John W, MIller, Part I

[John W. Miller front row, center]

My husband, John W. Miller as told by Annie Margaret Hansen Robertson
John W. Miller was born in Scotland September 25, 1864. He was his mother’s eleventh child. He had two brothers and nine sisters. His father, John Miller was a coal miner by trade. His mother did sewing to help out. They left Scotland and came to America when he was six years old. He spent his sixth birthday on the ocean. He said all he could remember about the voyage was the whale spouts.
Then landed in Salt Lake City in October, went to Spanish Fork where his mother’s sister and brother lived. Later went to live in Salt Lake City. They lived in what was called Rock Row. It was a row of houses all made of rock. While there, his father died of hemorrhage of the lungs. After he died, his [John W.’s] mother and one sister moved him to Lakeview, Tooele County, where his sister Agnes and family lived. They lived there until they got a home of their own.
His mother being a widow, she used to go out nursing the sick. Then, she was set apart to do obstetrics work or mid-wife they used to call it. She did that for twenty years and never lost one case of either mother or child.
There was an epidemic of diphtheria. She took care of all the children in all the ward, some of them died. But John did not take it. He was blessed with good health and helped her all he could.
When only eleven years old, he carried adobe to make brick and earned his first five dollar greenback. Held it in his hand in his pocket and ran six miles to his mother to give it to her. When he gave it to her, it was wrinkled and wet with perspiration and looked a mess all wrinkled up, but he was so proud he had earned it the hard way.
When he was only twelve he worked for a man by the name of Henry Harris. Did all kinds of farm work and worked up in the hills. Helped get logs out for the first railroad. They cut them in lengths and hued them until they were square to lay the rails on and helped get out logs for the saw mill. He earned enough lumber to help build his mother a home. All the men in the ward helped him to build it. They lined it will adobe…two rooms and a lean-to for a kitchen.