July 1889


1 July 1889 • Monday

Tooele Attended to the irrigating, trimmed trees on east boundry line. &c.

2 July 1889 • Tuesday

Finished watering, made monthly report and sent to Abram. Repaired fork and grub hoe &c.

3 July 1889 • Wednesday

Trimmed poplars and cuttings, worked in Apple orchard ditching, repaired yard fence north of north sheds. [p. 199]

4 July 1889 • Thursday

Tooele My wife being sick and the children wishing to celebrate, I remained at home, read from Contributors, and what the Atlas had to say about the United States and its Government. In the afternoon did the washing with the washing machine.

5 July 1889 • Friday

Watered with buckets, trees above City ditch and ditched in apple orchard Elder Vance & wife came in in the evening.

6 July 1889 • Saturday

Trimmed trees, fastened up the Barrington house, took the folks all for a ride towards evening down to P. Nelsons.

7 July 1889 • Sunday

Attended Sunday School and taught a class of young men in Book of Mormon. Lectured for about 20 minutes upon the eternal duration of matter and bible miss translations. Accompanied Bro. Bevan to Batesville where we were both privileged to speak from the stand, upon which occasion I was especially blessed. [p. 200]

My First Essay

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” Should read, “formed or organized.” God did not create the heaven and the earth out of nothing as many suppose; but the Gods formed, or organized them out of elements which, though they could not with the naked eye be seen, did exist. Always did and always will exist because they are eternal. We have Joseph Smith and the ancient Apostle Paul for authority upon this subject.

Every object which has ever come under our observation, is composed of some of those elements of which the heaven and earth are made; hence it is eternal and indestructible. Its form may be changed but it can not be destroyed. For instance, You may set fire to a dry log, and you see it burnt up only a handful of ashes remaining so far as you are able to see. You say the log is destroyed, but the fact is that every particle of it still exists, though its form is changed and passed from out your sight. Heat, carbon and other elements contained in the dry log, are necessary for the growth of vegetation and pass of to supply [p. 201] the demand for them. It matters not what means are devised to change the form of an object the same elements are emitted. For instance, “If the dry log were to lie on the ground until it decays and nothing but the handful of refuse remains to be seen, there will have been just as much heat emitted there from as in the first instance where the log is burned within a few hours time.

From the above examples it is readily seen that the same elements existing in one body may be incorporated into another body organization.

Every movement of the muscles and even the winking of the eye breaks down the particles of which our bodies are composed; These wasted particles are continually passing off through the pores of the skin and by means of our respiration; and are replaced by new matter taken from our food and the air and distributed to all parts of the body by means of the blood. Thus we see that our bodies are constantly being torn down and rebuilt with new matter, so that Physiolegests reckon or estimate that [p. 202] the whole body is made new once in about seven years. If all the matter used in the body of a human being during his life time were to be restored what a monster man he would be. His weight would be tons. His hair would be yards in length and Nails on toes & hands correspondingly long. Infidels use this reasoning to disprove the scriptural saying that not one hair shall fall from the head unnoticed but All will be restored. Just so much of the matter used in our bodies during our life time as shall be required to make a comely & perfect body, will be restored. It is reasonable to believe that the surplus matter will go to make up the vegetation and animals necessary to make up the perfect creation. When we depart this life, our bodies decompose i.e. the elements are separated so that it matters not what becomes of the body after death. When the time comes for the re-uniting of the spirit and the body, the elements to compose the body will be brought to-gether on the same principle as that by which Jesus turned the water into wine and fed the multitude upon three lo[a]ves and five fishes. It did not take time but was done by the twinkling of an eye. Unlike [p. 203] our method of making bread. We first have to have the seed wheat, prepare the soil, plant, cultivate, harvest thresh, grind the wheat into flour and from the flour, yeast &c manufacture the bread. Jesus had control of the elements by the power of faith, the same faith as that by which the world was formed or organized. Paul— “By faith the world was made so that that which is was not made of that which doth appear.[”] When we obtain that faith we will no longer till the ground but if it be necessary for us to eate or if it be not necessary but a luxury to eat we can call together those elements necessary to produce the food our appetites crave.

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8 July 1889 • Monday

Tooele Wrote A. F. D. Went and saw Pocock & Marshall about cutting apricots, wrod Went over to Terminus & Stockton. Pulled weeds in garden.

9 July 1889 • Tuesday

Used the Barrington water in forenoon Hauled hay in afternoon.

10 July 1889 • Wednesday

Took a load of baled hay to stockton unloaded hay one load of loose hay, put box on wagon &c. Took the Kelsey water at 6-15 P.M.

11 July 1889 • Thursday

Attended to the irrigating, hoed weeds, made ice cream and went to the Garfield in the evening.

12 July–13 July 1889

Attended to the irrigating, hoed poplars in two corners, took Alice & children for a ride in the evening, Was called up at 1-10 in the night and at 6.49 AM. July 13 My wife gave birth to a large girl baby.

14 July 1889 • Sunday

Alice and baby getting on pretty well. Attended to the irrigating and went down to see Mrs Delemar in the evening. [p. 206]

15 July 1889 • Monday

Tooele Used the Kelsey water all day, wrote A. F. Doremus. Went and saw Isgreen and Marshall about cutting apricots. Met with others as a committee for the 24th celebration.

161 July 1889 • Tuesday

Used the Kelsey water until 4 P.M. Used the Barrington water from 4.30 A.M. until 10.30 A.M. Watered poplars with buckets and repaired bridge in south street. Visited as a ward Teacher

17 July 1889 • Wednesday

Attended a meeting of the City Council sitting as a tax equalizing board and succeeded in getting our city tax reduced $12.50. Adjusted a difficulty over water between Moroni Tanner & Mary Nelson, went and saw a number of parties about cutting apricots did some hoeing in garden and visited as a Teacher in the evening.

