther because the snow and rain would obliterate their tracks. After a council of war we decided on returning to Colonia Pacheco. We climbed up out of the deep canyon and when we got on top of the mountain we found about one foot of snow on the ground and it was still snowing very hard. The clouds were down on the mountain so that we couldn't see only a little distance ahead of us.

As we didn't have a compass we couldn't tell which direction we were going. We stopped and Brother Samuel Jarvis said he could lead us out of there blindfolded. So we told him to take the lead and after traveling about an hour we came back on to our own tracks. We had made a perfect circle. Brother Jarvis said, "Here's the Indians trail and when we examined the tracks we all decided that we had made a perfect circle getting back on our own trail. So we made camp tied up our animals so they wouldn't leave us. It cleared up and when daylight came. We found our way and arrived at Colonia Pacheco that night. Because of this trip through Gavilan Valley and country I purchased a Gavilan ranch from the Colonization Company. This was one of the best investments that I ever made for it paid me a profit first and last of approximately forty thousand pesos. It was another evidence to me that if I was willing to do my duty in defense of the interests of the people of the Colonies the Lord would open up the way and shower down his blessings upon me.

After five or six years of a coop partnership with Brother Ernest L. Taylor, which had been very beneficial to both of us. The fact that he had three or four grown up son's whom he desired to participate in the business of our coop partnership and he and his son-in-law. Joseph C. Bentley and his three oldest sons formed a coop partnership. Thus I operated from my own account separate from theirs. I prospered in my efforts very greatly not withstanding I had some reverses.

Kansas City, Missouri Trip

I went up to Kansas City, Missouri to settle up an old account. While I was there a very peculiar circumstance happened to me. I had learned the lesson that if I wanted to know the will of the Lord concerning me, to seek him in earnest prayer. I went down to Independence and there on the temple lot I saw a big oak tree and the spirit admonished me to seek the Lord in prayer.

I looked around and found that I was alone, and I kneeled down under that tree and I sought the Lord in humble prayer, asking my Heavenly Father to guide me and make known unto me his will concerning me. The spirit came over me and said, "My son, you are going to be called unto a special mission." I thanked him for this inspiration. I got up and hunted up the missionaries who were Mormons in Independence. I found them in a fast meeting. I had the privilege of bearing my testimony to them and the saints who were gather there. In the evening I accompanied two missionaries home and with five other missionaries I invited them out to supper at a large restaurant and took them all to a large theater then we all returned to the missionary home and talked till two o'clock in the morning.

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The next morning I took the train for El Paso, Texas. In the Pullman car that I boarded there was an English Lord who was a colonel in the British army and a millionaire financier from New York City. They had in the baggage cars their equipment including eight beautiful dogs, among them two stag hounds and the others being bloodhounds. At a station in Oklahoma where there was a twenty-minute wait they got off to see how their dogs were getting along in the baggage care. I heard them talking about them, I got off with them to look at the dogs. I admired them very much and by this we struck up a conversation. They asked me where I was from and as we were journeying along a Protestant minister got on the train and came by bowing to these two distinguished gentlemen. Then this New York financier made the remark, "There goes one of those long-tailed hypocrites, you can tell them by their dress." And he said with a laugh, "They are the ____D __crookedness people in the whole world. They are educated to the science of bleeding people. One of them got into the confidence of my wife and beat her out of ten thousand dollars and tried to seduce my daughter." and he said, "They are the limit of everything that is low and full of deception. If Jesus Christ supports those kind of things and those kind of men then I don' want to have anything to do with them." Then I told them that I was a believer of the words of Jesus Christ and I told them that I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Well," he said, "Where is your paraphernalia, your long-tail coat and your collar turned the wrong way?" He told me I must not be a very good preacher. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to explain the principles of the Gospel as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I was so earnest in what I had to say and bearing testimony to these men of the simplicity of the principles of the Gospel that they were very favorably impressed. As we traveled along down into Mexico a man that we called Colonel Hunt got onto the train and I introduced him to these gentlemen. Colonel Hunt only rode from this station to the other. This English Lord said to me, "Of what regiment of the army does Colonel Hunt belong?"  I said, "Colonel Hunt belongs to the army of construction rather than the army of destruction. We honor our men who are the captains, colonels, and generals of industry. Who are leaders in the opening up and development of the resources in the frontier." And then he said, "That is a wonderful idea. It is truly very commendable." Then they got off the train going into the White Mountains to hunt bears, lions and wolves with their dogs and equipment. This great financier from New York shook my hand very cordially and begged my pardon if he had offended me and said, "I feel that for once in my life I have met with a Christian gentleman and not with a ______hypocrite."

On arriving home at Colonia Juárez a few days later, we had a Stake Conference. In attendance were the presiding brethren of the Church, President John Henry Smith, who was counselor to President Joseph F. Smith. During the conference I was asked to speak. I recited the experience that I had just had with these gentlemen that I had met on the train from Kansas City to El Paso. I very emphatically suggested that our missionaries who were preaching the Gospel in the world that they were aping or following the customs of the ministers of the world, that it was my opinion that we should change our mode of apparel. That instead of following the system of the Christian

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ministers we should use neat business suits. President John Henry Smith followed me in speaking and said, "The remarks and suggestions of Elder Orson Brown are very timely and when I return to Salt Lake City, I, as Chairman of the Missionary Committee, will suggest the changes as suggested by Elder Brown. And it was done. The change was made and the elders going in to the mission field from then on wore business suits instead of long-tailed Protestant minister suits.  

I owe more to my mother than to any other person in the world. She taught me to pray and to have faith in the Lord and in his many great works, as Well as to have faith and reverence for the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and all of the apostles she constantly watched over me and I have heard her voice many, many times since she passed on.

[1903-1933]     The year that Apostle Reed Smoot was elected to the United States Senate (served from 1903 -1933) I had been to Denver, Colorado to purchase some mining machinery for the purpose of concentrating ore. On my return to El Paso from Denver Die-hard (sp) Texas, before the train arrived the conductor said to me, "You may be able to catch the Rock Island train to El Paso, which is due to arrive at Die-hard at the same time that we are due to arrive. But they have a different station than we have. It usually arrives a little late and we came into the Dalheart station he said, "There comes the Rock Island now, I think you can catch it. I took my overcoat in one arm and my suitcase in my other hand. I started along the Rock Island railroad track towards the Rock Island Station that was about 500 yards distance. Just before I got to the station I went to cross the railroad track, the engine had blown its whistle and started. I stubbed my toe and fell in front of the engine about 20 steps from it. The engineer saw me fall, it seemed to be a solar plexus blow for I could not move. He reversed the engine jumped down and he and the fireman picked me up within two steps of the engine. They took me back to the conductor who placed me on the car in charge of the Pullman porter who gave me a stimulant, to be more specific the stimulant was a glass of whisky, which revived me. The porter undressed me and put me to bed. The next morning on arriving at some station we met the eastbound train that had the latest newspaper and the account of the big fight in U.S. Congress over the seating of Apostle Reed Smoot in the United States Senate. The man who was in the seat just in front of me bought a paper as well as myself. This man's name was Watson who had been an ambassador or counselor representative of the U.S.A. in one of the smaller European countries. It seemed to be a highly educated gentleman. He was on his way to Tucson, Arizona to be with his son, who had been in the forest service but was now in a hospital, not expected to live. As result of fighting forest fire and getting to much smoke in his lungs. When he finished reading the article in regards to the seating Senator Smoot in the United States Senate he said to me, in a very vehement manner, "This is the most despicable and outrageous thing that I have ever read. These Mormons are the blackest spot in the American history and should be burned out and destroyed from the body politic. As well as religion being blotted out from America and this man Smoot, a Mormon apostle who undoubtedly is a polygamist should not be allowed to enter the sacred hall of congress of the U.S.A. Much less as a Senator of the U.S."

