And here is the story about those tools, as told by George Peacock to Sharon Jewkes in December 2009:
Dear Sharon,
A friend who is part of the Church Education System, whom I
first knew in Springville just before he left to serve a mission in 1971 or
about, had these and other tools. His name is Alan Maynes. After he left on his
mission, his family moved to Springville from Manti. I never knew more of them
until in the late 1980s when Alan was assigned to teach seminary in
Circleville.
During the next few years, we met in in-service activities
while discussing local history. Alan mentioned that he had some tools which
belonged to ELP. I was astonished! I was looking at ELP because of his work as
the chief stonemason on the Manti Temple. Alan’s family had purchased the ELP
home in Manti and on the premises were the stone tools.
I was wanting to know what kind of a drill they used to
drill stone in those days and Alan replied that he could show me one. When I
saw his tools, I expressed interest in having one. Alan thought for a while,
then bargained for a possession of mine which he had greatly desired. Well, we
made the trade and I got the two tools – one chisel and one drill bit.
I had them until I gave them to you and Creig. I liked them,
but just the thought of putting them into the hands of a descendant of ELP
swayed me enough to make the gift. My assumption is that the tools were used on
both the temples, but that may be poor deduction – because most of the
remaining holes that are in the sandstone quarries do not fit the size of that
drill bit. They are smaller. The oolite stone of the Manti would yield itself
to the drill, I believe, but the red stone required on the temple was not near
as exacting as the stone for the Tabernacle in St. George. But at least I think
we can be assured that they are indeed the tools of ELP and the softest rock on
which a drill would be used are the stone for the Manti, St. George Temples and
the St. George Tabernacle, all of which ELP was stonemason or chief stonemason.
I hope your family will cherish these tools. I would imagine
that the museums of any of those three structures would “give their right arm”
for them if they had a chance. My great-great-grandfather, George Peacock, was
one of the early settlers of Manti, its first postmaster, and a member of the
first territorial legislature held in Fillmore and later in SLC. His son moved
from Manti to Orangeville with the Jewkes, and my Grandmother Peacock was a
Jewkes. She was a daughter of Joseph Hyrum Jewkes, born on April 6th, the son
of Samuel Jewkes.
I am George Morris Peacock, son of William Morris Peacock,
son of William George Peacock, son of George Peacock who settled in
Orangeville.
My grandfather, William, who married Jennie Jewkes, built
his home, in which I was born and raised, across the street and south of the
home of Alma G. Jewkes, who was a brother to Joseph Hyrum Jewkes. Later, my
mother and my stepfather built the white-bricked home directly across the
street west from Uncle Alma’s home.
We knew him as “Uncle
Al,” since my father was taught that title by his mother who was indeed Uncle
Alma’s niece.
