November 1903


1 November 1903 • Sunday

<The poems read Saturday night were Autumn & Sympathy‒> I have been in pain all night got a mustard plaster on this morning but could not eat went off to the Temple Fast Meeting Sat through it all. A most interesting meeting, but rather trying. Went up to the 18th. Ward Chapel gave donation to poor 50 cts. a fairly good service not so good however as some meetings there that I have attended. Went home with Martha, had other pressing invitations, one Mrs. Jennings, one Hannah Wells one L. A. [Lydia Ann Wells] & Susan Wells. In the evening went to the service and heard H. J. Grant, speak to the young people on Japan– dinner at Emily’s, last time probably in that house before she goes away,1 came home and commenced working though worn out and almost exhausted. {p. 295}

2 November 1903 • Monday

This is Isabel’s birthday my eldest daughter and eldest living child. She will have a family party and dinner only her own including me. I sent her 55 carnations and a half-dozen large Chrysanthemums and came home in time for the dinner. Of course she misses Mr. Sears very much as he always gave her something valuable. Emily sent her a Duchess lace collar and Dot gave her a handsome pitcher expensive China. Sep & Gertrude {p. 296}

6 November 1903 • Friday

This is the wedding day of W. [William] H. Folland and Grace Freeze she is a charming young woman. Married in the Salt Lake Temple at Noon– President John R. Winder performed the ceremony. Reception held in the evening to which I was invited.

We had the missionary meeting in the office today most unsatisfactory. {p. 300}

7 November 1903 • Saturday

<Mell’s wedding day 29. years> It is a fine day and I went up in fairly good time and found much to do Committees meet here to-day Press Com. of D.R. and Officers of Daughters of Pioneers. We were working at the mailing and all sorts of things intervene, Mrs. Webber Belle, Alice Clarissa Lucy all agreed with me as to publishing a little book. Sarah Williams and Lucile Sears were both in, Louise <Cannon> and Lucile [Wallace] & Olive Wallace called, Sister Stevenson and Lizzie Wilcox and others. In the evening I went to the birthday party of Hiram B. Clawson. He is a robust man of his age 77. years old today. Judge [George W.] Bartch his daughter and husband were there.2 The Governor and wife. Apostle Rudger Clawson and wife, Margaret [Judd] Clawson and Nell Clawson Brown were specially attentive to me Br. Silver brought me in his buggy to the Car. for home wind blowing furiously. {p. 301}

11 November 1903 • Wednesday

Today there is a great deal of excitement and Emily and the children are starting off to go to Europe there will be quite a party Emily, Dessie, Grace [Grant] Emily [Grant] & Frances [M. Grant]– then Misses Florence [Grant] & Edith [Grant] go with her. both young ladies Lucy [Stringham Grant]’s daughters,

I was served with a subpoena in the case of Dr. John R. Park and Annie Hilton.3 I was very much upset and as I felt it was not me they wanted. Annie and myself went up to Fort Douglas to call upon Mrs. Mary Wood Swift at Major Wood’s residence No. 14. went on a car took her some carnations, red ones. invited up stairs to have tea. Came home very dark, and tried to do some writing, wind blew terribly and frightened me I asked Dr. [William M.] Waddell to take me across the street to the car, power was off. Wind 60 miles– and much damage done with trees etc. {p. 305}

15 November 1903 • Sunday

Today stayed in bed late then dressed and went to the Eleventh Ward Meeting house to the funeral of Sister Mary Ann [Huntley] Burnham whom I had known when I first went to Nauvoo Illinois. She has left a large family of children and descendents. {p. 309}

17 November 1903 • Tuesday

Sister Parkins left to-day went to Sister Snelgrove’s she had been here five weeks yesterday. {p. 310}

20 November 1903 • Friday

This was Sister M. Isabella’s Horne’s birthday and I could not go to call upon her my hands were so full of duties, Not a very fine day, she was 85 years old and so very smart and progressive her children met together at Sister Martha H. [Horne] Tingey’s and had a birthday dinner. We had an officer’s meeting and formulated a letter and sent off to her by a special messenger, I was sent for to come to the President’s office to sign a letter to be forwarded to Helen Gould in New York City– I had no time to reflect upon it when I finished with those matters I went to take my French lesson and came home very weary {p. 314}

24 November 1903 • Tuesday

Tonight John Q. left with the National Guard, to go to the scene of the strikers4 Annie went to the depot with him I stayed with the children and remained all night– I felt very serious about his going, it is very lonely there when he is away

To day was the Pioneer meeting at Miss Little’s Mrs. Farnsworth’s paper on Persecutions in Missouri {p. 318}

26 November 1903 • Thursday

Went to Annie’s to Thanksgiving dinner, All the children were at home and all well, Annie and myself making twelve, John Q. away and Sylvester invited out. {p. 320}

30 November 1903 • Monday

Today is Sep. & Gertrude’s first wedding anniversary and we are invited to dinner there. They seem to have been very happy. In the office it has been simply horrible so many callers who really wanted nothing except to talk. Annie came and we went down street together had tea at Franklin’s and she bought a plate of Danish Ware to give Sep & Gertrude and I bought one of another kind. There were at dinner Belle & her three sons Sep. Eugene & Brent, Sep’s wife Annie and myself we had soup, turkey salad pickles preserrves fresh fruit, cranberry sauce, banna cake &c Belle gave them a pair of white blankets. {p. 324}

Cite This Page

Cite This Page

November 1903, The Journal of Emmeline B. Wells, accessed November 14, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/emmeline-b-wells/1900s/1903/1903-11

Footnotes

  1. [1]On 1 January 1904, Heber J. Grant started his service as president of the European Mission. His wife Emily Wells Grant accompanied him to Europe. (“Grant, Heber Jeddy,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 3:747; EBW, Diary, 11 Nov. 1903.)

  2. [2]Minnie Bartch Child and William H. Child.

  3. [3]EBW is correct that she was not the one the court sought as a witness; rather, it was her sister wife Hannah Free Wells. Annie Armitage Hilton brought suit against the estate of John R. Park, who died in 1900, claiming that she was the surviving wife and entitled to a percentage of his property in Utah. In July 1902, the Utah Supreme Court accepted the 1872 sealing of Annie and John as a common-law marriage and called the subsequent church divorce invalid. In November 1903, Annie Hilton brought a separate suit against W. S. McCornick for property he owned that once belonged to John R. Park. As a witness to the 1872 sealing, Hannah Free Wells was subpoenaed to testify in the latter case. So far as we know, EBW never went to court on this matter. (“Mrs. Hilton Wins Case,” Salt Lake Tribune, 22 July 1902, [1]; “She Wants Her Share,” Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Nov. 1903, [5].)

  4. [4]Utah coal miners protesting working conditions, pay levels, and the right to organize a union went on strike in September 1903. Utah governor Heber M. Wells answered the request from the Carbon County sheriff for troop support by sending General John Q. Cannon of the Utah National Guard to investigate. On 23 November 1903, Governor Wells called out the National Guard to Carbon County. (Powell, Next Time We Strike, 52–56.)