"Well, I said, "My friend you seem to have pretty hard feelings about these Mormons."

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"Yes," he answered, "I have, I've heard in Chicago that one wife of Brigham Young, Ann Eliza Webb Dee Young [wife No. 19] and her husband [Moses R. Denning], a Christian gentleman [and prominent banker of Manitee, Michigan], tell of the damnable practice under the guise of the Christianity of the Mormons in Utah. Then I read their book telling of the most diabolical unchristian action of those debased Mormons of Utah."

"Well," I said, "My friend I guess that your prejudices are based upon hearsay, of unscrupulous people." Then I asked him if he belonged to some church, and he said, "Yes," that he belonged to the first Christian Church of Chicago, which church was commonly known as the Canvolight Church. Well, I said, 'I am really surprised that a man claiming to be a Christian should have formed such a dislike and a feeling of contempt for people that he knows nothing about, only hearsay," and then he said to me. "What Church do you belong to?" I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ." Then he said, "We're brothers", and he began asking me questions about my faith and I began very earnestly seeking the Lord in secret to help explain to this man the principles of the Gospel. There were two middle age refined looking ladies that were seated across the aisle from us. They seemed to be very much interested in what we were discussing, the principles of Eternal Life. When he said,

"There is one thing that has been a stumbling block to me and that is this, When Columbus discovered America he found millions of people here who had never had the opportunity of receiving the Gospel of the Master and then the opportunity came to explain to them the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the principles the vicarious work that had been revealed through a prophet of God. For the redemption of those who had died without having had the opportunity of receiving the Gospel in this life. I also explained to him that this Book of Mormon was a record from the time of Adam down through the ages and that the Master told his disciples that he was going to preach the gospel to another people who were not of those people in Jerusalem. And after his resurrection he did come to this continent of America and established his church among them. with prophets, apostles and evangelists, and so forth. I told these people that when ever the Lord had people on the earth that kept his laws and commandments he'd always have prophets among them that would recognize and that he spoke through in other words a living divine prophet. That without revelation the people perished, that it was the foundation of Christian life. Then one of the ladies spoke up and said, 'Why Mr. those principles that you have been advocating are true Christian principles. Then Mr. Watson said, Mr. Brown they say there is no perfection in this life, but I pronounce you and the principles you have explained a 99% Christian.' and he said, 'What Church do you belong to?" I said, "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, commonly called the Mormon Church." Then he said, "My God, is it possible?" I said, "Yes, it is possible, it is the truth." Then he said, "Do you believe in polygamy?" and then I said, "Yes" I believe in plural marriage, and I had the opportunity of explaining that wonderful principle to them. Then I told him who Anna Liza Webb was, and whose book he had read that made him prejudiced against the Mormon People. I said, "She was the wife of a man by the name of James Dee who drove her away from his home because she was immoral and was cohabiting with another man. He divorced her and married my sister Ellen Brown.  After this Anna Liza Webb's mother went to President Brigham Young and told him that her beautiful

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daughter wanted to marry him. He married her and when he found out the deception that they had played on him he immediately divorced her and sent her home. Her first husband James Dee had two children that he kept and educated. And that was the class of woman Ann Lisa Webb Dee Young that married a Protestant minister and together they did all the harm they could against an innocent people. Mr. Watson was very much impressed, I gave him the address of the Elders in Chicago and later received a letter from him saying that he had been converted to the Mormon faith.

When I was ordained to the office of a seventy by President Seymour B. Young the first president of the seven first presidents of the Church, there were present at the Ordination, Apostle Amos [Amasa] Lyman and John Henry Smith, they questioned me very severely and put me under some very strict covenants. One of them was that I would not introduce Mormon girls to outsiders and that I would do everything in my power to serve the Lord and keep all of his commandments including specifically the entering in and obeying the law of plural marriage.

After coming to Mexico and getting married and seeking the Lord in earnest prayer in regards to my entering into this holy and sacred law of plural marriage I was reminded of the covenant that I had made when I was ordained a seventy. The spirit of the Lord admonished me that it was my duty to enter into this la and keep this commandment of plural marriage. My wife Mattie was very much opposed to it and no amount of explanation or argument on my part had any affect upon her to convert her to this principle. She would obdurate in regard to it. Just before Apostle Teasdale left for the U.S.A. I was at Colonia Díaz with him. Not withstanding the many times that he had blessed and assured me that as long as I was willing to protect the interests of the people of these colonies that the Lord would sustain and protect me from all evil. That the element that my enemies might use against me for my destruction would be turned against them. That my life would be preserved. But on this special occasion he put his arm through mine and said, "Come with me Brother Orson, the Lord has a blessing for you. We were at Colonia Díaz at Bishop Johnson's home. It was a beautiful moonlit night. We walked to the back of Bishop Johnson's house. There he put his hands on my shoulders and gave me a wonderful blessing. In which he said, "The Lord has heard your prayers and supplications and in his name I bless you and promise that you shall have the privilege of entering into the Holy sacred law of plural marriage."

Time went on and there was a young lady who lived at Colonia Díaz who made it a special point to come to the house where I stayed everytime that I went to Colonia Díaz. Finally Sister Henny(sp)[Haynie] who was President of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement and at whose home I stayed, having brought lots of cattle into that vicinity from the colonies, it was necessary for me to go there quite frequently. On one visit Sister Hanyon(sp)[Haynie] said, "Brother Brown, you ought to know by this time that Jenny Galbraith is in love with you and she said that there was no other man that she wanted only you."

"Well," I said, "She is a pretty nice girl but there is no use of thinking of marrying no other   

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wife with the present attitude of my wife. She is very bitter in regard to her feelings to plural marriage. When I spoke to my wife Mattie telling her what Sister Galbraith had said to me Mattie said, "Yes, that thief wanted to steal my husband, let her get a husband of her own." So that was that. Apparently at the time it appeared that the door was closed to me to the entering of plural marriage.

Some months later I was down at Colonia Díaz on business. I was thinking about this matter, how was it that the Lord through his Apostle Teasdale had made me the promise of entering into this law and that my wife Mattie was so strongly opposed. The other was the fact they were not solemnizing any plural marriages at that time. When the spirit of prayer came over me. I saddled up my horse and I rode up into the mesquite. I got off my horse, I knelt down in humble prayer saying to the Lord that he had spoken through his prophet Apostle Teasdale, promising me that I would have the opportunity and privilege. My wife was opposed and that it was impossible for me to convert her. I did not want to lose her, that I loved her, that unless he intervened and inspired her to give her consent for me to enter into this law of plural marriage. After this supplication I rose to my feet with a feeling of conviction. I got on to my horse and rode to Colonial Díaz. The next morning I hitched my horse to the buggy and rode back to Colonia Juárez. On arriving there my wife Mattie was waiting for me at the gate with a beautiful smile and a welcome I hadn't had for a long, long time. We went into the house and she had supper ready and after supper as it was our custom we kneeled down and said our prayers were getting ready to retire to our bed when she said to me, "Orson, I want to tell you something before we go to bed." She said, "In the door way there leading to the parlor there stood a man with a long white robe, like a temple robe and in front of him was a pulpit and on the pulpit was the largest book that I ever saw. He pointed his fingers at me and said, calling me by my name, "Martha don't you oppose your husband in doing what is right or your name shall never be written in this book." And she said, " I know then what my opposition had been and I knew that the book was the book of eternal life. The comforting influence of the Lord came over me and blessed me. Now I am just as anxious for us to enter into that high and holy law of plural marriage as you are."