18 July 1889 • Thursday

Alice & babe getting on nicely. Wrote a number of letters. Attended Committee meeting.

192 July 1889 • Friday

Sent to Chicago $18.20 for goods

Repaired wagon for Vance.

20 July 1889 • Saturday

Worked in grapes and went to Batesville to adjust a difficulty. [p. 207]

21 July 1889 • Sunday

Tooele Attended Sunday School where I have the honor of teaching a class in the Book of Mormon, Administered sacrament. Attended the funeral of Bro. Samuel Orme in the afternoon, acted as one of the pall bearers Blessed our baby in the evening she being 8 days old and gave her the name of Sarah Ellen. An extremely hot night.

22 July 1889 • Monday

Telephoned A. F. D. Went to see parties about drying apricots. Wrote A. F. Doremus & F. W. Richards. &c.

23 July 1889 • Tuesday

Worked in orchard to prepair it for the 24th Celebration.

24 July 1889 • Wednesday

Carried the Y.M.M.I.A. banner in the march to the orchard from the meeting house. Celebrated, Bro & Sis. Vance took dinner with us.

25 July 1889 • Thursday

Used the Kelsey water. Started the mower cutting 2nd crop lucern. Attended Ward Teacher’s meeting in the meeting house in the evening. [p. 208]

26 July 1889 • Friday

Tooele

An Editorial for the Intelligencer

The name of our association suggests to my mind the thought, “Where-in can we make an improvement that will be the most mutual, and produce the best results”? The answer comes to me thus: “In the Expenditure of our Time.”

Scarcely ever does a stranger visit our beautiful little City but he has some remark to make about the amount of time wasted upon our street corners, stores and other places not excluding Mr Bruno’s establishment.

Our young men will think this a strange remark if they have not happened to hear it them selves, as they have become so thoroughly trained to it by the exambles [examples] of older men that they see nothing amiss in spending a large portion of their time in this manner. However it is amiss and is displeasing to our Heavenly father. Book of Covenants Page 264 tells us. “And the Idler shall not have place in the Church, except he [p. 209] repents and minds his ways.”

To those who are not used to such scenes, it is almost apalling.

Think but for a moment what might be accomplished by the judicious aplication of the time so wasted. If applied to the study of good books, to deeds of charity to the support of our families, to the beautifying of our homes, building of school houses &c.

The man who wastes his time usually wastes his money too, if he be fortunate enough to have any money; and as is almost invariably numbered among the poor and destitute before his race is run.

The young lady whose hand is sought by the young man so frequently seen on the street corners whiling away his time, has fearful forbodings of a life of poverty before her should she accept his offer, for as she pauses to think, the old and familiar sayings steal across her mind, “Good boys make good men” Industrious boys make industrious men.” She exclaims aloud; If this bearier could but [p. 210] be removed and I could behold coupled with his other virtues that those of industry and ambition, what of a flood of light and love for him would pervade my bosom. Young men, You only can remove the bearier and let in that flood of light, life & love which is so necessary to make two hearts one.

But, says the young man, what am I to do? I would be only too <glad> anxious to work if I could but get a job. Let me whisper a secret in your ear my friend. It is this. Never go on to the street corners to seek employment. You will never find it there so long as a man can be found who when out of other employment, applies his time to his books or to the beautifying of his home. Our home, our books, our religion and charity all have more claim upon our time than have the street corners.

What benefit is the Idler to his family, his religion or society at large?

If he has a family they will be illy provided for, probably having to live in a hovel or as the rabits, [p. 211] in a hole in the ground with furniture, wearing aparel and food to correspond. They withdraw themselves from the <society of the> thrifty and industrious because of their disqualifications & dishabille. Such is the benefit he would be to his family.

He has wasted his time, hence has no means with which to build school houses and educate his children, he can fill no official position among the people because he did not apply his spare time to the study of books and is there for unfit. Thus we see the benefit he is to society

He has no tithing to pay to the Church, he can not assist the poor and distressed, he can not emigrate the poor saints from foren countries and thus aid in the gathering, he has no means to aid in the building of temples and in short he is a benefit to no one and can assist in no good work. If we or any community were all of this stamp and were left to our selves, instead of advancing [p. 212] with the world in civilization and a knowledge of the sciences and governments revealed from Heaven, we would be on the road to degeneration and degredation.

If the accomplishment of Gods purposes were dependant upon that class of people, they would certainly be brought to naught.

I hope my friends the Young men of Tooele will not be offended and think that I class any of them with the Idler. He who spends a large proportion of his time upon the street corners has taken but one step in that direction of degredation and my feeble effort is to draw your attention to the what is before you, and call you from the path before you become so used to its <course> that you can not do otherwise than to continue on to destruction.

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26 July 1889 • Friday

Tooele Attended to the irrigating, looked after the cutting of apricots & lucern & had P. Nelson ditching in apple orchard. Wrote editorial for the Intelligencer.

27 July 1889 • Saturday

Attended to the regular work of the place irrigated and made ditches to trees west of house & garden, put wire on front fence and one stran[d] on Barrington fence.

28 July 1889 • Sunday

Attended sunday school, finished an editorial for the Intelligencer and several local itims. Attended the regular chores & irrigated. Wrote five letters.

29 July 1889 • Monday

Watered, and attended to the fruit drying & hay cutting.

30 July 1889 • Tuesday

Irrigated with both city & Kelsey water, worked on the paper in the evening.

31 July 1889 • Wednesday

Repaired hayrack & bridge and hauled hay with Prince and my black mare.

Cite this page

July 1889, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1880s/1889/1889-07