May 1898

Rained steadily most all day & night I attended School & meeting & in the latter bore testamony Confirmed Ernetine Alice Dalton. Attended Circle gave blessings to Wm Reid Judd & Agnes Judd and Geo Lawrence Tate.

<Rubys’ Birth Day 6 yrs old.>¹

Rained most all day & night.

I wrote letters, read the papers &c.

Stormy most all day & night I read papers hitched up team & got potatoes from G.A. Rimingtons found Clay horse & brought him home. Read account of the battle of Waterloo in the evening.

Recd letters from Mother at Nephi & Nerva at Farmington.

Snowed in forenoon but melted as it fell mostly. The boys & I worked on ditches Put floor in ditch at north gate raised gates [p. 232] and filled in dirt. &c.

Clowdy. We plowed with gang & chill plows & 7 horses & planted corn in the furrow.

Plowed and planted corn all day.

Stormed considerably during the night. The boys plowed & planted corn and I took team & carriage Prest. Gowans Bros Craner & Gellespie to Grantsville where we attended Stake Priesthood meeting. Took dinner at Prest C L Andersons. Took the boys to field in A.M. & brought them home in evening Bought oats at Englands.

Weather pleasant. I took my team & buggy & Prest Gowans with me to E.T. where we attended school & Meeting I spoke at both and blessed E. Lee’s baby. Took dinner with Jos Yates. Rubys throat is quite sore.

In the evening I wrote the following letter.

Tooele City, Utah, May 6 8th 1898

Mr William Miller

Syracuse, Utah.

Dear Brother:— Many times since the death of your daughter Edna have I thought I would like to have her sealed to me I fear I have procrastinated too long; if not, I write to [p. 233] ask the consent of your self & wife to have her sealed to me and authority from her mother to my wife Alice A <Robinson> Richards to officiate for her in endowments & sealing also her full name & geneology necessary for temple work We expect to go to the Temple in about two weeks in the meantime will anxiously await your answer. Alice wishes to be remembered to you all.

Sincerely yours

Geo. F. Richards.

<War with Spain the General Topic every where.>²

Plowed & planted corn all day. Read papers

Plowed & planted corn in forenoon & in afternoon plowed in Lot. Iliff lectured in evening

Joel Legrand & I worked at field plowing leveling & planting Corn. Geo. planted garden. Legrand was sick could not eat dinner

Rained some at night

Geo. & Joel & I worked at Field plowing & corn planting in forenoon & worked in garden in Afternoon. Legrand sick in bed all day.

<Rained at evening.>³

Irrigated lot & put in garden in forenoon & in afternoon plowed & planted Corn

Finished plowing and planting lot. Planted melons. In afternoon plowed & planted beans at field. Read papers. Made Alice Birth Day present of watch & chain

<Alices 34th Birth Day. Gold Watch.>⁴ [p. 234]

I remained home in forenoon and wrote letters to Mother, Nerva & Fred. Attended afternoon meeting & offered the opening prayr Speakers Peter Gillespie just returned from a mission to States. U. G. Johnson & Wm Spry of Stake S.S.c Read from bible, Atlas & papers.

Stormy, good rain. I Set out more than 100 tomato plants. Did some garden work, made a double tree. Shingled Legrand & Joel, read papers &c.

rained during the night past, and a part of the day. This day I engaged with J. W. Tate to cut his grain of about 125 A. @ 75 cts or 100 stacked & with McBride C. R. to cut his of similar amt at same rate with 10% off for cash. Engaged to have team shoed tomorrow.

<Got my team Shoed in forenoon and in afternoon plowed and planted corn Storm Drove us home.>⁵

Rained all last night and until about noon today. I looked over temple records & wrote to Mother in forenoon and in Afternoon I took team & boys & went to field commenced plowing but had to quit the ground was so soft & wet. Took to piece old Binders & brought home bolts & other fixtures Rained some towards evening again. Assorted bolts &c. Retired early. [p. 235]

Weather pleasant.

Tooele I plowed at field Lucena Indisposed.

Windy

I finished the Spring’s plowing and planting of corn. The boys assisted me.

Wind blew hard.

I attended School, two meetings & Circle.

Bro Elijah Spray & wife took dinner with us. Lucena quite sick I administered to her.

Rained some during the night and most of the day. I went to mill & got bran. Took carriage to Shop & got new brace put on tung & plates on brake blocks. Wrote letters, Repaired polestraps & neck yoke &c

Tooele Weather Stormy. Rained all last night and all forenoon. The ground is thoroughly soaked I received Card from Nerva. A letter from Wm H Miller consenting to the Sealing of his daughter Edna (Dead) if it could be done. I answered asking her age at death.

Weather threatening. I took hay over to field to horses in pasture. Bows [Boys?] all went with me. Went up to Lucern field to See lucern which looks nice. By request of Sister Eliza Bowen & consent of Bp Atkin I blessed Eliza Bowen’s baby Homer Willard Bow[e]n [p. 236] born May 7th 1898. Reported blessing to Ward Clerk J. W. Tate. Read papers &c. Lucena suffered considerable during the night past with earache or gathered head. I administered to her in evening & during the night She had relief each time. The latter time seemingly permanant relief.

Tooele Weather pleasant

I made calculations on going to Salt Lake and although Lucena had a bad night with her ear ache we got ready & started all except Nerva & George. We found after Starting that the jar of the Carriage hurt Lucenas head & after getting 4 miles on the way turned back & returned home. This night She rested good excepting about an hour towards morning.

Weather windy.

Tooele Sunday School celebration George is King & Mattie Gillespie Queen.

Lucena seems some brighter than last night. Undecided whether to go to the city.

Went to City in After Noon Staid at Stephens. Lucena stood the trip well.

Rained Some.

Sugar House Lucena better. I went up Town with Dr. Stephen on car. Attended to my business Ordered Extras for header &c. [p. 237]

Sugar House I attended Y. M. M. I. A. Con at Tabernacle three meetings. Went home with Uncle Samuel Richards to dinner and formed the acquaintance of two of his daughters and one of his sons.

Sugar House I took my team & family and went to Farmington Arriving there about 2 P.M. Saw the Byciclests racing from Salt Lake to Farmington. Saw at Cemetery a number of people with we were acquainted. This being Decoration Day. Put up team at Sister Nerva’s Called on Alices Sister Maria.

<Had a splendid talk with Willard B. on Religious matters I fancy I see a softening in his heart.>⁷

Farmington. I visited around with the folks. Called on Maria Clark, Aunt Phoebe, Mary Ann, Ezra & family, Wilford & family &c. Nerva went to City and to Temple and was baptized for Mrs Alice Longstroth who is dead. In afternoon I gave to Rhoda Knowlton a blessing. Did some trading at store.