February 1896


11 February 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I made out my Ranch Report for the month of January. Attended Stake Priesthood meeting at Tooele. Spoke a little and assisted in setting apart the Home missionaries. Was mouth in setting apart Bro. John T. Dick & James Hutchens. Was mouth in consecrating a bottle of oil for our own use. In the evening [p. 25] I attended a meeting of Irrigation Trustees at R. Warburton’s where among other business Bids for watermaster were considered & award made to Joseph M. Dunn Salary $175.00 for watermaster & collector. A letter received from Mother.

2 February 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather cloudy & cold some storm. I attended School at Tooele and read Tract No. 1 by John Morgan while in school also a part of tract No 2. Dismissed the School. Read Paradise Lost between meetings. Attended afternoon & evening meeting & in the afternoon Bro. John DeLamare & I occupied the time. Attended Prayr circle and was mouth in Circle. Read Paradise lost after evening meeting.

3 February 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant & Cold. I went over to Basin pasture horseback to see the horses. Found everything O.K. Wrote to Abram & enclosed Jan Report. Settled my tithing with Bp. Atkin. Shingled the boys &c. In the evening I read Paradise Lost. Took Alice with me & went over to field to see the horses returned at Dark [p. 26]

4 February 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather cold. Snowed part of the day but melted as it fell.

I hauled manure into Cellar all day. Spent the evening at home reading & writing. <Wrote to Mother & Fred.>

5 February 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather Stormy.

I hauled manure. Called on Apostle Lyman at his home and had a little conversation with him & sent my watch by him to the City for examination as something seemed to be wrong with the stem. Called on Prest. Gowans at his office where we agreed to on dates & places for our ward conferences. Finished reading Primary history of United States & in the evening read from Paradise Lost getting half through. Jos. Tate called to see about buying timbers. James Gowans & Jno. Gordon called to see what I could feed 43 sheep for. I offered to feed them. @1¢ per head per day & they took it under advisement. Lanced baby’s gums. All well. Learned this day from Apostle Lyman of the Corruption between [identifying information redacted] & [title and last name redacted] & of Apostle Moses [p. 27] Thatchers use of Tobacco & Coffee which according to Bro. Lyman’s ideas & Dr Pinkertons also is undermining his health and may cause his demise or death.

6 February 1896 • Thursday

Fast Day.

Tooele Weather cold & stormy part of the day. I did the morning chores, shaved, made ready and went to Fast meeting, during the progress of the meeting I felt a desire to pray and accordingly stood and offered a prayer in spirit. After close of Fast meetings meeting Sister Bates desired to be administered to & by request I anointed & Prest. Gowans sealed the anointing. Received letters from Abram & Mother. Made appointments to give blessings in the evening to Sister Hannah Bowen & others of her family. I gave blessings to Sarah Ellen, Ruby & Lucena in Afternoon and in the evening gave blessings to John & David Lewis Bowen and to Elmer Nelson Bates & my Son Joel.

<Gave Seven Blessings.>2

I copied names & geneologies of 84 names filling six record pages & sent to Mother. Answered her letter.

This is Legrand’s 10th birth day. [p. 28]

7 February 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather cold at night & pleasant during the day.

I loaded three loads of hay and hauled several loads of manure. In the evening I wrote to U C & S. Bk S.L.C. & sent Feb. payment to U.A.S.L. & B. Co. & Simpsons note for collection. I Recorded three blessings Sarah’s, Ruby’s & Lucena’s. Folks usually well. Children spent the evening at Hammonds Adred’s birthday. Read the paper &c.

8 February 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I hauled manure all day & worked hard. Sold one load of hay to A. J. McCuistion. The boys assisted me all day. In the evening I bathed & attended Irrigation Trustees meeting.

9 February 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather Springlike. Roads dry. I took my team and buggy & Prest. H. S. Gowans accompanied me to E.T. Ward where we met Prest. C. L. Anderson & we attended School & Meeting & all Spoke at both & attended to the business of the Conference. Put up team & took dinner [p. 29] with Bishop Moss. Returned home & took supper at Bro. Craner’s finding my wife & little ones there eating. Put up team & attended evening meeting Presided over by High Priest’s. President Gowans & I acted as deacons.

