Tuesday, Oct. 1st, 1889.

My son Abraham drove with me to the Hot Springs this morning. The First Presidency were at the office and we attended to various items of business. In the forenoon, Presidents Woodruff, Smith and myself met in the upper chamber and conversed about filling the vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. President Wood-ruff asked what course we should take about this. I suggested that after lunch we get together and clothe ourselves in our robes and offer prayer, and seek unto the Lord for His mind about it. This met with the feelings of himself and Brother Smith, and we arranged to do so. In the meantime, Brother Lorenzo Snow came in, and as he is President of the Twelve it was thought well to invite him to join us. We met together, clothed ourselves, Brother Jos. F. Smith offering prayer, and myself being mouth in the circle. Afterwards we undressed, as the room was cold, and put on our regular clothes. After careful examination of a list of names that have been mentioned by the Twelve, there was one name upon which all the Twelve had united, and we were united upon it, and that was Anthon H. Lund. We decided therefore, by vote, that he should be selected to fill one of the vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. Another name had been mentioned—Abraham H. Cannon—concerning which there was some conversation. President Woodruff’s mind, however, seemed very clear about that and the other brethren were clear also concerning it, and it was voted that he should be ordained an Apostle, to fill one of the vacancies in the Quorum. Brother Lorenzo Snow withdrew two names that he had presented previously and substituted two other names—Mariner W. Merrill and William Budge—in their stead, and in doing so said that Brother Franklin D. Richards, with whom he had conversed, was also in favor of these two latter names being considered. After considerable conversation, one of them was selected—Brother M. W. Merrill—and we voted also that he should be ordained to fill one of the vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. We congratulated each other that we had not waited on the Lord in vain; for the Spirit of God bore testimony to us that these were the men whom He had chosen. I felt that a great load had been taken off my mind; for I have been exceedingly desirous to know the mind of the Lord regarding these appointments. I can truthfully say that the Lord revealed to me that these were proper men to be chosen, and if I had had my own choice these would have been the men whom I would have selected. I felt to praise the Lord, as we all did; to think that the Lord had condescended to reveal himself so plainly to us. Whether these names will be acceptable to the Twelve or not, remains to be seen; but we four were of one heart concerning them.

I have felt much embarrassed about my son Abraham being named, and while I have been impressed myself that he was the man, I have carefully refrained from saying a word to anyone upon the subject. When his name was first mentioned by Brother Brigham Young, in the presence of Brother Lorenzo Snow, I said he had responsibility enough in his position present office, and not to mention him. When some of the brethren of the Twelve, however, presented his name in their lists, I said nothing. I have been very careful not to say a word that would indicate that I had any wish in that direction; for I have besought the Lord a number of times not to permit his name to come forward unless it was His will that he should be chosen; and when we met today and his name was brought forward, I told the brethren that it would only be on the ground that it was the mind and will of the Lord that he should be selected that I could consent to him being chosen. Of course, they felt that they did not want anyone, either, whom the Lord did not point out and sustain by the testimony of His Spirit.

I drove home this evening.

Wednesday, Oct. 2nd, 1889.

