December 1895


1 December 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather not unpleasant Some snow here & mud in Grantsville.

I took team & buggy and Prest. Gowans accompanied me & we went to Grantsville where we put up team & took dinner with Bro C. L. Anderson Attended school & meeting & spoke at each. I talked about 40 minutes on Tithing. Returned home at 7 P.M. Read thanksgiving stories to family. Folks all well, wants well provided for, prospects favorable for future Faith good, mode of living I hope somewhat on the improve. [p. 198]

Epitaphs.1

She was good as she was fair

None, None on earth above her,

As pure in thought as Angels are,

To know her was to Love her.

[24 lines blank] [p. 199]

Epitaphs

1

Our little bud so young so fair,

Called hence by early doom;

Just came to show how sweet a flour [flower],

In Paradise could bloom.

2

Heaven retaineth now our Treasure,

Earth the lonely casket keeps;

And the sunbeams love to linger,

Where our lovely child now sleeps.

3

Better to have loved and lost, than

Than never to have loved at all.

4

. . . . . . to a fairer land hath gone.

5

. . . . . . budded on earth to bloom in Heaven.

6

Death is but another birth,

Freeing the Spirit from this earth.

7

Yes again you We will behold her,

Fairer than the morning ray;

In your our arms you we will infold her,

When all tears are wiped away.

8

Sweet bud of promise, early gone

Torn from the parent stem,

The casket moulders in the earth

But Heaven claims the gem. [p. 200]

 

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Book V. [p. [0]]

Price Paid $1.75

From Dec. 2nd 1895 to April 5, 1900. [p. [0]]

[p. [0] blank]

2 December 1895 • Monday

Diary Vth Book by Geo. F. Richards.

I was born in Farmington, Davis Co., Utah.

Feb. 23d 1861.

Blessed by my Father, F. D. Richards, May 20, 1866.

Baptized by Oliver L. Robinson Oct. 12, 1873.

Confirmed by Abraham Rose Oct. 12, 1873.

Ordained an Elder by Joseph F. Smith and received my Endowments in the Endowment house Salt Lake City [blank] 1876.

Ordained a Seventy by Seymor B. Young in Farmington Vestry Feb. 3d 1884.

Chosen to be 2nd Counselor to President Hugh S. Gowans in the Tooele Stake Presidency and set apart to this office and Ordained an High Priest by Apostle Francis M. Lyman Jan. 29, 1890.

Sustained by Conference & by Apostle Francis M. Lyman was set

Ordained a Patriarch for Tooele Stake of Zion July 23d 1893. at Grantsville Pavilion

Married to Alice <A> Robinson March 2, 1882 at Endowment house S L City.

Am the father of nine (9) children eight of whom are now living, one Amy May died Nov. 10, 1894 in S.L. City at the age of four years & 15 days.

At the death of her father which occurred [p. 1] Aug. 18, 1886 Estella Robinson came to live with us & we have kept her until the present She now being 19 years old last Sept.

I have held various church & Civil positions both in Farmington & Tooele.

At present time am a Counselor to the Stake President

Patriarch

Member of the Stake Board of Education.

Member of the Board & Treasurer of the Tooele City Water Company.

Member & Chairman of the Board of School Trustees of Tooele School District.

Am still in the service of A. F. Doremus having entered his service as Ranch Mgr. Feb 1st 1888.

My financial condition has gradually improved until to-day we are more comfortable & larger possessions than ever before thanks be to the Lord a result due largely, I believe, to my diligence & faithfulness in observing the law of Tithing & other laws of God. [p. 2]

2 December 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather cold at night pleasant during the day.

Doctor Dillon having acted towards Estella yesterday in a disgusting manner trying to purswade her to kiss him & worse than that, I wrote him a note of resentment the following being a duplicate of same.

Tooele City, Dec 2nd 1895.

Doctor Dillon:

Tooele:— I have elicited from Estella a statement of your conduct and expressions to her yesterday when she called for her parcel, which she on reflection alike with me condemns and characterize as the fruits of an immoral heart, ungentlemanly and insulting to her, to myself and family.

Geo. F. Richards.

Received a relply [reply] through the post in afternoon, a denial & apology in keeping with the conduct above mentioned. I this day sold hay to Wm Vowles & loaded it, made Nov. Ranch report &c.

In evening pronounced blessing upon Andrew S. Heggie & copied & recorded same. Arose at 6 A.M. & retired at 10 P.M. All well. [p. 3]

3 December 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather pleasant, some snow on ground. Sold load of hay to T. Horman & half load b. hay to Jos. Kirk. Got sleigh down from shed loft & took to B. S. Shop & got it rep. Took grist to Mill &c. In evening read News wrote letters to Mother & Fred, wrote in Diary &c.