I clasped her in my arms and we found ourselves both in tears. We knelt down by the side of our bed and thanked the Lord for the revelation that had come to her at this time.

Some months previous to this time Mattie and I went to Colonia Díaz to a conference and while walking along the sidewalk we met two young ladies, one of them being Miss Jane Galbraith. I introduced Mattie to her and her companion. Mattie refused to shake hands with her because I had previously spoken to Mattie about Miss Galbraith. But after she received this inspired vision the next time I went to Colonia Díaz she handed me a letter addressed to Miss Galbraith. When I got to Colonia Díaz to Mrs. Henny's [Haynie's] place where I stayed, Miss Galbraith came in and I said to her, "By the way I have a letter for you," I handed it to her, she read it, and began crying and handed the letter to Sister Henny [Haynie]. Sister Henny [Haynie] was also in tears and handed the letter to me. There was a time of rejoicing between the three of us, the letter said:

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"My Dear Miss Jane Galbraith,

My husband has spoken to me about you joining our family and I assure you that you'll be made perfectly welcome to be a member of our family."

So after several months passed, President John Henry Smith and Apostle Heber J. Grant came to Colonia Juárez. I spoke to President Anthony Woodward Ivins about the matter of my having the privilege of marrying Miss Galbraith according to the promise made to me by Apostle George Teasdale before living in Mexico. I had this promise fulfilled and was married to Miss Galbraith [1897].
When I returned home from Colonia Díaz I left her at home at Colonia Díaz. When I arrived home at Colonia Juárez my wife Mattie asked, "Why didn't you bring Jane home with you?" I said, "What do you know about Jane?" And she replied, "I know that you were married to her because I saw you both together and it is alright, only you should have brought her home."

1899 Mattie Picks Another Wife For Orson, Bessie Macdonald and Her Two Daughters Join the Family

Another evidence of the inspiration to the Lord concerning this matter. About five years later, discussing this matter of plural marriage, my wife Mattie said to me. I believe that you ought to get another wife and there is Bessie Macdonald. I believe that she would make a fine wife to you and a fine addition to our family. We kneeled down to pray about it. The next morning not having had any previous social contact with Bessie Macdonald, I said to my wife Mattie, "Well, I don't hardly know her not withstanding I think that she is a wonderful and very fine woman"

So I went down to her father's home where she was staying with her Aunt Fanny. I said to Aunt Fanny, "Where is Bessie?" She is down in the garden with her father." So Aunt Fanny called Bessie in and told her there was a man there to see her. I sat down and talked to her, my object of being there, saying, "My wife Mattie and I, after consultation, have decided to enlarge upon our family and we had decided upon asking her to join our family group." She said, "This is a surprise to me, I hardly know you." I asked her if she would consider the matter and then I said, "I will be back here to see you at 6 o'clock this evening." I then went and discussed the matter with my wife Jane and she was perfectly willing also.

When I returned to the Macdonald home that evening and discussed the matter with Bessie Macdonald she said, "I have discussed this matter with my father and I have prayed about it to the Lord and I am willing to accept your proposition." And the next night at ten o'clock in the presence of my wife Mattie, we were sealed together by one having the authority [on January 15, 1901].

1901 Orson to Preside Over Colonia Morelos
I

I had been called to preside over the new colony at Colonia Morelos, Sonora a few days later by President Anthony Woodward Ivins and Helaman Pratt. I took Bessie Macdonald and her two little girls, Elsie and Marguerite, who were five and three years old. I was installed as Bishop at Colonia Morelos. This was in February 1901. And in July 3, 1902 I had a very extraordinary experience.

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1902  Orson Called to Work in Colonia Morelos

True to the manifestation made to me at that time of the first of January 1902 after a special meeting of the High Council President A. W. Ivins took my arm and we walked over in front of my house. He said, "Orson I can't think of Colonial Morelos without thinking of it in connection with you. And I feel that it is the will of the Lord that you go over there and preside over that colony. There are bandits and thieves molesting the people and there aren't any of them who speak the Spanish language. They need you very badly I know from what you have told me of your plans that it will break you up financially. I said to him, "If it is there the Lord wants me, it is there I want to be." We separated, he going to his home and I going to mine. I said to my wife Mattie, "Here is the call of the Lord, and she asked, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Why," I said, "I'm going, of course." We prayed about it and the next morning before daylight I was up to President Ivins home and I found that he was up. He said, "Orson, I was expecting you."

He repeated again, "Orson, I know this will break you up financially but I know the Lord will bless you for accepting this call." I answered, "I am no better than you are. You were disappointed in your political aspirations and was broken up to come down here."

(See Appendix: Friends - Anthony W. Ivins… to understand what Orson was referring to regarding President Ivins and sacrificing ones means by accepting a Church calling.)

He and President Pratt and myself went over to Morelos and I was installed as Bishop. I saw the financial condition of the people. I first sold a bunch of steers for 7,800 pesos and went back to Casas Grandes and bought wheat, barley, considerable flour and took also a herd of cattle and went back to Morelos and furnished the people who were without flour and meat. Later I sold another herd of cattle for 24,800 pesos and bought a small grist mill, threshing machine, mower, header, and other tools, planes, pumps, etc. that were necessary and took them to Morelos. Next I bought 8000 pesos worth of merchandise and opened a store and put Brother Jameson in charge of it. Next we planted wheat and barley. Soon however, the two rivers that came together below Morelos dried up and we had no water with which to irrigate. We were rather in a distressing condition. Brother George Teasdale and his wife came to visit us and I explained the situation to him. Next morning being Sunday I asked Brother Charles Lillywhite, Superintendent of Sunday School to line up the children and the other Sunday School members in their classes in to files on each side of the entrance to the little school house and as Apostle Teasdale and his wife and my counselors and myself came up to begin singing the hymn, "In our Lovely Deseret where the Saints of God have me."  And as we walked down through the two files of Sunday School children and into the improvised church building, everyone took his seat except Apostle Teasdale. He raised his eyes to the heavens and thus he spoke, "I have heard thy supplications and prayers and I say unto you that your crops will mature; that you will have plenty for yourselves and for your neighbors. And if you will be united this will be a land of peace and plenty unto your and if you will serve me and keep my commandments my blessings will be constantly with you. But if you allow the spirit of the adversary to come among you and divide you this will no longer be a land of peace and plenty unto you." 

It was the voice of our Heavenly Father speaking through his Prophet Apostle Teasdale. And I have never before or since heard any man speak with such power as did Apostle Teasdale on this occasion. As time went on we got no water, we got no rain. Notwithstanding every morning on the head of the barley and the wheat there would be heavy dew. Some of the brethren came to me and said, "Bishop, we think we ought to cut the grain and get some food out of it as it will never mature.  And I answered, "Oh ye, of little faith, the Lord through his prophet said that the grain would mature and that we would have plenty for ourselves and to spare for our neighbors."

