May 1896


1 May 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant until towards evening when It commenced to Storm. I attended to Ranch irrigation. Sold hay, had Jos. Tate harrowing in South field to a finish & brought harrow in & stowed away, I bought another harness of John England for $36.00 & a Jersey Cow of Joseph Tate [p. 63] for $20.00 Paid Jas Kirk 285 for hauling lumber for Privy out from City & paid Ekenstam 6.00 for building it Paid H. Marshall 6.00 for work done in lots.

Abram & Polly arrived at ranch at 7:30 P.M. Had the horses brought in from pasture & castrated a colt.

2 May 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I turned over ranch & effects to Abram & took him, Polly & Newel out to Basin pasture & around the field with my team & buggy. Made final Ranch statement, Issued bills &c. Abram Authorized me to Collect accounts. George accompanied Newel to take the horses up canyon. Abram & Polly called on us in the evening & Bro E. J. Pearsen of Vernon called & staid all night. Not being able to get off for Mercur I furnished Prest Gowans a team & Bro. Gillespie accompanied him Sunday a.m. 6:30

Mr Shafer called from Grantsville and left bills for stables carriage sheds & machine sheds. Got trees from Nills <$20.70> Administered to Georg Bro Pehrsen. [p. 64]

3 May 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I turned over book accounts to Abram & attended afternoon meeting and spoke freely for 25 minutes. Presided at Circle & accompanied Bp Atkin & Bro Craner down to Bro Dicks & administered to both. Bp. & Bro Craner anonited [anointed] & I by request sealed the anointing I attended evening meeting. Jas. Wood Jr. made his first appearance in public since his return from a mission to England & spoke a short time.

4 May 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather pleasant but cloudy I went to S.L. City with team & running gear Made purchase of lumber, shingles & nails of Utah Lumber Co. for the amount of $96.35 & Paid Romney for former bill of $13.70 Load my team, my wagon & put my horses in stable at lumber yard & went down to Stephens where I staid all night.

5 May 1896 • Tuesday

Sugar House Weather Stormy looking. Rained steady from 1 to 5 P.M. Stephen Jr. Took me up town with horse & buggy so that I left town at 6:30 A.M. [p. 65] Was out in all the storm heavily loaded & reached home at 6:45 P.M.

6 May 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather stormy snowed. I worked on lot preparing for irrigating Attended Water Co. Board meeting, Went up to Follick’s mill & down to millton mill & bought 1500 feet of scantling at 1 latter place for $17.00 per M. Alice accompanied me. Went down to Bp. Atkins & engaged his son to work for me in settlement of account owing me. Got John Gillispie to go in my stead with McBride & Shields as Ry Committee to learn for what right of way way he had. Did my evening writing & retired at 10:10. Lucena had an accident & bit her lip badly.

7 May 1896 • Thursday

Carpenters commenced on

Tooele Weather unsettled, some rain. I hauled two loads of lumber up from saw mill at Millton & unloaded same. Alice & I called on Newel & wife in the late evening.

8 May 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather stormy. Rained hard in the morning. I hauled brush out into street, took posts & wire over to the field and [p. 66] brought hay back. Started for S.L. City with team for lumber at 11:30 A.M. & arrived there at 5 P.M. Attended to some business and loaded my lumber & shingles. Left my team at lumber yard and went over to Abram’s where I staid all night. Rained during the night.

9 May 1896 • Saturday

At Abrams.

SL City Raining when I got up at 4:30 A.M. I made my team ready & left the City at 5:30 A.M. in a rain storm. It continued to rain & snow until about 7:30. I took dinner & fed my team at Spencers 2 hrs. Continued my home ward trip. My Son Geo. met me 8 miles from home with Jos. Tate’s team & helped me home. Arrived at 6:40 P.M. Carpenters had gone home to Grantsville Having no shelter for my animals they staid out in the Storm all night.

10 May 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Raining & snowing until about noon. The ground must be thoroughly wet. favorable for dry farms. I have 65 A lucern & 85 A. grain exposed to all this wet and blessing. 20 A of the lucern & 65 acres of wheat out on shares.

