December 1891


1 December 1891 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather Stormy.

I plowed until driven in by rain about 3:40 P.M. after which I went down to the stores & Court House. Spent the evening studying Geography and writing.

2 December 1891 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather cold and windy. I plowed all day in South field and at noon went with Prest. Gowans down to Jno. Dormans and administered to his mother who is very sick. Spent the evening at home reading and writing. [p. 214]

3 December 1891 • Thursday

Tooele Weather cold.

I plowed sage land in South field amid frozen ground and finished about 4:30 P.M. Had four men at work. In the evening I did some writing and studied to prepare for the Teachers Institute a lecture on Geography.

4 December 1891 • Friday

Tooele Weather Stormy & cold some snow.

I sold to Wm. Cassity 5½ tons hay and helped to load it. Did some trading at the Stores; and in the evening I enteretained, Mr. P. P. Christinsen and Wm Fauson from Grantsville here to attend the Institute. Shaved and bathed.

5 December 1891 • Saturday

Tooele Weather cold and stormy part of the day. Had Christensen & Fauson to Breakfast and and to dinner had Bro. Sam’l Woolley, Fauson, David Caldwell and Bro Anderson the latter from Clover. I attended the County Teachers Institute in the morning. Offerred the opening prayr and took part in the discussion [p. 215] upon the subject of preparitory Geography opened by reading of a paper by Miss Montuth. Was excused from the Institute to attend the Stake Priesthood meeting.

At the Priesthood meeting I spoke upon the subject of defense fund.

Attended the Afternoon Institute and opened the discussion upon Geography Proper by giving a lecture of twenty five minutes. Answered questions and discussed the advisability of striking out rule 3 of the Bylaws of the Institutes.

Mr. Duly called with four other men seven horses and 250 cattle and staid all night. We hauled hay out into South field to his cattle.

6 December 1891 • Sunday

Tooele Weather very cold and three or four inches of snow on the ground. I rode over to Lake View with Bro. Gowans & wife and attended School and meeting and spoke at both. Alice and I attended Joint meeting at Tooele in [p. 216] the evening. While at Lake View took dinner at Bp. Shields’.

7 December 1891 • Monday

Tooele Weather windy and thawing.

I attended to some business at the Court House and stores. Went up to Frasers & Elkingtons to see about a heifer left by Mr. Duly. repaired field fence near Remingtons &c. Attended an Anual water meeting in the evening.

8 December 1891 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I had Thomas Horman helping me & we baled hay. In the evening I attended a Trustees meeting at the Co-op Store.

9 December 1891 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasand [pleasant] but cold. I baled hay all day and spent the evening at home reading and writing.

10 December 1891 • Thursday

Tooele Weather cold.

I baled hay alone and attended to some business at Court House & store had a shingle by Owen Dunn. Attended Young men’s Mutual offered opening <prayr.> [p. 217]

11 December 1891 • Friday

Tooele Weather fine.

I baled hay all day and in the evening I bought the Book “The Foot Prints of the Worlds History.[”] Read the News and new Book, shaved and bathed.

12 December 1891 • Saturday

Tooele Weather fine, no snow.

I imployed E Green to take my place at the baler and I attended Relief Society & Primary Conference. Offered the closing prayr in forenoon. Attended to some business at Court House. Had to dinner Bp Shields & family and Prest Anderson. Alice attended both meetings and She & I attended the Theatre in the evening Bp Shields & family took Supper with us. I assisted in Administering to one of Prest. Gowans little boys Albert.

13 December 1891 • Sunday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I attended Y L M Conference in the morning and Relief Society Conference in afternoon prayed in former and preached in latter. Sisters presided. [p. 218]

14 December 1891 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant but cool.

I measured off land with B. L. Bowen, cleaned stables, burned sages &c Spent the evening at home making out Treasurer’s Report for the Water Company. Had two teeth filled by Hodges

15 December 1891 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine

I burned sages, went with Alice to the Dentist after 4 P.M. and called on Prest Gowans and in the Store & bought Xmas things amounting to $10.50 Spent the evening at home reading and writing.

16 December 1891 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I burned sages in South field and used the water on dry grounds. Spent the evening at home.

17 December 1891 • Thursday

Tooele Weather cloudy snowed a little at night. I hitched the horses on the buggy & Took Alice, Nerva & Amy to Salt Lake. Took Nerva to Dr. Lyon’s who examined her ear and said he could cure her ear from running and preserve her hearing. He commenced treating her. We made purchases of goods [p. 219] Went down and staid all night with Steve.

18 December 1891 • Friday

Salt Lake City Weather stormy.