And so it was. We had an abundant harvest, plenty for our sustenance and seed for another year and sold 10,000 pesos worth of flour and barley to our neighbors. And this was the word of the Lord through his prophet Apostle Teasdale fulfilled.

by Joel H. Martineau

The wonderful healing (July 3, 1902) of Bishop Orson Pratt Brown is without parallel in modern times. He was Bishop of Colonia Morelos in Sonora, Mexico.  The ward was building a tithing granary and he, with three companions, were pulling up some heavy green timbers to lay across the building for beams to carry the roof of dirt.  The scaffold gave way and all fell to the ground.  I will give Bishop Brown's own words that followed:

"I fell fourteen feet head-first and as my head struck the ground, a log weighing about five hundred pounds struck me on the hips.  My neck was broken, also my right shoulder and elbow, and this log crushed my skull. While I was under this log the impression came to me strongly that I would not die from these injuries.  Pablo Sosa removed the log from my body. He straightened up my body and put me on one of the logs.  I was conscious of the conditions and asked him to raise my head, which he did. The brethren carried me to the house and administered to me and I told them to not fear, for notwithstanding my critical condition I had a strong impression that I would not die from these injuries.

"They immediately sent for Dr. Keate, who was at a mining camp and he came four days later.  On examining my neck, skull, and shoulder, he said my neck was broken and he feared if he tried to adjust the joints under present conditions it might cause my death. So I remained thus, with two joints of my neck out of place till the present time.

"My shoulder and elbow were adjusted and my skull seemed to have only been creaked. While I was suffering in these conditions I found in my right arm the severest pain that I ever have experienced and it was continued for twenty-four hours until I was left without any physical strength because of the severe pain.  It seemed that I could get no relief and that my life was fast ebbing away and in my agency I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to relieve this suffering or take me to Himself.  In that instant there came a voice to me.

"I heard, 'My son, if you cannot suffer the things your father suffered, you cannot come where I am.  You must suffer without murmuring.'  I knew that this was the voice of my earthly father, Captain James Brown (1801-1863), and that he was standing by my side.  With this knowledge of my father being at my side and pleading for me and sympathizing for me, tears came into my eyes.

"I said, 'Oh Father! Forgive me for murmuring and help me to realize and feel the spirit of repentance and relieve me of this suffering by letting thy blessings come to me. And for this knowledge and testimony and the understanding that my earthly father is here with me, I would be willing that my body be torn to pieces or any other suffering thou seest fit to send me.'

"Immediately I was relieved of all suffering and pain and a blessing came to me that it is impossible to express in words for the spirit of the Lord was there to the extend that I could not express myself further.

"About three days later I had another experience. My left side was paralyzed, I had no feeling in my left side and no sight in my left eye.  I was bolstered up in a large high-backed rocking chair and my head was tied to its back. By some means I must have slipped down and gone to sleep, my head fell forward and I became unconscious for the first time during all this time of suffering.  The brother attending me immediately grabbed my head and he drew it back and tied it up again.  When I became conscious again I was so weak that it took several hours for me to be able to speak.  It seemed my life was ebbing away and after some twelve or fifteen hours in this distressing, weakened condition, my wife Bessie McDonald Brown, came to me.  She said, ' Orson, shall I send for the Elders?' I told her yes and she sent for Patriarch Jameson, Charles Lillywhite, and George Bunker.  It was in the very early morning just at daylight and as they came in Brother Jameson spoke.  He said, 'Orson, what shall we do?'

"I whispered to him to kneel down in a circle and each pray for my relief, and they knelt down and in turn prayed for me and they arose and came forward and Brother Lillywhite anointed me with consecrated oil. Brother Jameson was mouth in the confirmation and before they had taken their hands from my head, I felt life come into my left side, which had been paralyzed and dead.  Strength came to me and I was healed and the power of the Lord was so great in that room, though humble, that no one could speak for a long time.  When I recovered I praised the Lord for His blessings that had come to me and we all rejoiced in the great manifestation of the spirit and power of the Lord as I rose up from the chair, loosened the bandages from my head, and spoke: 'I am healed.'

"I immediately asked for some nourishment. Later I asked for more nourishment and in the evening of that day, I took a cane and walked four blocks and did not feel a particle of pain in any part of my body. From that time my strength rapidly grew until I was able in three weeks time to get into a buggy and came to Juárez to conference over a very rough road, over 100 miles.  A miracle had been wrought and, as Dr. Keate wrote in The Scientific Medical Journal, my case was one in a million that I should live under these conditions." And then on the second day of September 1902 I was blessed with the privilege of marrying Eliza Skousen and taking her back to Colonia Morelos, Sonora.

I was crossing the Bavispe River at Colonia Morelos and as I got into the middle of the stream and while my horse was drinking water I had a wonderful vision. I saw a great flood of water coming down the riverbed which was about a half mile wide at this point. The water overflowed the banks and swept everything before it. The Lillywhite brothers, Charles and Morris, were building two small brick houses on the south side of the valley near a wide embankment. I saw that their rock foundation and that their wives, having married sisters, escaped up this high embankment and when I got over to where the Lillywhite brothers were building these houses I told them what I had seen in the vision. They both smiled and said they thought that I had a wonderful imagination. I advised the people of the Colony not to build any more homes on the low lands or in the way of the flood.    

I preached in the church at least three times at the stand. This vision was in the month of July 1903 and in February 1905 the flood came just as I had seen it. Washing everything before it. Almost destroying Colonia Oaxaca twenty miles up the river from Colonia Morelos.

Further Evidence of a flood, saved from Lightening 

I was riding down a big wash know as the Caballero Wash in the month of July. A thunderstorm came up and it began to thunder and lightening and rain. I was on horseback, I rode fast to get under a big walnut tree when a voice came to me and said, "Get out from under that tree or you will be killed as Bishop Smoot (Scootr(sp)) was killed the year before in the same month. While Bishop Smoot was riding down on the bank above Colonia Oaxaca a thunderstorm came up and he got down off from his horse, and got under a tree. Lightening struck the tree, and came down and struck him and as he had the reins of the bridle in his hands lightening also killed his horse. They were both found dead the next morning.

When I heard this voice I took three steps away from the tree when the lightening struck to the bottom of the tree. I was full of electricity and my horse fell to the ground. When he got up he was trembling all over.

Because of listening to the warning of the voice of the Lord my life was saved.

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Another most wonderful experience, in a vision I was standing on the banks of a beautiful river Bavispe (pronounced bah-VEES-pe), near Colonia Morelos. To the southwest was coming a terrible storm. Great black clouds were rolling as if they were going to destroy everything before them. It seemed as if a number of people were standing there with me and they began to run as they were frightened. I thought to myself, I can't outrun this terrible storm that is coming and I stopped there with amazement. The black clouds opened and a beautiful white cloud came out of the opening and out of the white cloud walked a man in a white robe. He had a small white beard and his hair hung down to his shoulder. He kneeled down on one knee and twelve little girls apparently eight or ten years old, circled around him like a scroll.

Then he stood up and said to me, "Unless you can become as these little ones here, you can't come into my father's kingdom." And I knew that it was Jesus Christ, the Savior. There they all disappeared, going back into this beautiful white cloud.

The impression left with me was that I must be humble and clean like those little girls who were all dressed in white and they all had light white hair.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

There came to Colonia Morelos a wolf in sheep's clothing in the form of a man by the name of George Noble. He began to sow the seeds of dissention among the people. Nearly one-third of the people joined him in a petition to have me released as the Bishop of Colonia Morelos. After deceiving the people and getting them to put up some money for him he fixed up a cart. Got a horse from one of the brethren, stating that he was going to Douglas, Arizona to arrange for money to help them build a dam to store water for irrigation purposes. But instead of going to Douglas he went to Deming , New Mexico, crossing the international line at the San Bernardino Ranch about 20 miles from Deming. He stopped at the little ranch, unhitched his horse, and then when he went to hitch him up to continue his journey the horse kicked him and broke his leg. Some people came along and took him to Deming and from there he went to El Paso, Texas. From there to Salt Lake City, where he died after three days. 

