February 1901

Weather fair.

I returned from Salt Lake on train. Administered Patriarchal blessing to Chas. De St. Jeor. Took Prest Gowans with my team and buggy to the Ry Station where we met Prest C. L. Anderson & Stake Tithing Clerk T. Williams where we examined Stake Tithing records & reports & signed same. Did some writing and retired to bed earley. [p. 48]

Home Issued bills to parties owing for lumber. Made monthly report to Lum. Co. Attended Relief society Annual meeting and spoke to them. I fixed up old fountain pen holder wrote an article for the Young people’s paper the Inteligencer.

I fasted, attended School, teachers meeting, Ward meeting afternoon & evening, Circle &c. Bore testamony in school and meeting, offered closing prayr at teachers meeting. Assisted in setting apart officers in Primary association and the home missionaries. I was mouth in setting Moroni England apart as a home missionary, Rebecca Atkin as Organist in primary. and I blessed oil at Circle and drilled new members in the [3 words redacted] I re-wrote Patriarchal blessing for Chas. De St Jeor.

Wrote several business letters. Attended to some business down Town. Went over to field. Examined James Martins land with a view to making an exchange with him or a purchase.

Trimmed trees, wrote letters &c. Attended Mutual meeting in evening.

I took down fence about straw stack, made steps for granary, put up Gang plow &c.

Did some writing of letters, sold some lumber did sundry odd jobs. In the evening I attended Elders Quorum meeting i.e. I filled the appointment but for want of attendance there was no meeting held. I consulted with the presidency for an hour or more.

I went over to Wm Caldwells’ in the forenoon & again in afternoon and administered to his wife who had had a relapse after confinement. Attended [p. 49] the funeral service of Herbert & Addy Vowles baby and spoke about 30 min. Went to the grave &c. Read the News & Transcript in evening.

Prest. Gowans & I with my team went to Vernon. On our way we called at Wm Caldwells & administered to his wife. Arrived at Vernon before dark and put up at Bro. E. J. Pehrsons where we were made welcome & treated royally.

At Vernon.

Weather clear & cold.

Attended school & meeting and spoke at each & presented names of Gen. & Stake Authorities. After meeting we returned home arriving at about 10 P.M.

I wrote some letters, cared for animals, read from Beyond the Gates &c. In the evening I attended meeting of Canyon land owners at City hall.

Cared for animals. Telephoned U.L. Co Car of lumber came out for me. I rigged up & went after a four horse load of lumber George with me & we brought up about 2850 ft. Attended Mutual meeting in evening. Gave my lecture & a volunteered lecture. Read the paper after the meeting.

Hauled lumber from Depot. In the evening I wrote letter to Lum. Co, to Mother to Sister Nerva & Bro. Fred.

I hauled lumber from Station, made two trips with four horses. Geo. helped me. In the evening I performed the seminary [ceremony?] which made Chas. E. Elkington & Agnes Isgreen man & wife done at home of the bride’s parents Took supper with them. A nice reception was given.

<Valentine’s Day.>¹ [p. 50]

George & I with two wagons & six horses hauled two loads of lumber from the station finished unloading the car. Sold lumber, checked up the lumber received & found it to agree with the invoice. In evening I did my usual writing read the News & Transcript. &c.

Weather softening. Frost breaking & muddy.

Home Cared for animals. Sold lumber. wrote letters, attended to business down town. In evening by request I taking Jno. Gillespie with me went down and administered to Geo Davies baby who was afflicted with the mumps.

Stormy & muddy.

I loaned Prest. G. a horse to go to Mercur & I went to Batesville where we held Ward Conference. Presented Genl, Stake & Ward authorities to School & Meeting. Attended evening meeting at home [Tooele]² where J. A. Bevan Jr. delivered a lecture on the Book of Mormon. Seventies presiding. Called to See Bro. Lyman who was not in.

Ground frozen again.

I cared for animals. Loaned Darwin Dunyon my Pete horse to use until such time as I shall need him. Called on Bro. Lyman & had a brief talk. Invited him to be present at a gathering at our home on my 40th birth day Sat Feb 23, 1901. He could not be present. I accompanied him to Phone & for him talked with Bro. A. O. Woodruff who requested Bro. Lyman to go in to City this day refering to the occurance in the Tabernacle Sunday and what was said there by his son F. M. Jr as reported by the Trib & by A. M. C. I wrote in Journal this day. Wrote letters &c Wrote invitations to parties to Birthday doings Feb 23, 1901. [p. 51]

I mailed about 40 letters & attachment cards. Was busy writing nearly all day. In the evening I attended mutual meeting & took part in the programme. Answered a question given the previous week. Read the News after evening meeting.