I went to the Hot Springs, accompanied by Brother Wilcken. At 10 o’clock the First Presidency met with the Twelve, there being present: Lor. Snow, F. D. Richards, B. Young, F. M. Lyman, J. H. Smith, H. J. Grant, and J. W. Taylor. Brother Moses Thatcher was absent, he having telegraphed that he would come down tomorrow. The forenoon was occupied in discussing the case of a man named Jesperson, whose plural wife had been brought before the grand jury and had told all about their marriage in the Endowment House, by a person who was concealed, whom she did not see nor know, and whose voice only she heard. We then adjourned till 2 o’clock. At 2 we came together and clothed ourselves in our robes, and had prayer, Brother B. Young praying and Brother F. M. Lyman being mouth in the circle. We then changed our clothes. President Woodruff opened the business of the meeting by stating that he had received names from all the brethren excepting Brother Moses Thatcher; that he had telegraphed for him to come, but he was not here, and he had not met with us on Thursday since the arrangement had been made for us to have a meeting on every Thursday. He regretted that he was not present today. He then stated that after the names had been given to him he had met with his counselors, and we had made the matter a subject of prayer and had received the testimony of the Spirit concerning the names of those who should be selected for that position. He then told who they were and called on the brethren to speak and express their feelings. Everyone present spoke, acquiescing in the nominations, though several said they had not thought about Brother Merrill, but they were quite warm in their expressions concerning his character, excepting Brother Heber J. Grant, who spoke very plainly respecting him; he thought the man he had named was a much superior man in every way. The testimony, however, of all, from Brother Snow down, as well as Brother Jos. F. Smith and myself, was to the effect that he was an exceptionally strong man. Brother Grant afterwards seemed to yield in his feelings. The fact is, he had set his mind on the person whom he had named, who was not appointed, and was greatly upset in being disappointed. He evidently had fully counted on his receiving the appointment, for he confessed afterwards to some of the Twelve that he must not tell his wife that he had been sat down upon, as he had told her that Brother [blank] would be made one of the Twelve. This was afterwards spoken plainly upon by President Woodruff as a wrong for any man to communicate to his wife or anyone else that which took place in the Council. A motion was made by Brother Jos. F. Smith that the three persons named should be ordained to fill the vacancies now existing in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This was seconded by Brother Lorenzo Snow. But Brother Grant spoke in favor of taking no action upon this matter until Brother Thatcher should be here. It was known by some of the brethren that Brother Thatcher had had feelings against one of the brethren named, and whether he still retained them or not, no one seemed to be clear upon, though the general impression was that he was not favorable to him now. However, Brother Grant said that even if he was not favorable, that he did not think any man should be put aside because one or even two men in the Quorum should not be in favor of him. The brethren all accepted the nomination as from the Lord. I made a personal explanation which I thought necessary to the brethren concerning my non-action in the case of my son Abraham. There was a very good spirit in the Council, and Brother Grant seemed to be convinced that it was right that Brother Merrill should be appointed. He spoke warmly of the other two; he did not know concerning Bro. Merrill, as he had never been much acquainted with him. An effort was made to obtain Brother Thatcher, as it was thought he had come in on the afternoon train, but it was unsuccessful. After we adjourned I met him and found that he had arrived on the train, but did not get up until we had adjourned.

I went down home in the evening.

Thursday, Oct. 3rd, 1889.

I went to the Hot Springs this morning, accompanied by Brother Wilcken.

At 9 o’clock Brother Grant brought a vehicle in which President Woodruff and myself and a number of the Twelve were driven to the Fair. We spent two or three hours there.

We administered to Sister Julia Young Burton, who, with her husband, is going to England to be treated and probably operated upon for a tumor. She and her husband were both blessed, Brother Jos. F. Smith being mouth in pronouncing the blessing upon her, and I being mouth in pronouncing the blessing upon Brother Burton. We also administered to her mother—Susan S. Young—for her health.

At two o’clock we met, Brother Thatcher being present as well as all who were present yesterday. We clothed ourselves and prayed in the circle. Brother John W. Young opened by prayer, and Brother Lorenzo Snow was mouth in the circle. After we changed our clothes, President Woodruff stated to the brethren who were not present yesterday—Brothers M. Thatcher and J. W. Young—the proceedings of yesterday, and that we had deferred voting until all could be present. Brother Thatcher said he had been informed of the nominations by some of the brethren, and as it was the mind and will of the Lord, through President Woodruff, he would accept them. Before, however, a vote was put, he spoke concerning the difficulties he had had with Brother Merrill in former times and made some explanation regarding it; but it was a transaction that occurred some years ago. Then a vote was taken and all voted unanimously.

I drove home. Brother Geo. Farnworth and wife and some of his family went down to my place as guests during conference.

Friday, Oct. 4th, 1889.

Brother Wilcken accompanied me to the Hot Springs. I returned and met with the saints in General Conference, at 10 o’clock.

President Woodruff desired me to open the Conference and give out the hymns.

Brother Lorenzo Snow opened by prayer.

President Woodruff made some opening remarks.

He was followed by Elders John W. Taylor, Jacob Gates and C. W. Penrose.

We met again at 2 o’clock.

Elders Heber J. Grant, Abraham H. Cannon, F. M. Lyman and John Morgan were the speakers.

I drove home in the evening.

Saturday, Oct. 5th, 1889.