10 February 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather beautiful. I visited schools all day and attended School Trustees meeting in the evening. Called on Apostle Lyman & got my watch which he brought from City for me.

11 February 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather Snowed hard in the morning until about 10 A.M. & put about four inches of Snow on ground. I hitched up team & went to England’s & got flour & Sold to J. T. Dick one acre of water on main St. ditch. Hauled manure & sold a load of hay baled to Wm Vowles 2400 lbs. In the evening I attended a lecture by the Chief Populist Warren Foster.

I have a large boil on my leg just above the ankle which gives me considerable pain. [p. 30]

12 February 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather cold & clowdy. I made transfer of 1 acre of water to J. T. D. for $60.00 Rec’d cash $40.00 & am to get 40 bu wht. Rec’d of F. D. Horman full payment of his note & release of mortgage $35.00. Went up to Mill & saw Broad & Elkington about enni walls at school House & met them at schoolhouse later with Mr Scott & Tate & Clegg & spent a couple of hours in considering how eni walls should be built. Spent the evening at home writing. My boil on ankle still bad. Prest. C. L. Anderson put up his team & took dinner with us. Had business with Prest. Gowans.

13 February 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather very Pleasant.

I got 40 bu. of wheat from J. T. Dick & took to mill & sold at 4 50¢ pr bu. Sold hay to S. Nelson 2 loads & went with team & buggy to Basin Pasture Alice & two babies accompanied me. Received letter from Mother & answered it. In the evening I got out names of water owners out Kelsey Ditch & number of acres owned by each at request of R. Warburton Secy of Dist. Made a deed of [p. 31] 160 acres of land and two acres of water to my wife all my other property having been deeded to her for before. Will have deed properly acknowledged probably tomorrow.

14 February 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I set & filed saw, ground large nippers, topped Poplar trees, plowed & scraped to cover Cellar. got deed of balance of my land 160 A. deeded to My wife Alice acknowledged & filed with other deeds in my safe. In the evening I recorded two blessings & did other writing.

15 February 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather fine.

I had E. Green topping trees in my place. I moved my horses from Bowden field to Larson field & hauled out some straw for them scattering it on the Stubbles In afternoon hauled out tree toppings. In the evening I attended a meeting of the Irrigation Board of Trustees. Shaved &c.

16 February 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather fine roads dry. Stake Presidency’s appointment at St. John Ward Conference. President Gowans Gowans & wife went over Sat. afternoon [p. 32] Prest. C. L. Anderson got there about 10 A.M. & they held forenoon conference meeting. I got there with team and buggy at 12:30 Put up my team at Bp. Caldwells & took dinner with him. Afternoon session Prest. Gowans presented the Authorities & spoke briefly upon word of wisdom. I followed for 42 minutes with considerable freedom. Bro Anderson made a few interesting remarks. Nephi Draper offered a verbal resignation as Counselor to Bishop on ground that he was a user of tobacco & Apostle Lyman had said at our last Stake Conference that Such men in official positions should hand in their resignations as repeated by President Gowans to-day. H[e] insisted on being released now. The president put the question to the people & the people voted very reluctantly so the President decided to defer action in the matter for the present. By request of Bp. Caldwell I was mouth in Consecrating a bottle of oil & offered the Closing prayr. Prest G. Prest A. & I by request went up to Bro. Alstroms & administered to his little boy afflicted in his arm with paralysis or [p. 33] St vital [Vitus?] or something of that kind. Bro A. anointed & Bro. G. confirmed it. From there we went to Bro Larkins by request & administered to him he being in a sickly condition Prest. G. anointed & I confirmed the anointing. By request took lunch with Sister Burridge & started for home about 6 P.M. arrived home about 8 P.M. Visited with my family a short time & retired.

17 February 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I had E. Green working for me topping trees & I hauled sand & gravel about the door yards & walks & sold two loads of hay, made some collections.

