January 1896


1 January 1896 • Wednesday

1896.

Tooele Weather cold, snow on ground, fair sleighing.

I prepared Ranch report for Dec. month. Issued bills to parties owing. Prepared for to Start to Salt Lake on my way to Nephi. I left for Salt Lake accompanied by Estella on her way to Farmington. Parted with Estella at Station U.P. She went to Farmington. I went to Sarahs where I found Sister Nerva awaiting my arrival. I went to Depot up town & got her cheap rate ticket. Called at U C & S. Bk & pd 6.00 to N. A. S. L. & B. Co. a/c. Back to Sarahs & Took Nerva & attended the Theatre. Rode home on car & She Staid at Sarahs & I at Polly’s.

2 January 1896 • Thursday

<Amy’s Enlarged picture came.>1

At Abrams.

S.L. City Weather Stormy.

I joined Nerva at Sarahs at 7.30 & the train for Nephi at 7:45 & went to Nephi. Snowed while we were on the train. Arrived at Nephi at 11:05 A.M. to the Surprise of Mother & the other folks They having [p. 13] been looking for us for 2 days or rather for me as they did not expect Nerva. We took dinner & I went up Town & got a shave. Had a very pleasant time visiting. Staid at Mother’s. Folks feeling pretty well. I mailed a letter to my Dear Fife [wife] Alice & a few lines to Aunt Lou enclosing Ry. ticket to Tooele the one used by Estella to come in.

3 January 1896 • Friday

At Mothers.

Nephi Weather cold & fine.

I visited with the folks & gave blessings to My Sisters Alice & Asenath & to Katie Alice & Nina Grover. Commenced to read “Brought Back

4 January 1896 • Saturday

<This day at 8:03 A.M. or 10:03 AM. Eastern time Utah became a state by the Signing of the proclamation by Prest Grover Cleveland>2

Nephi Weather remains cool. I went up town to attend Stake Priesthood meeting & learned that the proclamation had been signed at 10:03 A.M. bells began ringing guns firing &c. At 10:30 I attended Priesthood meeting. Visited & enjoyed my self with my folks. Had a shave in afternoon. We Sat for a groop picture in Mother’s parlor. Ate dinner at Asenaths. [p. 14]

5 January 1896 • Sunday

Nephi Weather pleasant as usual. I took Nerva in cutter & went up to Cemetary & then visited & gave blessings to Marcia Knowlton & May Grover. Left Nephi on train with Nerva & Katie for S.L. City at 2:40 P.M. & arrived at 6:10 P.M. I went to Sarahs & from there Nerva & I went to Stephens at Sugar House. Called at Willards & saw Abram & Polly & accompanied them home where I staid all night. On the train I read “Called Back,” to a finish. Ruth Howell died suddenly. <at night.>

6 January 1896 • Monday

S.L. City Weather continues same I left for home at 7:45 A.M. & arrived about 10 A.M. Wrote to Mother. Alice accompanied me to Inaugural services at meeting house & I by request gave a toast after which I took the folks for a sleigh ride. Did the chores & wrote up Ranch accounts & my Journal from the 1st. Folks have sore throats & colds.

7 January 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele

Weather pleasant. I sharpened saw & ax & trimmed trees, went over to my Bowden pasture to see horses. Cared for animals &c. in the evening I [p. 15] attended a meeting of the Irrigation Co. & was elected one of the five Trustees.

<Elected Trustee of Irrigation Company.>3

8 January 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather clowdy.

I went to Store got barrel for pork & ax handle Put handle in ax. Hauled hay around to cattle. Attended the funeral of Ruth Howell in meeting house and Spoke at Services. Took Sleigh load of mourners to Cemetery. Gave Newton Prince a check for $5.00 to help pay for his home. Re-wrote & recorded blessings &c.

9 January 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I repaired fence, trimmed trees, wrote letters read the paper &c.

10 January 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I repaired door lock, made keys to fit Desk trimmed trees, received & answered a number of letters, Loaned John England $200. for 5 months. Sent ck of $150. to Zions Savings Bank & Trust Co for savings. Went with alice to Store & to McBrides in evening.

11 January 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant. Good Sleighing [p. 16] I trimmed trees; hauled out limbs; got lucern seed, oats & onions from Tithing office. Attended Water Co. Board meeting in afternoon & in the evening, made my annual report as Treasurer Water Co. & submitted same to Auditing committee & had $1151.19 in warrants cancelled. Auditors certified to correctness of my report. Wrote to Nerva.

