February 1895


1 February 1895 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I mailed report & ck. to Abram. Water Co. Ck. Bought knit Gloves. Paid Transcript Subscription for 7 mo. to Sept 4. & P O Box rent to March 31st 1895. Worked Gray colt and hauled manure. Mrs Owen Dunn visited & took dinner with us. Alice, I Nerva & George attended the Theatre in the evening.

All well. [p. 74]

2 February 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather warm, Sunshine and thawing. I wrote out notices giving each of the eight Home Missionaries a copy of their appointments for the year. Took the three boys & Nerva to the Dentists and had their teeth examined and made appointment to have them attended to next week. Had my teeth examined & found to be good. Met with the Relief Society, heard their report & suggested that they be audited which was approved and a committee appointed for that purpose. Three Sisters being called to be teachers, (Hannah Bowen, Sister Thos. Nix & Emma J. Smith) The Bp Atkin, Bro Craner & I set them apart. I was mouth in setting apart Sister Hannah Bowen.

Attended Stake Priesthood meeting where all the New Home Missionaries being present & heard from expressing a willingness to labor in the calling were instructed by Prest. Gowans & myself & set apart. I was mouth in setting apart John C. DeLaMare and Charles Leroy Anderson. Was requested by Bro. Robert Skelton’s family to be present and speak at his funeral services Monday Feb. 4th 1895 at 1’oclock P.M. Bro James Hutchens took dinner with us. Also Bp. J. G. Shields who called on his way from Slag hauling to terminus. After dinner I [p. 75] hitched up team & buggy & took Alice up to the Cemetery where we met Stone Cutter Scott by appointment and decided on style of Head stone to be made for Amy May’s grave. Spent the evening at home reading and writing, bathed &c. All are well.

3 February 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather warm & pleasant.

I took my team and buggy & Prest. Gowans accompanying me we went down to E.T. Ward. Attended school and spoke to the children Took dinner with Bishop Moss Attended Ward Conference meeting in the afternoon & after attending to the business of the Con. I spoke for about 30 minutes. Returned by way of mill through mud arriving before dark. Spent the evening at home studying & writing.

4 February 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I attended to the regular work of the ranch, cut wood, washed buggy, Got hair shingled Sold hay to Shields, Attended the funeral of Bro Robert T. Skelten and preached the funeral sermon by request of the family occupying 40 minutes with utmost freedom & assisted by the Spirit of the Lord to my entire satisfaction. Had George take horses to Basin Pasture & I did the chores. Spent the evening at home read[p. 76]ing and writing. Recorded blessings &c. Folks all well.

5 February 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather pleasant, snow nearly gone I finished painting trees and greased harness. I painted trees, bought paints from store, Bro. James Worthing & Lady called, took dinner with us and after dinner gave Sister Dorcas Worthington a blessing, Alice doing the writing. In the evening I re-wrote and recorded blessing, read papers &c.

Folks all well.

6 February 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I finished painting trees and greased harness. George went down to Basin pasture and got five of the Jacks. Spent the evening at home studying & writing.

7 February 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant; a little snow & much mud.

I attended to the regular work of the place. Got donkeys in field, shaved, attended Fast meeting after prayr & fasting. Blessed Mrs Wm. Stevens baby. Received letter from A. F. Doremus with form of agreement & check of $131.11 enclosed. Signed agreement extending time of our contract to Apr. 15, 1896. & mailed back to him. Mailed check to Bank for deposit. Settled Store bill at Speirs’, P’d [p. 77] Peter Clegg by Collector, check $9.35 tax on 62 A. assessed to Abel Parker.

Mailed $6.00 ck. to U.C. & S. Bk. Got water Certificate from R. Warburton and examined my account on Tithing record. Counseled with Prest. Gowans, Bp. Atkin & Counselor Geo. Craner in relation to filling vacancy in Bishoprick occasioned by death of Bro. Skelton.

Spent the evening at home writing & reading. Folks all well.

8 February 1895 • Friday

Tooele Weather fine, cold night last. I greased harness all day, Had Isgren here repaired stove & other articles. In the evening I attended Counsel meeting at Apostle Lymans. Present Apostle Lyman, Prest H. S. Gowans, Bp. Atkin, Geo. Craner & myself. Decided on S. W. Orme to be 2nd Counselor to Bp. Atkin By request I went out and got Bro. Orme & Bro Lyman catechised him as to his mode of living, excepting tea & coffee he was clear & clean. Accepted willingly to the choice.