I attended School at Tooele & offered the opening prayr. After school gave blessing to Lewis [p. 67] John Bowen. My Son Geo. scribe. Wrote up my Journal from 6th to date. Wrote to Mother Attended Sacramental meeting & Prayr Circle & was mouth in consecrating the oil. Stormed again in the afternoon.

11 May 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather Stormy.

I brought some hay from field and did other work at 12:40 started to S.L. City with 4 horses arrived there at 5:40 P.M. & loaded up & staid at Abram’s over night.

12 May 1896 • Tuesday

S L City Got up at 4:40 A.M. & it was raining then & continued to rain for several hours. I got started home with load of lumber & four horse team at 6 A.M. Took dinner at Spencers. Bought a cow & calf of David Powell for $30.00 & hauled the Calf & lead the Cow home. Had six men at work on my stable wagon sheds & yard.

13 May 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather stormy towards evening. I took Posts over to field & set Frank Atkin at work fincing [fencing], took black mare to shop & got shoed, hauled a load of hay from Abram’s ranch. Did some fencing at field moved lumber & put carriages [p. 68] in shed for first time. worked steady from 5 4:40 a.m.to 9 P.M.

14 May 1896 • Thursday

<May 14th is My Wife’s birth Day>1

Tooele Weather pleasant here 3 in of snow fell at S L City.

Legrand & I went to Salt Lake with team & wagon to buy implements. Bought Gang plow, hand plow, harrow &c. Put up team at Tithing yard & staid at night at Stephens

15 May 1896 • Friday

S.L. City Weather clowdy.

I finished my business in S.L.C. & left for home at 12:30 arrived home at 8 P.M. Found all well at home.

16 May 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weathe[r] pleasant.

I finished fencing over to field. Castrated my yearling horse. Did some work at my stables & put locks on doors in house in the evening.

17 May 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather cold.

I shaved, bathed, attended meeting & by request offerred a motion in regard to collecting for Faunt, Dedicated the Faunt, Prayed at the alter in Circle attended [p. 69] evening meeting, James Wood talked. wrote six letters.

18 May 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather warm.

I took team & went over to Scribner’s & got Madam Mare & worked her home. Paid off all work hands except Shaffer who has yet a couple of days work to do. Cleaned up about the yards &c. Did some writing in the evening.

19 May 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather Stormy all the forenoon, fine in afternoon. I hitched up Madam Mare for the 2nd time, took posts over to ranch, took yard cleanings over to my field & made some repairs on the road & brought load straw back. I got saw sharpened, got small singletree made, & harness hooks for stable. cleaned up yards, trimmed trees, did some plowing in garden. Apostle Lyman sent for me & I went down. He took me in his buggy & looked over ground for Ry Depot, Did my usual writing in the evening.

I attended Baptisms at Faunt 1st time used. Lewellen Dunn was first baptized & B L Bowen did the baptiszing. [p. 70] I confirmed Sister Follick Rhodebach. I gave the instructions to Candidates also had a talk with several young men who had come to receive baptism & they concluded to wait & show if possible meat fruits for repentance. These young men were Herbert & Harry Vowles, Bert Lee, Jack Whitehead, Ed. Hansen. Administered to Nerva.

20 May 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant. I drove Paddy & Bay Mare down to Millton & got 14 R. Combination fence & about 600 or 700 feet lumber for pig pen. Put up combination fence. Had Mr Shafer at work on gates & pig pens. Nerva is sick with we think measles.

21 May 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather hazy, some rain. I finished fence at bottom of lot. Bought a black horse Nig2 from Jos. Tate for $20.00 & went to the field & Commenced plowing with Gang plow & 4 horses abreast. After regulating the plow it worked well. Left the field at 7 P.M. Called & saw the surveyors at Abram’s Ranch Did the Chores & ate supper wrote in Journal & retired at 10 P.M. [p. 71]

22 May 1896 • Friday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I did some work leveling up & then went to Field & plowed with gang plow. The boys took cows over to field, cleaned out cistern & burned off sages.