Because of these circumstances and the people of the Colony not being united as they had been it worried me considerably and I wondered how much I was to blame. I sought the Lord in earnest prayer for many, many days and months I could get no answer as to how much I was responsible for the conditions. After more than a year had passed I found myself still inquiring of the Lord supplicating him to answer my prayers. Finally I remembered an incident that passed and was told to me by Apostle Owen Woodruff. He said that he desired to know the will of the Lord concerning a matter of importance to him. Then one day while he was preaching to the people at Snowflake, Arizona

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the matter he had been praying about came into his mind. The spirit of the Lord said to him, "Why don't you ask the patriarch?" And he said that immediately upon the dismissal of the meeting he went down into the congregation and took Patriarch Hatch by the arm and took him out back of the meetinghouse. They sat on a pine stump and he said to Patriarch Hatch, "The spirit of the Lord has directed me to ask you to answer my prayers. He said that Patriarch Hatch put his hands on his head and answered his prayers to his satisfaction.

All this came to me while I was praying in the evening. I thought to ask Patriarch Skousen, the father of my wife Eliza, to answer my prayer. I got up very early the next morning as usual and made my rounds visiting the families and Patriarch Skousen. I sat down at the table and were eating our breakfast and as I was leaving that morning for Douglas, Arizona I finished eating before he did. I had not mentioned this matter to him, and in fact it had slipped my mind. As I started to get up from the table he put his hand over mine and said, "Brother Orson, wait a minute, the Lord has a blessing for you."  When he had finished breakfast he got up and put his hands on my head and instead of giving me a patriarchal blessing, he answered my prayers. He said, "The Lord has heard your many prayers and supplications and through this my servant Patriarch I say unto you that your labors and sacrifices have been acceptable unto me. In no way whatsoever do I hold you responsible for the adverse conditions that have existed in this colony, and bless you with this spirit of love, in the which you have been devoted."

This assurance to me gave me great strength to continue in the work of the Lord.

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Another Incident … along the 1890's

Moses Thatcher "resting his strength upon his own arm of flesh" 

Apostle Brigham Young, Jr. came to Juárez to a General Conference of Juárez Stake. Ex-apostle Moses Thatcher, his brother-in-law, Aaron Farr, and a man by the name of Standing also came with Brother Young. During the morning session Apostle Brigham Young Jr. arose and said, "There are those here in this building who will not like what I am going to say and now I will give them an opportunity to retire from the building." And he stood without speaking for a few minutes. His words threw a cold wave over the whole congregation for without doubt it was Apostle Brigham Young Jr. speaking without the spirit of the Lord. Moses Thatcher and his two companions were sitting at the back of the stage but they made no move to retire. When Brigham Young Jr. resumed speaking he manifested that the spirit of the Lord was with him. And in humility and thanksgiving he bore one of the most wonderful testimonies and related many of the manifestations of the goodness of the Lord to him in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

At the dismissal of the meeting Brother Moses Thatcher and his two companions accompanied me to my home for dinner. After we were seated I said to Brother Thatcher, "There's something very strange. You have always sat at the front and we have always looked to you as one of the greatest leaders of Zion. I am not unmindful of the wonderful promises made to me when you set me apart in Pima, Arizona for the mission for coming to Mexico. When I said I enjoyed the outpourings of the spirit in the testimony of Brigham Young Jr. but there is something about all this I can't understand."

Then Brother Thatcher answered, "I too, enjoyed the testimony of Brother Brigham Young Jr., and I too have a great manifestation from the Lord Jesus Christ." He continued, "When my brethren of the authorities of the Church are persecuting me I went into my secret closet and in humble prayer sought the Lord and said unto him, "Oh Thou my Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ why is it that Thou hast allowed my brethren who preside over me to persecute me the way they are doing? And the voice of the Lord came unto me and said, "Oh thou my servant Moses, why doest thou depend upon the arm of flesh?"

Then Brother Moses said, "My cause will yet be hailed from the housetops throughout all Zion." And he spoke with the spirit of defiance and not humility. Then there came to me a great testimony that Brother Thatcher had been resting his strength upon his own arm of flesh and upon those of his evil advisors. For he said then, "How could I submit to their arbitrary rules after the Lord Jesus Christ had thus spoken to me?"

And I answered, "Brother Moses, I can't understand how you misinterpreted the voice of the Lord that spoke to you telling you in plain language that you were resting your strength upon your own wisdom and upon your own arm of flesh."

To me this was a most momentous occasion for I had learned to love and honor Brother Thatcher. Now the testimony that had come to me with regard to him was satisfactory; that it was he who was wrong and not his brethren who presided over him. And notwithstanding this testimony it grieved me very much that a man whom I had learned t love was in rebellion against the prophets of the Lord and by his actions had been disfellowshipped from the Church. And it grieves me now to think of it.

At a later conference Apostle Heber J. Grant came to Colonia Juárez and it was he who made the first statement with regard to Moses Thatcher and the fact that he had been cut off from the Church and it caused a feeling of mourning at what he said. He related how he and Moses Thatcher had been bosom companions and how at the quorum meetings he would second the propositions advanced by Brother Thatcher not realizing to the fullest extent what he was doing. He said they had been inn a council meeting. Brother Thatcher had opposed advice given by one of the Brother Apostles that was almost unanimously accepted. He and Brother Thatcher opposed it so vigorously that the other members of the quorum couldn't
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sustain their opposition and so the question was suspended until another meeting. Then he said he and Brother Thatcher came out of the Temple arm in arm. Brother Moses Thatcher said in a loud voice, "Well, we showed those old fogies where to head in again."  Meaning the other members of the Twelve Apostles.

Heber J. Grant went on to say, Apostle Erastus Snow caught up with us, slapped us both on the shoulders and as we turned around he said, "Unless you young men cease coming into the council of the Twelve Apostles and the President of the Church with your minds made up as to what you are going to do and are not willing to allow the spirit of the Lord to direct and counsel in those meetings you will apostatize and go to hell."

As they walked along Moses Thatcher said, "Well Heber, you again hear the predictions of a father-in-law had made upon our heads."

Heber J. Grant replied, "I don't know Moses, but I believe Brother Snow is right." Apostle Grant continued by saying, "I know Brother Snow was right and from then on I avoided the company of Moses Thatcher. This showed the haughtiness and lack of humility of Moses Thatcher."

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1893 or 1895  Orson Witnesses the Healing Faith of President Karl G. Maeser

"I am reminded of a trip I made to Colonia Díaz. President Ivins asked me to go there, and bring back to Colonia Juárez, President Karl G. Maeser [1828-1901], of the Brigham Young University at Provo, Utah. Brother Maeser was about 65-70 years of age.

When we arrived at the head of the Casas Grandes River we got out of the buggy, unhitched the team, watered and fed them. Then got out our lunch and Brother Maeser, very much excited exclaimed, Brudder Brown, I have left my catheter at Brother Johnson's house. I haven't been able to urinate in 10 years without it. I don't know what to do."