I mailed about 40 advertising letters. Spent most of the day writing & distributing advertising cards. Went shopping with Mama. Ordered 1000 dodgers printed advertising attachments. Ordered add in Tooele Transcript.

I attended to some business down town. Wrote to J. H. Robinson, Took my team & carriage and Prest. Gowans & Emily Isgren & Nillie McBride with me and went to Stockton where we held service & attended to burial of Sister Warburton. Bro Gowans offerred opening prayr & dedicated the grave. I did the talking & offered the benediction. Bro Gowans talked about 3 or 5 minutes. I had good liberty of thought & speech.

I treated the Subject of the resurrection from the standpoint of the Scriptures & from the standpoint of reason.

The scriptures are replete with evidence of a resurrection give quotations.

If we believe the scriptures we believe in the resurrection of the dead. To deny the resurrection is to deny the scriptures. It is no less reasonable to believe in the resurrection than in the creation of which the scriptures give an account. It is brought about in the same way by controling the elements. So also is the changing of the water into wine; the feeding of the multitude upon five loaves & a few fishes. The resurrection of Laseras & of the Savior himself. It is no more dificult to [p. 52] believe that God can command the elements even to the resurrection of the dead than to have believed 50 yrs ago that science by man should have been developed to its present standard. Carriages without horses shall go (Mother Shipton) Steam, electricity compressed air &c. The resurrection is a reality. In the interim the faithful are happy & the unfaithful are sad. The righteous are to come forth with the Savior at beginning of the Millennium while the wicked sleep on to end of the thousand years & not a peaceful sleep their conscience being troubled.

I this day repaired music box & cleaned the music.

I wrote letters, mailed attachment dodgers to friends. Received a call from A. J Stookey & put up plow & attachment for his benefit. Made preparation for celebration of my birthday tomorrow. Issued more invitations Following have been invited.

<Those marked (✓) were present>⁸ [p. 53]

Light showers at evening.

Tooele. I made preparations in forenoon for celebration of the 40th aniversary of my birth in afternoon and evening. Guests began to arrive soon after 4 P.M. and out of 43 who were invited 30 men present. A very pleasant evening was spent. A good dinner was served & later lunch & ice cream with Candies, nuts & raisans between. All seemed to have a good time. No unpleasantness in word or action. Bro Stookey & wife staid all night.

<My 40th Birth Day.>⁹

I took my team & Prest. Gowans accompanied me to St. John where we attended school & meeting & talked to the people. I enjoyed the spirit to a goodly degree & gave timely instructions. We administered to Bro. Larkin. Took dinner & put up team at Bp Ahlstrom’s. Russell Bros. consulted us about a trouble with A. J. S. about a right of way & we advised to take it into the courts civil. Returned home arriving about 7.35 P.M. Roads muddy.

I sent out advertising circulars to some 30 persons. Made preparations to commence plowing. Went down to Bro Peter Clegg’s farm & tested merits of attachment which were satisfactory. Wrote up journal &c.

Received a letter to Stake Presidency from [first and last names redacted] in self justification for his own backsliding & trying to place the responsibility on some one else. I wrote an 8 paged letter in reply.

Took teams & plows & Geo & I went to west field & commenced our spring plowing but had to quit as the ground was so wet it would not clear the plow. Called at Wm Isgren’s field & set up our plow & attachment & plowed a round to show him how it works. Made a good impression Attended Mutual in evening. [p. 54]

I attended to some business with Prest. Gowans & with Transcript Co. Made ready & went to City by train. Went direct to Attachment manufacturers, then to U. L. Co. Made a few small purchases, engaged room at hotel, attended the theatre (“Way Down East”) Had a time with the bugs & got up at 3 A.M. & sat up with Proprietor Mr. Pollard.

Left S.L. City for home by train Arrived O.k. Sold lumber to 3 parties, wrote in new memoranda the names of parties to whom I had sent advertising matter. Slept about 4 hours. Went up to Estella’s & took supper at 6:30 (Rag bee) Did some evening writing.