Bro. Lyman in the course of conversation gave us some valuable instruction & information som[e] of which is as follows; on opposite Page.

My Son George having sore throat & desirous to be administered to I administered to him after family prayr. [p. 78]

There are eight (8) <nine (9)> offices in the Church that require ordinations to fill. Others are appointive offices and the Officers are set apart to fill those offices Some of these are Prest. Stake & counselors, Counselors to Bishops, High Councilors &c.

The 8 9 offices requiring ordination are.

1

Deacon

2

Teacher

3

Priest

4

Elder

5

Seventy

6

High Priest

7

Bishop

8

Patriarch

9

Apostle

A Bishop & a Patriarch must first be ordained a High Priest.

A Bishop can ordain a Bishop or a Patriarch can ordain a Patriarch when authorized by Apostles or Presidency so to do but the President of the Stake can do neither as his highest authority is a High Priest & both Bishop & Patriarch have all that the Prest. has i.e. High Priest & the Prest Stake can not give more than he has.

It is not proper to call a High Councilor or Alternate High Councilor to be a Bishop or counselor to Bishop. over

<Instructions by Apostle Lyman Feb. 8, 1895.>1 [p. 79]

Apostle Lyman or some other Apostle should be consulted in making choice of Counselor to Bishop. There is safety in such counsel. In prayr Circle the President Should stand at head and if both Counselors be present the 1st Counselor on left & 2nd on right. If only 2nd Counselor is present he should stand on Presidents left.

A good public speaker is a calamity to in a Bishopric. A man slow of speech is much preferred every thing else being equal.

<Apostle Lyman’s Instructions>2

[19 lines blank] [p. 80]

9 February 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather Stormy. Snowed all day. Six inches snow at dark.

I loaded hay & sent to Slagtown by Geo Horman. Greased harness, Arranged with Robt. Scott as to inscription on tomb stone. &c. Spent the evening at home writing &c.

10 February 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather stormy.

Ward Conference at Tooele, large attendence also at School in the forenoon & at Circle. I attended all. Offered the closing prayr in School, spoke in meeting & blessed the oil in Circle & in the evening meeting spoke again.

11 February 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather cold & about a foot of snow about one half of which fell during last night. I made paths, cared for animals, wrote letters Sent ck. to Juvenile $2.00 for this years subscriptions, Sent ck. to Jos. Wm Taylor 18.50 casket, Box &c. sent ck of $54.00 to Mother to apply on notes & made new note of $250.00 for balance of notes & sent with instructions to send other notes. Attended Mr. Mark’s School in the afternoon. Spent the evening at home writing & reading.

12 February 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather cold, Snowed towwards evening. I went down to Mr Scott’s Stone Cutter & gave final directions as to Head stone for [p. 81] Our little Amy’s grave. Called on Geo. Horman & got his mare & led her to Basin pasture & brought back six head of ours. Spent the evening at home reading the News, writing &c.

13 February 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather cold.

I took Alice in sleigh to Store & Shoe shop. was subpoenied as a Juror in the trial of J. McSmith for disturbing the peace & served all day & evening until 11 P.M. Verdict not Guilty. Snowed some at night.

14 February 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather clear & cold.

I greased harness, sold hay to Miller for cedar posts; made trough & put in the pig pen. F. D. & Ed. Horman called on me and enquired about some matters of difference existing between the Heirs of his mothers estate & property. Spent the evening at home writing. Made out reports for Statistic[i]an Cassety. Folks all well Estella went to the dance in the evening with Isgren & Bevan girls.

15 February 1895 • Friday

Tooele Weather cold very cold at night. I greased harness, took Brandy to Shop and got shoes taken off. Called on Jos. Henson about renting my bench farm, called on Prest. Gowans. Arranged [p. 82] with B. L. Bowen to haul coal for schools &c. Spent evening at home reading & writing. Put donkeys in yard & fed them hay for 1st time. Received letter from Mother. Wrote to Mother in evening.

16 February 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant, Cold.

I hauled hay into Vick’s Stall, Went in sleigh to Batesville to see my colts at Ladells, Legrand went with me. Stormed, snowed, some while we were gone. Spent the evening, shaving & attending Seventies Conference.

17 February 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather very cold in the morning, moderated after noon.

I accompanied Prest. Gowans to St. John where we held two Conference meetings & attended to the Conference business and spoke at both. Took dinner with Sister Burridge and gave her Grandson Isaac J. Neddo Jr a Patriarchal blessing. Arrived home at 7 P.M. & spent the evening at home with the family. Wrote to Abram.