I answered, "We'll return if you wish but you won't be able to keep your appointment in Colonia Juárez tonight if you go back." He looked very pale and I felt very sorry for him. He was suffering very much. We had stopped under a big cottonwood tree. He stepped around the tree and knelt down and said, "Father in Heaven forgive me for not having faith in thee. I pray thee Father to relieve me. I am on your mission, doing your work. I must be in Colonia Juárez to keep my appointment with your servants. Help me and heal me. I have left der instrument in Colonia Díaz at Brudder Johnson's." He got up on his feet and immediately was relieved. And then in tears and humility he said to me, "Oh Brudder Brown, how thankful I am to the Lord for his blessing to me for I am healed."

Before we got to Juárez he got out of the buggy and was relieved again. He remained at Colonia Juárez two or three days and it was my privilege to take him back to Colonia Díaz and on to Deming, New Mexico. He never needed his instrument again. He related many instances wherein the Lord had blessed him and it was a great privilege to associate with such a grand, humble servant of the Lord." 

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March 1896 [this could have occurred after 1901] 

While President Joseph H. Smith and Apostle Heber J. Grant were visiting at my home in Colonia Juárez, Mexico, a discussion of the colonists of Mexico was precipitated by President Smith in the which he said, "Heber, the people of these colonies are the salt of the Church. The salt of the world. The fact that they have left their comfortable homes of the north and have come down to these desert wastes to be able to live the higher law of the gospel of plural marriage marks them, as I have said before, "the salt of the earth.""

And the Apostle Grant replied saying, "Brother John, I believe you are correct. I have the same impression with regard to the people living here in these colonies." Apostle Grant further said, "My constant prayer is that I will be able to live in such a manner that I will be worthy of any calling the Lord sees fit to call me to."  It was then revealed to me by the spirit of the Lord that Apostle Heber J. Grant would be the next President of the Church.

Next morning I went over to President Ivins home and I said, "President Ivins, Brother Heber is going to be the next President of the Church." And he answered, "that's almost impossible, at least it's very improbable because there are four members of the apostles ahead of him: Joseph Fielding Smith, Brigham Young Jr., Amasa Lyman, and John Henry Smith. These men are all strong vigorous meanwhile Heber is in very delicate health."  And I replied, ""It doesn't matter, even the state of Brother Heber's health at present because the spirit of the Lord has revealed it unto me."  He then answered, "Well, we'll wait and see, I don't believe it."

And later [after 1919] when Apostle Grant was made President of the Church I went to Brother Ivins, who was now an Apostle, and reminded him of this fact and he said, "Well, Orson, that's one time you were right and I was wrong."
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c.1895 While Tracking Stolen Cattle Orson Becomes An U.S. Customs Officer, a Deputy in Deming, Captain of Rurales Police, and an Officer of the ISGPA 

I received a telegram at Ciudad Juárez from our bankers, Kottleson and Degatian (Ketelson and Degeteau) ,  at El Paso to come out immediately as there seemed a discrepancy in our bank account. In particular with E.L. Taylor's buying and selling of cattle. Brother Taylor had gone out to Deming, New Mexico, en route to Conference in Salt Lake City. I went to El Paso, wired him at Deming and received return wire to come immediately to Deming. On arrival he said that cattle thieves were not only stealing our cattle but cattle belonging to other Colonia Díaz residents.

I went to Chief of Customs at El Paso, Mr---- and told him undoubtedly they were smuggling those stolen cattle across the border into the U.S.A. There was no fence along the international line between Mexico and the U.S. Cattle drifted from one side to the other. The Chief of Customs made me a U.S. Customs Officer, wrote a letter to Mr. Jack Kyle, his man in charge at Deming. I went to Deming and my partner Taylor said that he had information that cattle had been stolen and brought to the U.S. I went to the sheriff of the county and he deputized me and I hired two gunmen and we started out.

In ten days we had six American cattle thieves behind bars. As we couldn't do a thing to them for stealing cattle in Mexico we applied the law of smuggling cattle without paying duty to the U.S. government. One bad man in particular with the alias of John Hall, had six notches on his six shooter saying he had killed six men along the Texas-Mexican border. He sent me word that if I didn't go back across the border and stay there he would leave my carcass on the desert for the buzzards to pick. I immediately offered $100,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts.

We had suspected that a man by the name of Tom Word had been buying stolen cattle from Mexico. We learned that he had written a letter and sent it to his ranch with a boy. We overtook the boy, took the letter
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and found that Hall would be staying that night at an old deserted fort east of Deming about 20 miles. We arrived there just before daylight. The guide and myself stayed on the outside while the other three of our party went inside to get breakfast. I had given the guide with me my pistol, foolishly going into the house without a gun. I was sitting with my back to the door when I heard a horse coming. The guide shouted, "My God, it's John Hall. I said, "Give me my pistol," he was frozen with fear, couldn't move. I turned my chair around, jumped up just as John Hall stepped into the room pulling his pistol. I grabbed his gun twisted it from his hand and stepping back shouted, "Put'em up you son of a bitch."

 Then the other three men came running down. We took him to where other ranchers had stolen cattle and I left John Kyle about a quarter of a mile from a ranch guarding Hall. No one was at the ranch when we arrived. After about two hours two ranchers came and with them was a Kansas City stock buyer. We'd left our guide with our horses down in the creek. One man was at the corner of the house. One man behind the chicken coop and I was in the doorway as these men rode up. I stepped out with a double -barreled shot gun and had the boys come out and disarm them. The man from Kansas City was so scared and smelled so strong that we had to get him a clean pair of pants. These ranchers by the name of Shaw and Eddie, were partners. Next morning we took them down to Deming, together with Hall and they said that they had bought the cattle from Hall and a man named Gurelle and that they had helped to bring the cattle from Mexico to the U.S.

The U.S. attorney made a case against all of them for smuggling stolen cattle from Mexico. Gurelle (sp) had turned states evidence. I then went to Chihuahua and laid the matter before Governor Ahumada. He authorized me to act for the State Government and made me Captain of Rurales Police for that district. I came back to Deming and got together all the prominent stockmen along the border, both from the Mexican and the American side and we organized the International

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Stock Growers Protective Association. Lu Brown, President of the Bank of Deming and also President of a big cattle company of New Mexico was made President of this new organization. He was authorized and instructed to run down and bring to justice the cattle thieves on both sides of the border. He named me his officer. While I was there Apostle Teasdale came out from SLC and when I explained the situation to him he blessed me and set me apart to defend not only the interests of the Association but the interests of the colonists in general against bandits and thieves. He promised me that if I would serve the Lord and keep his commandments I would be protected against all such kinds of people. In performance of my duty I always depended upon that blessing and promise.

There had been a gang of men headed by one Israel King, attorney by profession, and who had bought a large tract of land near Deming on the Members(sp) River, nine-tenths dry. With maps and charts King showed that steam ships run up the Rio Grand on up the Members River to a town by that name. Going east he sold this interest out to people there for about $150,000. With this money he went into the cattle business on both side of the border. When I met him he said, "I have a bunch of gun men and we will take what we want and where and when we want it. And they started in with that kind of game. They bought a big herd of cattle at Palomas and as they had no permit from Mexican authorities to pass them over the line a Mexican lieutenant with 25 Federal soldiers stopped the cattle and the men. King's foreman, Henry Coleman, a gunman and a killer, called the lieutenant aside and pulling his pistol told him to tell his men to let the cattle pass or he would be killed. Coleman took the lieutenant and the cattle across into the U.S. Later we had evidence that part of these cattle were stolen. We also learned that King, Coleman and three other of their men had started a roundup crossing the border at a place away from the customs house. I took three of my men and went to the site of their operations. They weren't there but when

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they came into camp we arrested them and took five of them to jail at Ciudad Juárez. Here they were taken care of for a while.