4 December 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I had new shoes put on my team. Went to mill & got pig feed. Went over to field & saw horses, hauled wood in from apricot orchard, repaired gateway to Stack yard. Spent the evening at home reading & writing.

5 December 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I attended Fast meeting, Spoke & blessed J. T. Gollaher’s baby girl Loice. Shaved, loaded hay to T. Coleman & baled hay to T. Horman Filed large saw, sharpened ax. trimmed trees. Gave blessings to Mary Haynes & Ann Henwood. Rewrote one blessing in evening and at 7 P.M. Alice accompanying me went over to Bro. Craner’s where I met by appointment Bp. Atkin, Bro. Craner & Benj. L. Bowen & consulted in relation to [p. 4] amusements & rent of Social hall. Folks well.

6 December 1895 • Friday

Tooele Weather foggy, threatening storm. I hauled straw over from my field for bedding. Made two trips to Mill & one to Saw mill. Sold hay &c. In the evening I rewrote one blessing and recorded two. Hyrum Lee was here & carded wool. Consecrated oil for C. R. McBride.

7 December 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I trimmed some trees. Attended Stake Priesthood meeting at Tooele. President Charles L. Anderson & Patriarch Sam’l W. Woolley took dinner with me. Charles R. McBride called in & I pronounced a blessing upon him In the evening I re-wrote & recorded blessing. Read from bible &c. Wrote to Abram. All well.

8 December 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather foggy & cold. I took my team & buggy and President H. S. Gowans accompanied me to St. John’s Ward where we attended school & meeting He talked to the school & at meeting I talked 40 minutes on Tithing He 30 minutes Same & other subjects. Put up my team & took dinner at Bp. Caldwell’s Administered to Bro. Larkin Prest. G. [p. 5] anointed & I confirmed or sealed the anointing. Took lunch with Sister Burridge. Arrived home at 7:30 P.M. All well.

9 December 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather foggy, not dense. I finished trimming Apricot orchard & cut large limbs out for wood. Repaired buggy. Spent the evening at home. Reading &c.

10 December 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather foggy.

I trimmed trees, took 1000 lbs b. hay to Droubay. Sold 1460 lbs. hay to J. England, Went up to Saw mill & got lumber & put extra strip floor in stable finished by lantern light. Spent the evening at home. Wrote to Mother & Nerva. Letter from Mother.

11 December 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather still foggy. A little snow on ground but not sleighing. I trimmed trees, loaded hay to Vowles. Went down Town & signed Bond of Wm Vowls as City Councilman. Spent the evening at home reading & writing. All well.

12 December 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather still foggy.

I loaded hay to Vowles. Got wire from Station, engaged B. L. Bowen & F. D. Horman [p. 6] to bale hay. Attended Relief society Conference in after noon & offerred the benediction I attended the Young Ladies Conference in the evening & after meeting by request went with Prest. H. S. Gowans, Alice accompanied me from meeting to C. R. McBride’s & we administered to Sister Alice McBride.

13 December 1895 • Friday

Tooele Weather foggy.

I moved baler & set it; took bolts to Shop & had them lengthened. Loaded hay to Wm Vowles, trimmed trees & hauled out trimmings Jas. Howell helped me. B L B. & F. D. H. were baling hay. Spent the evening at home reading & writing. All well.

14 December 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I trimmed trees & hauled out trimmings. Got oats from Bp. Atkin, Received letters from Mother & Nerva & answered both. I promised to meet Nerva in City Next Monday. In the evening— I bathed, read &c.

15 December 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather windy, Snowed in Afternoon a few inches.

Wind blew our sheds down.

I left home at 8:45 A.M. with my team & [p. 7] buggy & Prest. Gowans accompanying me to Clover where we attended school & spoke. Attended meeting & spoke 45 minutes with great freedom upon the Law of Tithing. Prest. Gowans spoke 30 min. on same subject. Put up team at Frank St. Jeor’s & took dinner with the Bishop. Called at Sister Burridges & got a nice lunch on our way home & left our blessing with her. Arrived home O.K. after meeting in afternoon (in meeting) We blessed Mrs Russell Davisis baby girl Pres. Gowans mouth.

16 December 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather cold.

I had two men baling hay & one man in my stead hauling limbs while I went in to S.L.C. by train Met Nerva (my sister) at Arah’s & spent the evening with her there. Sat up until 2 A.M.

