February 1904


1 February 1904 • Monday

Attended to the regular work of the place. Attended to business correspondence &c.

<Issued Bills &c.>1

2 February 1904 • Tuesday

<Sold 2 lds. hay.>2

Attended to my business as usual and in the evening I attended Mutual meeting. Sold 2 lds. Hay

3 February 1904 • Wednesday

Attended to my business as usual. Sold 1 ld hay Attended the funeral services of Alice Strasburg and offered closing prayr. Took my team & sleigh and hauled some mourners. Thawing weather

4 February 1904 • Thursday

Attended to business as usual. In evening I read about 12 or 13 chapters in concluding the Book of Alma in Book of Mormon.

Very Windy during the day and night.

5 February 1904 • Friday

Home. Commenced snowing at 8 A.M. and snowed unseasingly all day

A letter from my son George written last night reports his baby Ruth very sick. They had called in the Doctor. On receipt of his letter this day 11 A.M. I tried to call him by phone but he was not in the office So I called Legrand who thought the baby no worse in the morning than the night previous. Later George Called me & phone and said the baby is very low. I went up to Dunn’s horseback & took the word.

I attended to the animals, the chorse [chores] &c did some writing and wrote up journal for a week, from memory.

6 February 1904 • Saturday

With my team & sleigh Prest. Gowans, B. L. Bowen & I went to Grantsville where we attended Stake High Council Meeting, Stake Priesthood, and Bps. Meetings and returned home. Cold wind and drifted snows. Message from Geo. saying the baby Ruth is worse. Her trouble pronounced Meningitis. I asked Prest G. for a release from visiting Mercur tomorrow that I might if called for go to City. We decided to change the day of our visit to the 21st I went over to Addy Vowles & told her the word which came from City. [p. 153]

7 February 1904 • Sunday

George phoned from the City that the baby is no better. I would have gone to the City this day but for an appointment I had with Prests. Gowans & Anderson & the Stake Tithing Clerk for tomorrow Monday. I attended Sunday School and bore testamony in the Theological Class. Fasted and gave 1.00 to the poor fund. Attended ward meeting and made a brief opening talk. Between School and meeting I administered blessings to Zella Clegg & Permelia Woodward. Attended the Conjoint mutual meeting in the evening. Phone message from George in evening. the baby no better.

8 February 1904 • Monday

Geo. Phoned that the baby is no better but growing weaker. I told him I would be in on afternoon train. I met the other members of the Stake presidency and the Stake Tithing Clerk at Tithing Office where I signed up the reports formulated a stake report on tithings, Lesser priesthood, Non tithe payers &c. Went to Salt Lake on afternoon train Joel met me at Ry Station. Called on Taylor Romney Armstrong Lumber Co. and corrected prices made on invoice of car of lumber. Went direct to George’s home and found the baby very low. Arrived there at 6 [2 illegible numbers]3 PM. and at 8:20 P.M. The baby breathed her last while on my lap and the other folks watching over her. Her passing was so easy we could not tell just when she ceased breathing.

I sat up while the others slept until 5 A.M. when Joel got up & I slept a short time

9 February 1904 • Tuesday

Salt Lake City

I assisted George in attending to things necessary for burial of his daughter Ruth. Legrand & Joel came home on morning [p. 154] train to look after things at this end. Every thing seemed to work without a hitch.

10 February 1904 • Wednesday

Salt Lake City

We left Salt Lake on 8 A.M. train and were met at Tooele Station by several teams & sleighs. Drove direct to our home where at 2 P.M. Services were held and many people were present. Ward Teacher M B Nelson presided. Speakers were B. L. Bowen & Prest. C. L. Anderson. Benj. Clegg opened & Bp atkin closed by prayr. Prest Gowans Anderson offerred the dedicatory prayr at the grave. There were many floral tributes. Geo & Edith staid with us over night. Legrand went to S. L. City after funeral.

11 February 1904 • Thursday

Just after rising in the morning I got telephone saying a car of lumber was at the depot for me so I arranged with G. L. Tate and Harold Skelton to assist Joel with the hauling and they got started to work about 10 A.M. Used my team and bob sleighs. Hauled three loads. I assisted them with the unloading & piling and worked on books, correspondence &c between.