I received information that some of these stolen cattle were taken to north-eastern New Mexico. Ted Houghten who was superintendent of Corrolitos Cattle Company in Mexico accompanied me to a railroad station named Wagon Mound and here the stolen cattle were being rounded up and shipped into Indian Territory. We cut out some of the stolen cattle, killed four or five of them, skinned them and shipped the hides to El Paso, Texas as evidence against these thieves.

While we were here in New Mexico King got out of jail on $10,000 peso bond. Houghten received word that King would be on the afternoon passenger train. He said to me, "Be careful for I’m afraid there will be a killing." I asked, "What do you mean?"

Tom answered, "King is a killer and you want to watch out."

"I replied, "Well, if there is going to be anybody killed it will be the other fellow for I’m not going t take any chances."

So as King got off the train he was met by the man he had sold the cattle to with two other armed men and Houghten, King asked, "Where is Mr. Brown?"

"There he is standing by the water tank," they answered.

He came running toward me. I put my right hand on my pistol and awaited his coming, watching him very closely. As he came up to me he extended his right hand to shake hands with me. I stuck out my left hand and he asked, "Mr. Brown why do you do that?"

I answered, "I'm taking no chances with cattle thieves and murderers."

Then he exclaimed, "For God's sake don't put me in the penitentiary with my wife in the poor house and my daughter in the orphanage."

I said to him, "King, you are a member of the International Stock Growers Protective Association and know what my instructions are from the President and Manager of the Company.

Houghten went east to Kansas to look up more of our stolen cattle. Previous to going east King and his attorney came to me in El Paso and asked, "Brown, do you know who I am?"

I replied, "No."  The attorney

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continued, "We are Free Masons, if you continue to prosecute Mr. King you will suffer the consequences at the hand of Free Masonry."

I said to him, " I know a lot of Free Masons and I know them to be gentlemen. You may be outlaw Free Masons and think you can intimidate me but if ever you cross the border into Mexico again I'll put you behind the bars with the rest of them."

Henry Coleman was a brother of a U.S. Senator and when he was sentenced to three years in a Mexican penitentiary they tried influence to get him out of jail.

A while later, a companion of Coleman's, John Cox had been to Juárez to arrange to get Henry Coleman out of jail. They planned to throw a rope over the wall. This rope H. Coleman would tie around his body and Cox on a horse would put him up to the top of the wall. Coleman would then slip down onto the back of Cox's horse and with four other companions, each with two six shooters apiece were to drive off any guards and so escape.

But when Cox pulled Coleman half way up the wall the horse balked and sending Coleman down. A guard saw this and hit Coleman over the head, untied him, and took him to his cell and locked him up. Then the guard gave the alarm. It was a running fight across the Rio Grande River into the U.S. Then these men, including Cox, had come into Deming. Here they swore vengeance against "Mormon" Brown and that if ever I came back to Deming I would be served the same medicine as was served Colonel Fountain and his son who were murdered in the sand hills while they were traveling from Las Cruses to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Colonel Fountain was prosecuting attorney for two counties and had been after outlaws and thieves and they had murdered him and his son.

Tracking Cattle Thieves Closer to Home 

I received word from home in Mexico that thieves were stealing my horses and cattle among which was three mares, colts and a very fine stallion. I took an Indian guide as tracker. We followed them up a canyon over a mountain, into another canyon. The wind was blowing very hard. We saw the mares and stallion grazing and smoke coming out of a cave in the side of the mountain. I dismounted, the Indian was afoot, he wouldn't ride a horse, we slipped up to the cave and there were three men eating a piece of calf they had killed and roasted. We held them up, brought them out, and tied their hand behind them and then tied them together. We then partook of the roast dinner. I went to sleep leaving the Indian to guard them in the cave and telling him to awaken me when the moon reached a certain point, which would be about midnight. When he finally awakened me it was coming daylight. We gave them breakfast and ate. I let the Indian drive the horses ahead while I followed the thieves making them walk to Casas Grandes.

As I was needed at home it was a month before I went out again. While home a runner brought a letter from Father Gurelle to whom I had sold a lot of sheep the year before. The letter stated that bandits had driven his sheep and the herder across the border into Texas. He asked me to come and take care of the matter. I rode horseback to Colonia Díaz. Father Gurelle want me to get them back and sell them and
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said, "They have murdered one of my boys and the other is in jail and I have one to take care of them."

So I went to Palomas and arranged with Mexican officials to release the sheep and have them taken back toward Deming. While I was at Deming I shipped Father Gurelle's sheep to Kansas City and he received about $2,000. more for his sheep than they had cost him the year before. This was settled, a very disagreeable situation.           

'Mormon Brown' Confronts John Cox in Deming

 While in Palomas a Jew who owned a local store came down from Deming and looked me up to say, "Mr. Brown, where are you going?"

I answered, "I'm going to Deming from here."

He said, "No you aren't, they'll murder you as soon as you get there."

I took the mail stage to Deming. The wind was blowing hard. I put a Mexican hat on my head to disguise me somewhat. I got off the stage at the Deming Hotel and went up to my room. Then I went down to a furnishing store to see a Mr. Pullock. He exclaimed, "My God, Mr. Brown, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here on business," I answered, "and I want you to go to Sheriff Peters to tell him to come up to my hotel room.'

Peters came to my room saying, "My God, Mr. Brown, these men have the town and any time you go down on the street there'll be a killing and I don't want to be seen here with you at all for I want to live a little longer."
T

hen down the back steps of the hotel he went, as I replied, "Well, I'll see what I can do."

Before going he had outlined a plan by which I could escape. He said, "I'll go to the depot and arrange with the freight train that goes to El Paso at 10:00 this evening. A car will pick you up and take you to the freight yards. Wrap up in an Indian blanket, he cautioned. "Well, I'll see" I answered. He left.  I knelt down and prayed, telling the Lord that I was here in the interests of his people. And if it was his will that I should stay here and tend to it to give me the heart of a lion that I would not fear any

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thing and to protect me in so doing. And if I should get away to put fear in my heart so that I would accept the suggestions of Sheriff Peters.

When I got off my knees I felt that with the help of the Lord I could whip the whole bunch. I put on my hat and walked down into the street. A man by the name of Jack Gibbons was standing on the corner. He had bought a mule, a horse and saddle from a Negro who had stolen them. As I came up to him I said, "Jack, you've got those stolen animals and you take care of them or I'll put you behind the bars."

A man came near and I asked him pointing to another, "Isn't that John Cox?"

He replied, "Yes, and you had better go, he'll kill you."

I answered, "You stay here as witness." And as Cox neared the center of the street I was within five steps of him and I called him. He whirled with his hand on his pistol; I had mine cocked and I asked him, "Is your name John Cox?"

And he replied, "Yes."

I answered, "Well, I'm 'Mormon Brown', and as you and your gang have said you'd better bury me when I came out here so I thought I'd better come out and be present at the funeral." He commenced shaking his hands above his head and yelling, "You damned coyote you."

I said, "Get your gun and get into action." Shaking all over he said, "No, no, no." I drove him into a store, had the men take off his gun and then I told him just what he was and further told him that if he or any of his gang made another crooked move we'd hang them right here. Three of the International Stockholders Assn. came in just then and one of them remarked, "We'll have to do as they do in Montana, hang him from a telephone pole.