18 February 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather fine.

I took roof off Barrington house in South field and moved by team. In the evening I rewrote Blessing of I. J. Neddo Jr. Estella went to a party to Lymans & Georgie attended YMMI Ass. & lectured. All tolerably well. [p. 83] except cold with which I myself am afflicted. Prest. H. S. Gowans called in evening on Eccleseastical business in relation to going to Vernon & Bro. James Palmer’s appeal to 1st Presidency.

19 February 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I hauled shingles & scraps from Barrington house, sold frame of B. house to Geo. Horman for $25.00 to be paid in labor. Talked sell of horses to E. Atkin. Spent the evening at home & re-wrote Patriarchal blessing. Folks well.

20 February 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I trained bay horse to follow me and to back and worked him hauling rock from B. house. Delivered load of hay to F. M. Davis. Attended High Priests meeting and made trade of horses to E. Atkin. Strangers corralled about 40 calves & fed $1.00 worth of hay. Spent the evening writing to Sister Nerva & recording blessing. All are well.

21 February 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I went to Basin pasture & got larger bay horse & sold him to Edward Atkin for $30.00 Brought up C. Pocock’s horse from near pasture. Attended School exercises in commemoration of Washingtons Birth day. Spent evening at home. [p. 84]

22 February 1895 • Friday

Washington’s Birth Day.

Tooele Weather warm. Several inches of snow except in roads where worn off. I hauled rock from the Barrington house into field ditches, worked two young colts, bay & brown. Called on James Gollaher and examined sleigh he has for sale just made. Offered it me for $32.50 Spent the evening at home reading the News. All usually well. Commenced raining in evening.

23 February 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather thawing.

Received letter from Abram.

I hauled rocks from Bar[rington] House to field ditches Shaved, bathed, and met Apostle Lyman at his residence at 3 P.M. with Prest H. S. Gowans, Bp. Atkin, Con Geo. Craner & Sam’l W. Orme who was specially instructed by Bro Lyman & by him ordained a High Priest and set apart to be 2nd Counselor to Bp. Atkin in the Tooele Ward. Attended Teachers Banquet at 6 P.M. until about 8 P.M. Spent the remaining portion of the evening at home. All well.

<My Birth Day 34 Yrs. Old to-day>3

24 February 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather thawing.

I took team and buggy & went to Clover, Prest Gowans & wife went yesterday. Attended School and Ward conference & spoke at both. Took dinner with Sister Barbary Bush. Sister Burridge. [p. 85] accompanied me home & staid at Sister Gowans’. Arrived at 7:30 P.M. Spent the evening at home. All tolerably well.

25 February 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather Stormy. Snowed all forenoon wet snow which melted nearly as fast as it fell.

I wrote to Abram, called on Prest. Gowans on Water Co. business. At 2 P.M. attended the funeral of Morris [blank] a 13 yr. old boy nephew of John Adam’s 1st wife. Services at John Adam’s Residence. Spoke at services and went up to the Cemetery. Called on Father Meiklejohn (Sick) and went down to Scotts to see headstone for Amy. In the evening attended School Trustees meeting returned home at 10 P.M. & retired at 10:30. Letters from Mother & Alice Ann.

26 February 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine but ground muddy. I tried to get a man to work in my stead in the manure but failed. I visited Miss Anna Marshall’s school in forenoon and P. Dunyon’s Department in afternoon. Sisters Gowans & Burridge Spent the afternoon & early evening here visiting my wife. Prest. Gowans called a few minutes about 5 P.M. Folks tolerably well. Retired early. [p. 86]

27 February 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather fine but muddy. I had James Howell working cleaning up yards. I attended School in forenoon and in the afternoon took team and went down to Warr Estate Called at Bates’ & Liddells, got larger black filly & brought her home to the side of team.

Spent the evening writing to Mr Angell about hay, figuring on rent of farm. &c. Mr Angell called to see me about hay bought of Hanks. I rented the War[r] Farmhous[e] War[r] share of Estate to Chas. Warr for $30.00 one year.

28 February 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I had J Howell Jr. hauling manure in my stead & I took team & wagon and Jos. Henson with me & went down to Liddel’s & got yearling colt, brought up & took my two with Ranch horses to pasture & repaired fence while there, Brought Tomb stone up from Scotts to gild & in the evening My wife & I attended Concert by Anderson troop of Grantsville.

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February 1895, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1895/1895-02