In the evening I wrote Fred my brother an 14 page letter answering some questions which were under discussion in the Theological class of his ward. Retired at 11 P.M.

18 February 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine.

I rode over to Caldwell’s & up to mill. Loaned John England $100.00 for 4 months. Hauled manure in afternoon. In the evening I recorded two blessings and wrote two [p. 34] letters on to Juvenile Instructor Co & one to John Dunn of S.L. City. Retired at 11 P.M.

19 February 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I had James Howell helping me & we hauled manure into cellar in front. Sold load of hay to F. D. Horman. In the evening I rewrote three blessings & did other writing & read from Juvenile.

20 February 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather fine.

I had James Howell helping me haul manure. F. D. St. Jeor with three wagons came to get hay. We loaded a load of poor hay on my wagon and loaded other three wagons with nearly four tons. They staid all night with us.

In the evening I attended Bro. Beesley’s consert in Meeting house.

213 February 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather fine.

I went to Basin pasture & got Mr. Burnetts horse, Sold load of hay to Jos. Wm Henson. Hauled tree trimmings out &c. In the evening I shaved , bathed, read papers &c. Received a letter from my mother & answered same. [p. 35]

22 February 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather fine.

I went to Depot, took carriage & children and met Estella coming home from Farmington. Took all the folks for a ride up to the Cemetery. Invited some near friends to come & dine to-morrow my 35th birth day. My wife & I went over to John S. Lee’s by invitation where we took dinner & gave blessings Bro. Lee, his mother & a Brother & a sister Alma & Ida. This is J. S. Lee’s 34th birth day. In the evening I did some writing. Mailed letters to Abram & Mother.

23 February 1896 • Sunday

<This is my 35th birth day>4

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I attended Sunday School & Ward Conference & evening meeting at Tooele. In afternoon meeting I presented the names of the Ward Authorities & attended to the business of the conference & Prest Anderson occupied the remaining portion of the time. Bp Atkin made a brief report at opening. At close of evening meeting I by request ordained Fred Bollschwieder a Teacher. Attended Circle & after Circle had Prest. Anderson, Prest. Gowans & wife, Bro. B L. Bowen & wife & Bro McBride & wife here to supper. Had [p. 36] a fine supper appreciated by all.

24 February 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather fine & dry. People are plowing & planting.

I sold & loaded hay to several parties and hauled tree trimmings out into Street. In the evening I attended theatre Mama & Estella accompanied me. The three boys also went; also Sarah & the baby. The play was by our ameture [amateur] troup (Foiled)

25 February 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine & dry. I sold hay to Lundholms, Horman & S. Nelson & topped the trees on banks of Kelsey Ditch through East field.

Spent the evening at home writing & reading. Recorded Primose Lee’s blessing.

26 February 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather clowdy, some rain. I loaded hay & cleaned up about stack & hauled poplar trimmings out into Street. At 4:30 P.M. I accompanied Alice to Prest. Gowans wher[e] we Staid until about 9 P.M. Had a nice supper.

27 February 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather clowdy.

I finished hauling out limbs. sold a load [p. 37] of hay to E. Gree[n] & engaged him for tomorrow to deliver a load of hay to Peterson of Stockton. Went over to the field where men were plowing, watered horses, called at G. A. Rimington’s

In the evening I recorded Ida S. Lee’s blessing, did some other writing and read from Mr Durrant That Mormon.

28 February 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather Stormy & clear alternately I hauled dirt into cellar, went over to my farm with E. Green & F. D. Horman to get straw. In the evening I attended theatre by Home troup & Phil. Margrets.

29 February 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather Stormy & fine I sold hay to Jos. Tate 5.00 worth. Sent a load of 3300 lbs. hay to Hans Peterson of Stockton by E. Green. Took horses to Basin pasture. Sold 3 calves for $30.00 to J C Carter of American Fork. Went over to field where I was having some plowing done and loaded a load of hay to H C. Hansen.

In the evening attended theatre same troup but new play. Alice, Nerva, & the 3 boys accompanied me. [p. 38]

Cite this page

February 1896, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 29, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1896/1896-02