I answered, "Here's one right here, let's hang him right now."  Cox was scared nearly to death. One of the men, Shorty Rector, who had accompanied Cox to Ciudad Juárez to get Coleman out of jail came to me and said, "Mr. Brown, you befriended me one time and I've never forgotten it. And I'm not going to be mixed up with this bunch anymore, but if I were you I'd leave this country for they plan to murder you."

I answered, "Shorty, I appreciate your advice but whenever they open up on me I will get two of them for
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one. I'm not afraid of them." 

Outlaw Henry Coleman 

Just before all this happened John Cox had been to Juárez to arrange to get Henry Coleman out of jail.  They planned to throw a rope over the wall. This rope H. Coleman would tie around his body and Cox on a horse would pull him up to the top of the wall. Coleman would then slip down onto the back of Cox's horse and with four other companions each with two six shooters apiece were to drive off any guards and so escape.  But when Cox pulled Coleman half way up the wall the horse balked and Coleman went down a guard saw this and hit Coleman over the head. Untied him took him to a cell and locked him up. Then he gave the alarm. It was a running fight across the Rio Grande River into the U.S.  Then these men including Cox had come into Deming and here they swore vengeance against "Mormon" Brown and that if ever I came back to Deming I would be served the same medicine as was served Col. Fountain and his son when they  were murdered in the sand hills while they were traveling from Las Cruses to Carlsbad, New Mex.  Col. Fountain as prosecuting attorney for two counties had been after outlaws and thieves and they had murdered him and his son.

My first run-in with this Henry Coleman had been at Colonia Díaz. We were sleeping in the same room when a young woman came to the door and said, "Henry, Henry, my husband has a shot gun and is coming to kill you."

He answered, "I'll just step out and kill that old man."

I said, "You'll just step out of here, take your saddle, saddle up and get out. Any man that will monkey with another man's wife needs killing." I followed him out and saw that he got away. He hadn't been gone ten minutes when the outraged husband came with a shotgun to kill him.

Finally Henry Coleman got out of jail by paying the jailer a big fee. By this time he was so weak that a big Negro had to carry him out. Coleman then went to Deming, married a sporting girl, moved to Gallup, New Mexico, bought a ranch. Later he divorced this girl, married another New Mexico girl. The woman he divorced went back to this

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ranch and it was reported that he murdered his ex-wife and the boy helper and just as Coleman was running away from the ranch another rancher whom Coleman regarded as an enemy came along. Coleman was afraid this man would testify against him so had two Mexican deputies arrest this rancher and while they were leading him away from his ranch Coleman shot him in the back. Because of the influence of Coleman's brother who was a U.S. Senator, he went free. Next he got into trouble with a Mexican rancher and killed him.

He came over to El Paso and into Mexico and down to Juárez. His brother was arranging to get him land south of Juárez and trying to get his cattle from New Mexico onto this land. A friend of Coleman's said to me one day, "Mr. Brown, what would happen if you should meet Coleman?

"I've seen him. I know where he is," I answered.

"Well, he wants to meet you and see what can be done about getting his cattle down here."

I saw Henry Coleman later and he told me he was going down into New Mexico to get his cattle. I replied, "Well, I'll say goodbye to you then, for those people have your number and will kill you on sight."

"Why?" he asked me.

I answered, "Well, I'd do the same if I had papers for Henry Coleman. I'd shoot first and then read the papers.

"Well, that's a pretty bad reputation," he answered.

"That's what you are," I replied.

He went into New Mexico and his old friend John Cox and six other men all of the afraid of Coleman found out he was at his ranch and went out to lay for him. When he came along all seven fired at him but only one bullet hit him The bullet cut an artery in his leg. He jerked his pistol laid in the wash where he bled to death. Finally, one man dared to look over to see shy he didn't move and saw him lying there and shot him in the back of the neck. Then they walked over to where he lay. Later the doctor said he was dead before the second shot hit him. So ended the career of a bandit and a murderer and a thief.

Mormon Brown' Receives Rewarding Opportunity 

About this time Israel King was dying in Deming from pneumonia and had authorized a Mr. Sim Holstead act with the power of attorney

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in selling his interests and settling up his affairs. Mr. Holstead came to me saying, "Mr. Brown, we have an offer of $2,000.00 for Mr. King's interests on this side of the line as well as the cattle over the border in Mexico. We can close the deal if we can get a guarantee from you that the purchaser will get protection in going into Mexico to get the cattle. We talked awhile and finally he said, "Why don't you buy this outfit, Mr. Brown?"

"Well," I answered, " If I should then they'd raise a howl that I had King on his back where he couldn't help himself."

He replied, "Your friends know you better and you don't care a damn about your enemies anyway, so let them how. Make us an offer. How much would you pay if you wouldn't pay $3,000.00?"

Finally I said, "You make out a bill of sale for the remnant of his cattle and horses on this side as well as in Mexico together with the Three C Ranch, including all equipment on the ranch such as wagons, buggies, harnesses, drilling machine, etc. and I'll give you $3,000 for it.  $1,500.00 now and a note to be cashed at the bank in six months. That will be $1,000. more than you have offered to sell it for."

This was the month of October and there was a general round up of cattle all over this southwestern country of New Mexico. I collected and delivered at stockyards at Deming enough cattle in three weeks time to bring $2,400.00. I took 50 head of fine cows, 3 bulls, 20 calves, 2 buggies, 4 sets of harnesses, a wagon, a drilling machine, and a lot of tools down into Mexico. I sold the ranch for another $1,000.00. By the end of the year had collected enough cattle in Mexico to bring another $2,000.00. All this helping to pay for the cattle they had stolen from us.

Mr. King died and his widow sold their home and returned to Illinois. Before she left Deming she sent her kind regards by Mr. Holstead thanking me for my liberality in purchasing their outfit.  I got two of the …King outfit released from jail at Juárez and sent home because…so young.

Just before I had sold out the Three C Ranch I was down at the stock pens at Deming when John Cox and a murdering companion came there. It was six o'clock in the morning. I thought they had come to clean me up as they had threatened to do so many times, but they began talking to the corral man. I* was taking no chances, I pulled my pistol and moved behind a post. They saw I was ready for them so they moved on.  I asked the corral man where they were going. He answered, "They are going to the Three C Ranch for horses." Then realizing it was the Ranch I had bought he changed by saying, "No, they were going up into the North Country."

That was enough for me. I took the corral man by the shoulders and bought him a few drinks and he began to talk. He admitted they were going after horses at the Three C Ranch. I went over to the livery stable and had Gibbons saddle my horse. While I went after my Winchester rifle and my double-barreled shotgun and with the six-shooter I always carried I got my horse and mule and started for Three C Ranch. About half way there I saw two men driving horses towards me. I stopped behind a big mesquite tree beside the road. As the horses came by they shied from me. The men reached for their pistols as I yelled, "Hold up your right hand and with your left unbuckle your cartridge belt and let it and your guns fall."

They were surprised and scared plenty and did as I told them. "Now ride forward a little, get off your horses and get out in front there." I said to Cox, 'I told you that if ever I caught you at this business again I'd kill you and that's just what I should no now. You are murdering thieves," just then two boys came riding from Deming hunting jack rabbits. I knew the boys and as they rode up one called, "Why what's the matter Mr. Brown?"

I answered, "I was just going to kill these thieves when you boys came, Now go unsaddle the horses they were riding and saddle their own and turn the rest of the horses back towards the ranch."

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