I went to the Hot Springs, accompanied by Brother C. H. Wilcken. Met in Conference at 10 o’clock. There was a very good attendance of the saints[.] The speakers were: Moses Thatcher, Seymour B. Young and B. H. Roberts.

After the forenoon meeting we had a meeting at the Gardo House, but the parties that we had appointed to meet with us did not come.

We afterwards had a council with the two attorneys, F. S. Richards and LeGrand Young, over the Jesperson case.

Attended conference at 2 o’clock.

Brothers Lorenzo Snow, Orson F. Whitney and John Henry Smith were the speakers.

In the evening we met at 7:30.

President Woodruff and myself occupied the time.

My eye troubled me considerably through the glare of the light, and I did not speak with the pleasure that I usually do.

Brother Brigham Young took me home after the meeting.

Sunday, Oct. 6th, 1889.

I lay tossing a good deal in the night. Every time I awoke I thought about tomorrow and the probability of my having to address the congregation, as I fully expected President Woodruff would call upon me. I never had such a sense of physical disability as I had in thinking about having to address so large a congregation as I knew would be present, and I prayed most earnestly to the Lord to come to my help. Every time I awoke I found myself praying for help.

Brother Wilcken came down for me this morning and took me to town.

President Woodruff made some opening remarks to the conference, and then requested that I present the authorities. After presenting the nine of the Twelve who were already ordained, he arose and made some explanations concerning the selection of three to fill the vacancies. His remarks are as follows:

“I wish to say to this assembly of Latter-day Saints that there are three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in consequence of the organization of the First Presidency. We have felt that it is time to fill that quorum now, at this conference, and the people should be prepared for the presenting by the Twelve Apostles of such names as they may feel by the Spirit of God to be worthy and proper persons to receive this ordination or to occupy this position. These Apostles are Prophets, Seers and Revelators. I have confidence in them; I believe they have power to present such things as would be in accordance with the will of God. They (the Apostles) presented to me a list of names. I wish here to say, and I want it understood, that neither myself, President George Q. Cannon nor President Joseph F. Smith, who are my counselors, presented any of these names. We left it with the Quorum of the Apostles. I became thoroughly satisfied that they had upon that list such names as would be acceptable unto the Lord. We took these names and made it a matter of prayer, and the Spirit of the Lord manifested unto me those whom we should appoint. They have all been accepted by the Quorum of the Apostles as well as the Presidency of the Church. I have a reason for making these remarks.”

I desired that there should be a personal explanation made, either by him or myself or someone else, so that there might be no room for the adversary to take advantage and say concerning Abraham’s appointment that we were favoring one another and putting one another’s sons in office. I thought it was due to the people, as well as to our Council and to myself and Abraham, that such an explanation should be made.

The three were unanimously sustained by the entire people.

After the authorities had been presented, President Woodruff called upon me to address the congregation, which I did for about an hour. It is seldom in my life that I felt more of the Spirit and power of the Lord than I did on this occasion. The Lord heard my prayer, and I thank Him with all my heart for His goodness to me. Brother Lorenzo Snow remarked afterwards that he had heard me speak many times by the power of God, but he never had heard me speak with more of it than I had that morning.

In the afternoon the sacrament was administered, and Bishop Preston, President Woodruff, Jesse N. Smith and John T. Caine addressed the congregation. President Woodruff’s remarks were excellent.

The Conference was adjourned until next April.

As there was such a crowd of people, the Assembly Hall was opened in the afternoon and it was filled; besides which the space in front of both buildings was filled with people. There probably never have been so many people at a conference in Salt Lake as there have been at this. A number of the brethren made short addresses to the saints in the Assembly Hall, and they enjoyed a good spirit, so I was informed. There was a meeting in the interest of the Sunday Schools appointed for this evening; but I felt that it would not be prudent for me to stay, as I was not feeling in the best of health and my labors have been very fatiguing.

Brothers Silas S. Smith and Jesse N. Smith accompanied me home, and we spent the evening together in conversation.

Monday, Oct. 7th, 1889.

I went to the Hot Springs this morning, being taken there by my son Abraham.

I received a dispatch from Brother M. W. Merrill, informing me that he was quite unwell, but he came down yesterday afternoon and attended, with the rest of the Twelve and the First Presidency, a meeting in the Tabernacle of the Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, the High Councilors, the Bishops and their Counselors, the Presiding Bishopric and the Seven Presidents of Seventies.