I went up town & Saw Dr. Lyons, did some trading and started home at 1:30 P.M. & Arrived home at about 7 P.M.

19 December 1891 • Saturday

Tooele Weather windy & cool.

I ordered a box car, employed Frank Horman to help me and we put more than three tons of baled hay on the car Spent the evening at home writing and reading.

20 December 1891 • Sunday

Tooele Weather Stormy.

I attended Sunday School, called and saw Apostle Lyman, Attended meeting wrote letters &c. Snowed at night.

21 December 1891 • Monday

Tooele Weather cold.

I finished loading a car of hay to Abram. and brought a load of coal back from the depot. Unloaded coal and did some business down town. In the evening I [p. 220] attended a meeting of the Tax payers of Tooele School District and being Chairman of the School Board had charge of the meeting as Chairman. A great many questions & were asked and by the Trustees answered. A tax of one per cent was assessed for the purpose of building the school house and all was orderly and peaceably.

22 December 1891 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine.

I went in buggy up to Elkingtons and saw fat cow. Went up again in the evening and got a half of the cow, one left in my charge by one Mr. Duly. Let Mr. Hedges take my team to attend Funeral services of his little girl who died from Scarlet fever. Went up in canyon and got two Christmas trees and shaved and in the evening I attended the Calidonian Clubb or Scotch party.

23 December 1891 • Wednesday

I prepared to go to Salt Lake and went in on the afternoon train Took Nerva and went directly to the Ear Dr. Lyons. Did some trading and went down [p. 221] to Abram’s and staid all night.

24 December 1891 • Thursday

Salt Lake City Weather Stormy. Snowed nearly all day.

I left Abram’s before day light with Nerva for home. Thos. Horman met me at the Depot with team and buggy. I worked in the afternoon preparing for Christmas and sat up until after Mid night.

25 December 1891 • Friday

Xmas Tooele Weather very cold.

The children had a very good Christmas and I enjoyed seeing them happy. I got down the sleigh from the loft & took the children and afterward Alice for a ride. Spent the rest of the day and evening at home. Had letters from the folks. gave meat & apples to poor.

26 December 1891 • Saturday

Tooele Weather moderated

I took animals out of East field and put them in Basin pasture Sold a load of hay to Wm McLaws shoveled snow of[f] hay put wagon in shed &c. [p. 222]

27 December 1891 • Sunday

Tooele Weather windy & thawing Snowed in the evening.

I wrote letters to Abram, Nerva, Mother and Aseneth. Attended ward meeting and offered the Benediction and the evening meeting and spoke for about 30 minutes,

28 December 1891 • Monday

Tooele Weather fine.

I hauled two or three loads of manure; hired a hand to help Wm. McLaws load hay while I went down to the Court house to meet the Grantsville and Tooele Trustees and School Principals. While waiting for the Grantsville Trustees to hear and approve of Teacher’s plans, I went down to Prest H. S. Gowan’s Office and made him checks for $300.00 and took his notes three in number payable in one, two & three years. The Grantsville Trustees did not arrive and P. Clegg, A. J. Stookey and I went over the plans and sanctioned what had been done. Took a late dinner, did the chores and attended a meeting in the evening of the Tooele City Water Co. Board. [p. 223]

29 December 1891 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather stormy, wind and some snow. I hauled manure all day and in the evening attended a meeting of the School Trustees and in starting a subscription for purchasing of School Bonds We Trustees subscribed $200.00 each i.e. we agreed to buy $200.00 worth of bonds each.

Joel fell down with Amy and hurt her just how we know not Others are well.

30 December 1891 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather very windy all day.

I had intended taking Nerva to the City to the Ear Dr. Lyons but gave it up on account of the wind. Went down to see Dr. Davis & Stookey about Life Assurance as I am agent for the American Equitable. Neither was at home. I called on Bp. Atkin at his office to Settle Tithing but he was not prepared to attend to the matter. Called at the store and did some business with J. W. Tate completed at the Court House. I talked with Henry Marshall at the Court house about Life Assurance. [p. 224]

31 December 1891 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I attended County Court and had County warrants cancelled. Worked on Ranch Monthly Report. E Spray & Mrs. Bost took dinner with us. I bought a story book (Bible Stories) for the children.

In the evening, I attended a meeting of the Water Company Board. Prepared Christmas trees with wax candles and filled stockings &c.

This ends the year 1891. A happy ending. The past year has been with us very prosperous and of the Lord we have been greatly blessed and have cause for feeling exceedingly thankful to the Lord.

Cite this page

December 1891, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1891/1891-12