January 1897


1 January 18971 • Friday

Tooele Weather Stormy.

Shaffer Horman & I shingled house until noon & finished the Shingling of main roofs. Snowed all forenoon. Spent part of afternoon & evening at home. In the evening the Children fixed up the Xmas tree & put gifts on same.

2 January 1897 • Saturday

Tooele Weather Cold. Some snow fell. Bro Gillespie accompanied me to Grantsville [p. 127] where we attended Priesthood meeting. I afterward took dinner with Prest. Anderson. Spent the evening home.

3 January 1897 • Sunday

Tooele I attended School & Spoke. Fasted until 5 P.M. Attended fast meeting blessed J. S. Lee’s baby boy & dismissed the meeting attended & took charge of the Prayr Circle. Read Jos. Dunn’s book on Poligamy in the evening aloud to the family.

4 January 1897 • Monday

Tooele Weather fair.

I worked on house boarding up gables. attended funeral services of Jonas Linberg.

5 January 1897 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I put handles in hatchet, fork. pick, ground hand ax & hatchet Did sund. Jobs.

6 January 1897 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather good cold & Seasonable.

I hauled straw Commenced digging Cesspool Moved lath. gathered up blocks & scraps of wood about building &c. In the evening I attended Elders quorum & assisted to organize same. Offered opening prayr & spoke a short time Robt Wills was chosen President, J. T. Dick 1st & Silas Orme 2nd Counselors & John Dorman Secretary. I was [p. 128] mouth in setting apart John T. Dick. I kept a minute of the meeting. Lucena & Mamie sick.

7 January 1897 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I hauled manure all day. Most of the children have colds & Mama not well.

8 January 1897 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I hauled a load of manure & took horses to the field & did some work there took down fence &c. Traded gray horses back to Geo. Remington for young mares. Engaged painters to paint my house for $50.00. Rec’d. a letter from Mother with cks amounting to $40.00 $47.00 on loan. I wrote her in answer in the evening. Lucena & Mamie both ailing

9 January 1897 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I hauled flooring & windows from sheds to house Attended double funeral of Frank Brainett & Lars Johnson’s baby at Meeting house. Bro. F. Lyman preached funeral. I offered benediction and dedicated the baby’s grave. Visited Bro Lyman at his home. Lucena had a restless night.

10 January 1897 • Sunday

Tooele Weather foggy & cold part of the day. I went to Batesville & attended school and [p. 129] meeting & spoke at Both. A. G. Johnson & Leroy Anderson of Grantsville were at school & went home immediately after & Bro Woolley of the home mission was at meeting & spoke. Met Bros. Gowans & Anderson at Bro Lymans in evening & discussed matters among others compensation of Stake Authorities Mama & I went up & saw new house by day light.

11 January 1897 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant but cold. I went to Salt Lake by team & bought my paints & went up to Farmington on U. P. Ry. & staid over night. Administered to Nerva’s Irene.

12 January 1897 • Tuesday

Farmington Weather Snowing.

Went to S. L. City by train & left City for home at 10:20 A.M. with load. Met C L Anderson, James Martin, Geo Remington & B. L. Bowen with teams on the road. Took dinner at Spencers & arrived home at 8:30 P.M. Snowed lightly all forenoon. Children improved.

13 January 1897 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather threatening. Some Storm. I cleaned up wood about house. [p. 130] put rock bottom in stall of stable &c.

14 January 1897 • Thursday

Tooele The above report is for 14.th this is for 13 Went over to Sprays to see painters & did other work. Administered to Geo Bates baby.

15 January 1897 • Friday

Tooele Weather threatening.

I assisted in laying floor upstairs, hauled material from sheds to house. &c Wrote uncle Fred in evening.

16 January 1897 • Saturday

Weather stormy snowed.

Tooele Assisted with carpenter work on house finished laying floor &c. Shaved in the evening. Read B H Roberts letter in the News on Church Disciplin[e]

17 January 1897 • Sunday

Tooele Weather cold.

Tooele Sunday School Review.

I attended three meetings of Review & Circle Offered opening prayr in the morning & spake in afternoon. Accompanied Prest Gowans to Bro Dicks by request & assisted in Administering to her. Read the Moses Thatcher Episode pamphlet. Folks pretty well.

