with light. The latter-day dispensation was opening. All things in Christ were to be gathered in one. The curtain of history had risen on the last act of the tragedy of Time.

Would God leave the world without "great and noble ones" at such an hour?

——

Heber Chase Kimball was born into this life June 14th, 1801. The same soil produced him that in colonial times brought forth an Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga, and in later years the wondrous twain of spirits known to the world as Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

A far greater work than the capture of a British fortress was in the future of this Mormon triad of "Green Mountain boys," who went forth "in the name of the great Jehovah" to invade the strongholds of Satan, and plant the banner of gospel truth above the ramparts of his conquered citadels.

Heber's birthplace was the town of Sheldon, Franklin County, Vermont, ten miles from the shores of Lake Champlain. He was the fourth child and second son in a family of seven, the order of whose birth was as follows: Charles Spaulding, Eliza, Abigail, Heber Chase, Melvina, Solomon and Daniel Spaulding, the last named of whom died in infancy. These were all born in Sheldon.

His father's name was Solomon Farnham Kimball, a native of Massachusetts, where he was born in the year 1770. He was "a man of good moral character," and, though he professed no religion, taught his children correct principles. His mother's maiden name was Anna Spaulding; she was a strict Presbyterian, lived a virtuous life, and, according to her best knowledge, reared her family in the ways of righteousness. She was the daughter of Daniel and Speedy Spaulding, and was born in Plainfield, New Hampshire, on the banks of the Connecticut river.

The Kimballs were of Scotch descent, their ancient name, it is believed, being Campbell. Heber's grandfather and a brother came from England, in time to assist in gaining the independence of the colonies. In America his ancestors and those of the Prophet Joseph Smith were related by marriage.

Heber derived his given name from a Judge Chase, of Massachusetts, by whom his father was reared from a boy, and who chanced to visit his former protege soon after his son was born. The judge himself proposed the christening, and the parents being nothing loth, Heber Chase Kimball became the infant's name.

This Judge Chase, though presumably "learned in the law," like many of his class in those primitive, common sense days was not above following the humbler pursuits of life. He was a blacksmith, and taught Heber's father that trade, and when he had married, helped him to establish his smithy in the town of Sheldon.

"At the close of the Revolutionary War," says Heber, "my father was thirteen years old, and I can remember his rehearsing to me some of the scenes of the war.

"He was captain of a company of militia in Sheldon, and wore a cocked hat of the old English style, a straightbodied coat, and short breeches with a knee buckle, long stockings, and Suwarrow boots with a pair of tassels.

"He was partly bald, had dark-brown hair, blue eyes, sandy whiskers and light complexion; he was five feet, eleven inches high, and weighed two hundred pounds and upwards.

"He engaged in farming and clearing land, burning the wood into coal and ashes; he had also a forge and trip-hammer, in the manufacture of wrought iron.

"About the time of the embargo, before the last war with England, my father lost his property, as it was invested in salts, potash and pearlash; the embargo, having shut down the gate of commerce between the United States and England, left his property in his hands without much value."

In February, 1811, the Kimballs migrated from Vermont, and settled in West Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, five hundred miles from their former home, where the head of the family reengaged in his occupations of farmer and blacksmith, to which he now added that of builder. He was aided in his new venture by Judge Towsley, of Scipio, Cayuga County, who had employed him for several months as foreman in a blacksmith shop.

Heber thus describes the journey from Sheldon to West Bloomfield, with incidents of their subsequent experience in that then new country:

"My father took my mother and six children in a sleigh, with one span of horses, a change of clothing for each of us, and some blankets to wrap us in; when we reached St. Albans, my father bought each of his boys a hat, which was the first hat I ever had on my head. We traveled on Lake Champlain, on the ice, and the wind being very high, my hat was blown off and lost.

"We traveled on the ice up to Whitehall, a distance of one hundred and ten miles, where, spring being open, he traded his sleigh for a wagon and proceeded to West Bloomfield.

"He built an academy in West Bloomfield, also two tavern stands and several private dwellings; he made nearly all of the edge tools, such as scythes, augers, axes, knives, etc., also plow-shares and agricultural implements, for the country around, to a distance of fifty or sixty miles; and sometimes he had eight forges employed at once.

"He continued living in West Bloomfield during the 'last war' with England, which place was on the thoroughfare between Albany and Buffalo, on what was called 'the public turnpike,' and on which the soldiery passed during the war (1812-15). It was flourishing times, there being plenty of business and money, and most men in business became involved, so that when the war closed bankruptcy became common, as every merchant, tavern-keeper and grog-shop had a banking establishment, and issued 'shin-plasters' from one cent up to five dollars.

"My father lost the greater portion of his property, which broke him up in that place. He then moved two and one-half miles east, half way between East and West Bloomfield, where he bought a farm of a Mr. Stewart, near a small lake called Stewart's Pond; on this farm there was a little improvement. Here he established blacksmithing, built a large tavern stand, barns and other out-houses, and once more set out an orchard of various kinds of fruit trees.

"This was in the year 1816, which was called the cold season; the same year that the black spot was seen on the sun. The following year we had little to subsist upon; for some three weeks we gathered milk weeds, and boiled and ate them, not having salt to put on them. It was with difficulty that bread could be procured."

Evidently the elder Kimball was a man of force and energy, qualities which his son Heber inherited, and in turn transmitted to his posterity. The Kimballs, with scarcely an exception, are, in this respect, of just such sterling stuff as their sire and grandsire, and invariably "show the mettle of their pasture," as colonizers, wherever their lot is cast.

The limited amount of schooling that Heber received in these days of his childhood and early youth, extended from his fifth to his fourteenth year, and was of the quality usually found in the primitive village schools of the day. He was not an ardent lover of books, but drew his lessons from life and nature in all their multiplied and varied phases. It was "about the time of the great eclipse in 1806" that he commenced going to school. The eclipse he "remembered well," as his father was about starting on a journey, but was obliged to wait on account of the darkness.

At the age of fourteen he was put to work in his father's blacksmith shop, and acquired a knowledge of that useful trade. When he was nineteen, his father having met with further reverses, he was thrown entirely upon his own resources, and now began to taste the first bitter experience of his life.