After this meeting, which was a very spirited one, was dismissed, the Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors were requested to remain with the Seven Presidents of Seventies and the Presiding Bishops, and some political business was attended to. We got through a little after two o’clock.

Among the remarks which were made today by the brethren were some by Brother F. M. Lyman concerning the false doctrines and views that were circulated among the people. He made some very plain and pointed comments upon ideas that have been in circulation concerning some great event that was going to take place in 1891; that some personage was going to be resurrected to lead the people out from bondage. He went on and reasoned upon it, and said that the Lord had always chosen mortal men, and not resurrected beings, to do His work on the earth, and He would in that instance. As Brother Thatcher is the author of this doctrine, and he was present, it made quite a quiet sensation among the brethren; and coming from Brother Lyman I felt that it was probably better than from anyone else, because of their past relations. At 3 o’clock the First Presidency and the Twelve met for the purpose of ordaining the three new members of the Twelve. President Woodruff requested me to give them their charge, which I did in the following language:¹

CHARGE

given by

PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON

to the newly-appointed Apostles, Mariner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund and Abraham H. Cannon, at the Gardo House, Salt Lake City, Monday afternoon, October 7th, 1889.

A passage in the History of Joseph occurred to me this morning, and I have procured the volume containing it. After the ordination of the Twelve Apostles, the Prophet Joseph proposed this question:

“What importance is there attached to the calling of these Twelve Apostles, different from the other callings or officers of the Church?

“After the question was discussed by Counselors Patten, Young, Smith, and McLellin, President Joseph Smith, jun., gave the following decision: -

“They are the Twelve Apostles, who are called to the office of Traveling High Council, who are to preside over all the Churches of the Saints, among the Gentiles, where there is a Presidency established; and they are to travel and preach among the Gentiles, until the Lord shall command them to go to the Jews. They are to hold the keys of this ministry, to unlock the door of the kingdom of heaven unto all nations, and to preach the Gospel to every creature. This is the power, authority, and virtue of their Apostleships.”

This was the decision of the Prophet of God after the question had been fully discussed; and I do not know that, with all the experience that we have had since that time (this was in 1835), there can be anything added to this decision of the Prophet concerning the calling of the Twelve Apostles. It comprehends, as I understand, the range of their entire duties, and the extent of the power and authority which God has given unto them.

You brethren who are now called to this holy calling should understand that it will require your life’s labor to fill this calling properly. If you labor in this calling with all the energy of your souls and all the strength that God has given you, both of mind and body, you will not find that you come up to the range of its power or to the extent of its duties. God, in calling you to this holy calling, requires devotion on your part to all its duties. They should be paramount with you. Nothing should ever be allowed to enter your hearts to make the duties of your position secondary to it. They should stand first and foremost in your feelings. Your duties to your wives and to your children, or any other duties that are of a sacred character, are subordinate to the duties that you owe to your God as Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ; and in taking upon you this calling and this ministry, you should do so with this understanding. You will find it necessary, no doubt, to pay attention to worldly matters, for the sustenance of yourselves and your families; but you should not allow your thoughts to be engrossed by those matters to the exclusion of those heavenly duties, heavenly thoughts and feelings which, as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and as His Apostles, you should have. And you will find it necessary, in order to have the Spirit and the power and the gifts of the calling that you are about to receive, to live near to the Lord. You will have to seek to Him in mighty prayer. For the moment you take upon you this calling, or it is placed upon you, you become, to a greater or less extent, a target for the enemy of all truth. He will seek by every means in his power to destroy your influence. It will be true of you, as it was true of the Prophet Joseph, as it was true of the Prophet Brigham, and as it has been true of all of us, to a greater or less extent—your names will be known for good or evil among all nations. You will be known among the saints for good. They will cherish your memory. They will treasure your teachings. They will look upon you almost as angels of God. They will treat you with reverence and with universal kindness. They will hang upon the words that drop from your lips. The counsels that you give will be sweet to them. On the other hand, the enemies of the Kingdom of God will hate you. They will malign you. They will cast your names out as evil. They will ascribe to you defects of character and evils that you never have dreamed of; that is, you never dreamed you could be mistaken for such men. The more zealous and faithful you are in magnifying your calling, the more likely you are to provoke wrath on the part of the enemies of our souls. Therefore, you will feel as you probably never have felt, the necessity of living near to God and invoking His power and having His guardian care, through His angels, round about you.