12 January 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather pleasant, good sleighing. I attended School, afternoon & evening meeting here at Tooele & offered closing prayr in afternoon meeting. Attended prayr circle. Read several chapters in Key to Theology.

13 January 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather a little clowdy.

I took my team & old sleigh and took Mr Vowles up to See cow & bull with object to sell. Sold F. D. Horman’s cow for him for $20.00 Attended meeting of Tooele City Water Co. Board & received warrant to cover dividends to all the share holders & issued checks to them for the amounts due them.

Attended Ward Corporation meeting and was appointed Auditor of accounts with J. W. Tate. Alice washed. Wrote letter &c. In the evening I gave Sister Barbara Bowen a blessing, Alice scribe, I rewrote the blessing. [p. 17]

14 January 1896 • Tuesday

<Elected President of of Irrigation Board & company.>4

Tooele Weather mild.

Geo. Legrand & Lou Bowen went tracking Coyotes before breakfast & did not return until after 11 A.M. I went hunting them with team & sleigh. Got Clowd’s shoe tightened & sleigh shoe repaired, finished hauling wood out of orchard. Worked on old sheds moving straw &c. Received letter from Nerva & answered by return mail.

In the evening I attended a joint meeting of old & new Boards of Trustees of Irrigation Co. & after the ro[u]tine business & approving of the bonds of new members by Co. Clerk A. B. Bryan, The old board resigned in favor of the New & I was elected President of the Board & hence President of the Company.

15 January 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather heavy South wind & thawing Was working at shed when Wm McIntosh called to see me about buying straw. I went with him over to see straw & sold him 30 loads or more at $1.00 per load. Wm Stevenson of Studebaker Wagon Co. called to say he had come for the new wagon as T. Horman was not considered good pay. I saw Geo. Horman & together we went to Stockton & Saw T. Hormans [p. 18] wife he, Thos., being in Nevada. She promised to refund to me what I had paid on wagon. Joel sick with sore throat. I administered to him & he felt better. Letters from Sundry persons several of which I answered.

16 January 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather thawing.

I finished uncovering old sheds & hauled several loads of the material around to east yards. Received letter from Mother with one enclosed from Seney & one from Nerva. I wrote to Nerva & Mother. In the evening I recorded Alice Ann’s & Asenath’s blessings. Joel is feeling some better but has a stiff neck & sore throat.

17 January 1896 • Friday

<This is Saturdays Report.>5

Tooele Weather warm & windy. At about 5 P.M. it commenced to rain

I cut up & salted down pig & worked on fence to yards. Received letter from Nerva & answered it & wrote to Mother. In the evening I went to Stores, bought sack sugar, soap shoes &c. Paid J. W. Tate for Juvenile 1896.

18 January 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather as above reported. Friday weather warm & clowdy I hauled shed material around to East yards In the evening I met Prest. H. S. Gowans at [p. 19] Apostle Lymans where we considered missionary appointments. From there I went up to Geo. Speirs’ with J.W. Tate & audited the Ward Corporation accounts. The children had a party & theatre here in the evening. Saturday evening I attended to my usual writing and recorded blessings.

<Apostle Lyman informed us of a new System of calling missionaries Ruling of Apostles.>6

19 January 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather clowdy & warm. I attended Sunday school in morning and Sunday School Review in Afternoon & evening. Offered opening prayr in Afternoon Present Apostle Lyman, Prest. Gowans, Sund. School Supt. Johnson & others. Alice accompanied me in evening. Attended Prayr circle & Apostle Lyman being present gave us some instructions.

20 January 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather windy.

I went to Store & called in Ward Corporation meeting a few minutes. Worked all day on yard fences. Spent the evening at home, reading & writing. Letters from Sundry persons. One from Mother saying she had received pay for her home & Pasture from Frank Knowlton in Church notes $2370. Wrote Mother. In the evening I felt [p. 20] somewhat indisposed, retired without supper Suffered all night with sick headache. Lucena had ear ache in the night.