18 January 1897 • Monday

Tooele Weather clear & cold. [p. 131]

I got my sleigh out & took the folks for a ride over to the field to look after the horses. Bro. Rimington & wife accompanied me us. Attended Water Co. Bd. meeting at 11.30 oclock. Took Alice up to Mary Dunns in Sleigh & then went to funeral of Mrs Geo Bates Baby at her mothers home (Bevans) I preached the funeral sermon & in my sleigh took the mourners to & from the cemetery. Went down to Newton Princes by request & gave him a blessing, my son George accompanied & wrote for me. Brought Alice & little gir[l]s home from Mary Craner Dunn’s.

In the evening I did some writing. Read pamphlet on Religion Class work & finished the Pamphlet “Thatcher Episode” Read aloud two short stories.

19 January 1897 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather cool at night <warm Day.> I got lumber & sawdust from the Parker saw mill. Did Sund[ry] Small jobs. Attended a meeting of Committees on Ward Sociable in the evening.

20 January 1897 • Wednesday

Cleaned up about New hous[e] &c.

Attended Dist. meeting at Bro Gillespies in the evening 1st of the Season & with others spoke a short time. [p. 132]

21 January 1897 • Thursday

Tooele I hauled two loads from of ice from John Englands pond & one load of saw dust from Parkers mill & put up ice for winter. Spent the evening at home.

22 January 1897 • Friday

Tooele Weather warm & thawing.

I went to field & fed animals & brought straw home. Put roof over ice. Canvassed for funds for Sociable. Ruby was taken sick suddenly Prest. Gowans & I administered to her & she was better after. Shaved bathed &c. <Rested well during the night>

23 January 1897 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I took my team & carriage & Apostle Lyman Prest Gowans & H. L. Nenson accompanied me to Grantsville to conference. Prest. Anderson Met Prest Geo. Q Cannon at Mill Crossing in the morning. We put up our team at Bro. C. L. Anderson’s I offerred opening prayr & during the 1st meeting made a brief report. Attended High Council meeting & three conference meetings.

24 January 1897 • Sunday

Grantsville Tooele Weather pleasant

Attended Priesthood meeting at 9 A.M. & two [p. 133] conference meetings & Returned with same company. & attended meeting at Tooele in the evening. During the night it snowed.

25 January 1897 • Monday

Tooele Weather several inches of snow when we got up & still snowing Snowed until about noon about 6 or 8 inches & made good sleighing.

I visited at Bro. Lymans in forenoon & attended to Some business with Prest. Gowans & Con. Anderson at formers office. Prest Cannon called to See my house in course of Construction. Got corn fodder from Jos. Tates, Visited Bro. Judd’s family. Wrote letter to U. L. Co & enclosed ck of 13.25 full payment for lum & building materials Did other writing.

26 January 1897 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather cold & clear. Very cold at night.

Alice & I attended the Ward reunion and party in the evening. Bro. Lyman was present I offered toasts & Sentiment Had an enjoyable time.

27 January 1897 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather Cold.

Did some writing, Attended programme [p. 134] meeting of young people &c.

28 January 1897 • Thursday

Tooele Weather cold.

I unloaded paints &c. Took 200 ft flooring down to J W Tates Store, repaired spring seat Cared for the animals at Feild brought home load of straw. Childrens, day at sociable.

29 January 1897 • Friday

Tooele Weather stormy most all day. I assorted & sawed lath. In the evening I assorted read aloud from B H Roberts’ Gospel to Mr Shaffer.

30 January 1897 • Saturday

Tooele Weather warm.

I assorted & sawed lath. Brought down a load of straw for the cows. I took the family all for a sleigh ride. Mrs McBride & Mary Hammond accompanied us.

31 January 1897 • Sunday

Tooele Weather moderated.

I took my team & buggy & Mama & baby accompanied me to Mercur 28 miles South of here Arrived at Estella’s at about 3 P.M. Went with Prest. Gowans, who had preceded us accompanied by his wife, to select a sight for a meeting house. Attended the evening meeting & spoke 48 minutes. [p. 135] Prest. Gowans set Bro. Nathan apart to labor as a teacher & I set J. D. McIntosh apart as Sunday School Supt. Mama & I slept at Estellas.

Cite this page

January 1897, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1897/1897-01