<Took supper & spent the evening at Nervas. Geo & Edith staid with us over night>4

12 February 1904 • Friday

Continued the lumber hauling 4 loads hauled. I assisted with the unloading of three loads and sawed in two about a thousand ft. of 24 ft flooring. Hired Alf. Hank’s team and on new sleigh went over to Stockton to meet Mr. J M Severn but did not see him. George Nerva & Mama with Nina & Edna accompanied me. We called at the Clark E. P Co. plant and at Cemetery on our way home. Geo. & Edith returned to City today. Prest. Gowans & I met as a Stake Presidency this evening and after meeting I wrote up my Journal from the 5th inst. Folks usually well. Business dull but am getting in a good stock of lumber, shingles &c ready to do a good business as the Season opens. Mr Newton of Struell Paterson called today & I gave him an order.

<Sleighing since before Xmas but it is fast going off now.>5 [p. 155]

13 February 1904 • Saturday

<Finished lumber hauling Sawed up long length of fly & Rust and put away. In the evening I attended the Theatre with Joel.>6

14 February 1904 • Sunday7

I went to Ry. station with Prest. Gowans intending to go to St. Johns but finding the home missionaries there bound for same place I was excused & came home. Attended School & meeting also evening meeting, offered the closing prayr in School & meeting. Between School & meeting I copied two blessings and recorded one and after evening meeting I recorded the other.

<Joel returned to the City for school this day by train.>8

15 February 1904 • Monday

I took my team to the shop and had them shoed. Attended to the regular work of the place.

16 February 1904 • Tuesday

Attended to business as usual. <Called on J T Gollaher. & H Lee in evening called in>

17 February 1904 • Wednesday

" " " " "9 Called on Jas. M Gollaher

18 February 1904 • Thursday

" " " "10 Took Alice & Estella down to Nervas. Bought Bay Pete horse <$12.50> Took supper at Nerva’s.

19 February 1904 • Friday

Attended to business as usual. Helped with the washing. Attended meeting of Stake Presty in evening at my office. Present H. S. G & Self. Bp Atkin & Bro Jas Orme called on me and asked my opinion about holding a Sociable for the Ward the Same to be a reception for Apostle F. M. Lyman. I indorsed the movement. Folks well.

20 February 1904 • Saturday

Attended to business and in the evening the whole family of us attended the theater for the benefit of the Sunday School.

21 February 1904 • Sunday

With my team Prest Gowans & I went to Mercur where we put up team at livery stable. Attended School and both spoke. Held Council meeting with the Bishoprick after School. Took dinner at Bp. Bryans and supper with Bro Swenson & Staid at night with the Bishop. We attended the evening and occupied the time I about 30 min & the President about 40 minutes. After the meeting I administered Patriarchal blessings to two young men Parley Bryan & [blank] Bradley. Bp. Bryan acted as scribe. [p. 156]

22 February 1904 • Monday

Washingtons birth day. I did a good business this day. Prest. Gowans & I left Mercur at 5:50 AM and reached home at 9:10 A.M.

23 February 1904 • Tuesday

My birth day. Did a good business I worked all day as usual. Nothing unusual happened except that Nerva and George L gave me a nice bowl & saucer for bread & milk.

24 February 1904 • Wednesday

Attended to business as usual and in the evening I accompanied Alice to Estellas where she had prepared a feast for Hyrum’s birthday 32 yrs old.

25 February 1904 • Thursday

Attended to business as usual. Business good. Folks well.

26 February 1904 • Friday

Met Joel at Station he having just come from School for the summer. I took an attachment to Station and shipped to J.C. DeLaMare and got a lot of [f]reight and brought up from Station Joel & I did some work in the lumber yard piling lumber &c. In the evening attended Stake Presidency Meeting and later, meeting of the Creamery owners. 18 of us put up $124.90 each to buy in the Creamary.

27 February 1904 • Saturday

I took my team & Surray and Bro Gowans & wife and Bro John Gillespie & went to Grantsville to Conference. Broke buggy spring going down. Put up at C. L. Andersons took dinner with Bp. Wrathall. J. G. Kimbal was with us. Prest Anderson met him at station

We attended the Conference meetings and by courtisy of Bro. C. L Andersen attended the theatre in benefit of the choir “In the toils.”

I offerred the opening remarks of the Conference.

<Weather fine and ground dry in morning. Snowed at night about 4 or 5 inches in Grantsville & double that in tooele.>11

28 February 1904 • Sunday

Grantsville 4 or 5 in Snow fresh fel[l] during the night. Slept at Prest Andersons.

Attended the Conference meetings and talked at morning session for about 20 minutes with good freedom of spirit. Attended a meeting of the Seventies after [p. 157] 4 o clock and then came home.

29 February 1904 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

Several inches of wet snow left.

I wrote & worked in office all day and until nearly 9 P.M. in evening. Answering letters and attending to business generally. Made some sales.

Cite this page

February 1904, The Journal of George F. Richards, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1900s/1904/1904-02