21 January 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I was in bed all day & suffered considerable in my head & stomach Had Bro. Per[c]y. Clegg & his son Benj. in to administer to me. Afterwards Bro. Lyman & in the evening Bro Bros. Gillespie & S. W. Orme Rested Some during the night. Had E Green & James Howell working for me in my sted.

22 January 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasand [pleasant].

I felt some better to-day and got up about 9 A.M. Stomach very weak. Remained in all day. Jas. Howell worked for me. Mrs Horman called to see me about wagon

23 January 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather cold & raw.

I attended to some business down Town & rec’d a letter from Mother and one enclosed from Sister Nerva containing Franks final proposition & Nerva’s acceptance on Separation Settlement. Had Jas Howell tearing down cellar. I read U.S. History & the Utah Enabling act & Utah State Constitution [p. 21]

24 January 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I made ready & Alice & baby with me went to the Ward Reunion at 10:30 A.M. & returned at 4 P.M. My part was the benediction. I also opened a discussion on continuing from year to year these reunions. The result was that they are to be annual affairs. Attended to some writing. Wrote to Mother & to Nerva. In the evening Alice & I attended the Party.

25 January 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather cold & ruff.

I did some work at home in the morning dragging logs up to yards from cellar &c. Hitched up team & took the children to dance at 11 A.M. With team went up to Bro Abel Parker’s funeral cortage and attended the Services in meeting house and offered the benediction Bro. Rydalch, Prest. Gowans & Apostle Lyman were the Speakers I offered the Closing prayr. Hauled the mourners to Cemetery & back & took them home to Bro. Parker’s house. Retired early to bed.

26 January 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I shaved, got ready & took my team & [p. 22] with me Apostle Lyman & Prest. Gowans & went to Grantsville to attend Stake Conference. We put up team & staid with Prest. C. L. Anderson Bro. Edward Stevenson of 1st Seven Prest. of Seventies was at Conference also & we had good conference meetings & council meetings. We administered to Sister Ida Bates Bro. Lyman mouth. Bro. Stevenson anointed.

27 January 1896 • Monday

Grantsville Tooele Weather pleasant except for south wind. At C. L. Andersons. Good meetings well attended. I reported my labors as a Patriarch & President in this stake & gave some exhortation. Between meetings I gave blessings to Bro Sam’l House & his grand daughter Harriet Anderson I Returned home at 6:15 P.M Bros. Israel & Owen Bennion came up from Grantsville & staid all night with us. I took them with me to the Panorama show in the evening.

28 January 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine.

I arose at 5:30 cared for animals, made fires did some writing, Sold hay to Davis & Warburton boarded up west side of yard. Took Alice & children to Cemetery, Hauled hay in barn &c. [p. 23] In the evening, I read paper & retired early.

29 January 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather Stormy part of the day. I finished work on yard fence. Took horse to Shop & had shoe re-set. Went with P. Clegg & examined upper rooms of new School House with a view to finishing them to rent for Dist. Court. Went to see Ed. Broad about making estimate. Sold hay to M. B. Nelson. Went down to E Green’s & got him to take a load of hay to Hans Peterson Stockton & loaded the hay for him. Received a letter from Sister Nerva and a part of Rhod Marcia’s blessing a part having been lost. In the evening I did my usual writing & recorded blessings.

30 January 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather clowdy & light storm. I sold & loaded to E. Green a load of 2700 lbs hay Hauled manure into old Cellar & put 6 wires on fence between South field & Cleggs lot. Spent the evening at home reading & writing Folks all well. Re[a]d account of U.S. Civil Warr.

31 January 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I hauled manure until about 1 P.M. then shaved, bathed and went to meeting held in [p. 24] honor of Aunt Zina D. Youngs 75th birthday. I made the last speech. At Close of meeting I assisted in choosing counselor to Sister Naomi Gillet in the Stake Presidency of Y.L.M.I.A. I suggested Ellen Park & she was chosen. Prest. Gowans Set apart Susannah Dunn 1st Counselor & I set Ellen Park apart 2nd Counselor. Mrs Doctor Davis Agnes Lauge Davis & her little girl Minnie were today baptized by Edward Atkin and confirmed the former by Prest. Gowans & the Latter by myself. Bought today Mr Durant by Ben Rich. Ben Hur by Lue Wallace & Shakespeares works in four volumes and one each of the missionary tracts. In the evening I did some writing and recorded blessings.

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January 1896, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1896/1896-01