Nerva is very sick with measles.

I administered to her in the evening.

23 May 1896 • Saturday

Tooele Weather fine.

I plowed in forenoon & in Afternoon went to Vernon 32 miles south from here. Chas. Gowans Accompanied me & Prest Gowans & Prest C. L. Anderson went to gather [together] I went by Scribner’s & left my Madam mare there. Arrived at Vernon at 8:30 P.M. & attended a Priesthood meeting & was an important factor in bringing about a reconsiliation in the Bishoprick.

Staid at Bro E. J. Pehrson’s & got to bed at 2 A.M the meeting having adjourned at about 1:30.

24 May 1896 • Sunday

Vernon Weather fine.

I attended School & Meeting, Spoke at each & returned home in evening The other brethren staid over night. [p. 72]

25 May 1896 • Monday

Tooele Weather fine.

I took surveyors out to locate Depot grounds Hauled 240 bu. of wheat to Mill. Put swinging stalls in stable & did other fixing up worked until a late hour. Wrote to Nerva & Fred.

26 May 1896 • Tuesday

Tooele Weather fine.

I plowed all day.

Apostle Lyman called to See me. Said I had been suggested for Prest of one of the Stakes of Zion but He & my Father did not want to let me go from here. Nerva is better.

27 May 1896 • Wednesday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I plowed all day & while at field, made a gate. In the evening I accompanied Prest. Gowans down to Dicks & administered to Sister Dick. Mailed my N.A.S.L & B. Co. Stock Certificate to U C & S. Bk for them to forward for withdrawal. Withdrawal value $418.59.

Wrote to Mother & mailed check to her 7.50 int. from J B Bowden. [p. 73]

28 May 1896 • Thursday

Tooele Weather pleasant.

I administered to J. C DeLaMare’s baby. & plowed all day at field. Letter from Nerva about horses.

29 May 1896 • Friday

Tooele Clowdey in Morning. Some rain in morning & rained all the afternoon. I plowed in forenoon & in the afternon shaved & attended the funeral of J. C. DeLaMares baby & spoke & Dedicated the Grave. Did some writing &c.

30 May 1896 • Saturday

Decoration Day.

Tooele Weather Stormy. Rained all the forenoon & was fine in the after-noon. I did some indoor work while it stormed hardest & worked in the garden among the Strawberry plants Took children in carriage to gather flowers & took Mama & some of the children up to the semetery. Plowed north side walk to weed & level. Georgie & Legrand commenced to complain & no doubt are commencing with measles. Ruby is quite advanced with it & Nerva is recovered. Hyrum Lee came over [p. 74] from Mercur & spent the evening here with Estella.

31 May 1896 • Sunday

Tooele Weather fine.

The three boys & Ruby sick with measles.

I did the chores & bathed & did some writing Attended meeting & spoke freely upon 1st Princeples for 35 minutes.

Attended Circle & after Circle accompanied Prest. Gowans & Prof. Beesley down to Parks & administered to Ellen Park.

Prest Gowans came up & assisted me in administering to Ruby. I administered to Geo.

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May 1896, George F. Richards, accessed November 18, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/george-f-richards/1890s/1896/1896-05

Footnotes

  1. [1]This was written vertically in the left margin next to the 14 and 15 May entries.

  2. [2]This name was a shortened version of a racial slur that was commonly employed by white Americans by the nineteenth century to refer derogatorily to people of African descent. Black Americans strongly objected to the use of the term. The Church Historian’s Press also condemns the use of this word but retains it in document transcripts to accurately present the historical record and to illuminate the oppressive racial landscape faced by Black Americans. Church leaders today have asked Latter-day Saints to “lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice,” which includes rejecting racist language. (Hosea Easton, A Treatise on the Intellectual Character, and Civil and Political Condition of the Colored People of the U. States; and the Prejudice Exercised towards Them: With a Sermon on the Duty of the Church to Them [Boston: Isaac Knapp, 1837], 40–41; Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Ensign, Nov. 2020, 94.)