17 December 1895 • Tuesday

Salt Lake City

Weather cold.

I arose at 6 A.M. & went to Depot & came home Arrived O.K. Attended School & Religion Class & in the latter spoke & offered the benediction, Wrote to Abram & Mother & went shopping with Alice Read News & retired early. Had Jas Howell hauling brush in my stead. [p. 8]

18 December 1895 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather cold about 3 inches & Snow fell last night. I attended school. Estella accompanied me in forenoon & I Alice accompanied me in Afternoon. In evening accompanied me <Alice> to McBrides. Called in Prest. Gowans. Borrowed Book of Sis. McBride Wedge of Gold by C. C. Goodwin & read aloud until 12 midnight to my folks Hyrum Lee & Maud Hammond present.

19 December 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Had Jas Howell helping me & we killed our pig, hauled hay to Mrs Brown got horses in from field. I took family for a ride for about 3/4 hr. in new sleigh 1st time we had rode in it. In the evening I cut up one half of pig. Did my writing and read from Wedge of Gold.

20 December 1895 • Friday

Tooele Wind blew hard. I got horses in to South field & trimmed trees. Delivered hay to Mrs Brown.

21 December 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather fair with light snow during past night.

I had men baling hay, sold hay to F. M. Davis. Took horses to Basin, got things from Store by team & gave Tom [p. 9] Blumdell clothes, soap, salt, coal oil &c. In evening went to Stores with Mama. Wrote letters to Abram, Mother &c.

22 December 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather cold & clear.

I took my team & buggy & Prest. Gowans accompanied me & we went to Batesville where we attended School & meeting. I spoke at both & he at latter We talked tithing to the people. Took dinner with O. P. Bates. Attended meeting in Tooele in the evening.

23 December 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather cold.

I had the boys haul hay from Vicks feed stable to yards for cows. I repaired baby carriage & cradle. Fixed xmas tree. Did some trading, wrote letters &c. Prepared xmas for children.

24 December 1895 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather cold. Couple of inches snow <fell last night> I made preparation for xmas, hauled hay around to cattle, cared for animals &c. Made purchas[e] for xmas, prepared tree &c.

25 December 1895 • Wednesday

Xmas

Tooele Weather moderated. Children happy. Good xmas for them. Mama, Ruby & Lucena sick with colds, sore throats &c. I staid have most all [p. 10] day. just went to Store to have felts changed. Retired early. I have a severe cold myself.

26 December 1895 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I took my team & Sleigh, Alice Estella & little girls, Mary & Maud Hammond & Miss Franklin for a sleigh ride. Sold hay, cared for animals. Went shopping &c. Sick folk improving.

27 December 1895 • Friday

Tooele Weather cold.

I assisted some with baling hay, regsed [registered?] & repaired wagon & loaded hay for Salt Lake. Estella commenced complaining of sore throat, aches & pains. By request I administered to her also to Ruby afflicted much the same way. In the evening attended a Trustee’s meeting until a late hour at P.CC

<Sold my wheat to Sharp & McBride for 50¢ in 60 days.>

28 December 1895 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant but cold, some wind.

I went to Basin & got Lucy mare to work to to Salt Lake. Cared for animals, repaired blankets &c. Folks improved except Estella & she about same. In the evening I attended Tax payers meeting. Administered to Estella after meeting. [p. 11]

29 December 1895 • Sunday

Tooele Weather cold.

Stake Presidency’s appointment at Tooele. I attended School in the morning and spoke upon the subject of “Courage” “Moral vs. Physical Courage.” Attended afternoon meeting and occupied 50 minutes upon the subject of tithing. Attended prayr Circle & was mouth at the Alter. Pronounced Patriarchal blessings upon Matilda Hinwood & Mary L . Skelton. Attended evening meeting and spoke for about 20 minutes. Assisted in Setting apart Naomi Gillet as President of the YL Association of the Stake. Had a turky dinner between Five & six oclock.

30 December 1895 • Monday

Tooele Weather cold.

My Son George & I started from home just after day light with two loads of baled hay which we took to Abram in City arriving about 6:30 P.M. Cared for animals & unloaded one load in evening.

31 December 1895 • Tuesday

At Abrams.

Salt Lake Tooele Weather cold.

We unloaded one load of hay, attended to Some business in City & left for home about Noon Arrived home O.K. at 6 P.M. [p. 12] Assisted Man & wife & 3 children on the way. They being in sleigh on dry ground.

Cite this page

December 1895, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1895/1895-12