It should be your aim, my dear brethren, to seek constantly to have the spirit of revelation, to speak by it, to counsel by it, to not be hasty in your conclusions or in the utterance of counsel, but to know for yourselves that this is the mind and will of God which you give to the people. It is your privilege to have revelation from God. It is your privilege to know the voice of God. It is your privilege to hear the voice of God; to be talked to as one man talks to another; not Himself personally perhaps, not His Son Jesus Christ (although this is your privilege also); but to hear the voice of the Spirit of God as one man hears the voice of another man. This is your privilege, as well as the higher privilege of beholding the face of the Lord Jesus and being ministered unto by Him. This is the privilege of every Apostle; and if we live up to the full power of our calling, and that which God designs for us, we will have these blessings given to us. The heavens will be opened to us, and visions and manifestations of the Spirit will be given in great plainness to us, or to you; so that in every extremity, no matter where you may be, or in whatever circumstances you may be placed, whether in prison or out of prison, whether abroad or at home, on the land or on the sea, you may know the mind and will of God concerning you, and concerning those with whom you may be associated and to whom you give counsel and direction; that, after you have received the word of God, you may be steadfast in following it, so as not to be diverted by what men may [think?] concerning it; because it is frequently the case that the Lord reveals His mind and will to His servants in such a way that they understand it, but others may not see it, and they may raise obstacles; they may come forward and tell you that that is not a good way, and reason with you; and it requires great steadfastness and firmness on the part of the servant of God who has received the mind and will of God in that way, and who, while under the influence of the Holy Spirit, may see it with the eyes of his understanding, and yet it be so contrary to his natural judgment that he will be almost tempted to doubt the truth of the revelation that he has received—I say it requires great steadfastness and firmness on the part of a servant of God to not allow himself to be diverted from that and be swerved aside, and made to believe, by the persuasions of those in whom he may have confidence, that that is not so good a way as some other that they may suggest, which may appear best to their natural vision. Upon these points we have to be exceedingly careful, because God has called us to be leaders, not to be led. This Apostleship that God has given us is an authority that leads. It is not bestowed upon men to be led, except by the constituted authority that He places to lead. You will have, of course, to be very humble in your ministry and in all your labors; for you will find that you will be greatly flattered. The more you have of the spirit and power of God, the more likely you are to be tempted by flattery. Men and women will say things to you to flatter you and make you have a good opinion of yourselves, and you will feel probably at the time you have the outpouring of the spirit of God upon you that you have done something that is very good; and if you are not careful, at such times the adversary will take advantage of you and will lift you up in pride and in vanity, and the moment that pride takes possession of the heart, then the Spirit of God will leave you, and you will become a prey, to a certain extent, of the Evil One; and the next time probably you will find that the Spirit of God is not with you, because the Lord will not bestow blessings upon us to increase our vanity and to destroy us. It would be an injury to us to receive blessings in that way, and therefore He will withhold His Spirit and leave you probably, under such circumstances, to yourselves, that you may see your own weakness and realize that your strength is in God, and not in yourselves. Now, you will receive as Apostles all the authority, we will say, that President Woodruff has. We are equal in this respect: we are all ordained to the same office. As was said today by Brother F. M. Lyman, it is <the> right of God to call His servants to act in various callings. Here is the First Presidency—President Woodruff, Brother Joseph F. Smith and myself. We are Apostles like the rest. But God has called us to this calling. We have been upheld by the voice of the people in general conference. The voice of God, and then the voice of the general authorities of the Church and of the general conference. Our calling requires us to preside. If we live as we should do, we have the spirit of this calling and the power of it, and the gifts that belong to it. It is the duty of every member of the Twelve to listen to that authority and to the counsel of the First Presidency. Here the Lord has designated Brother Lorenzo Snow as the President of your Quorum. He stands at the head of the Council of the Apostles. Although his authority is, as I have said, the same, in one sense, as that which you will receive, still it is his right, because of his seniority and because God has designated him, to preside over your Council. Now, it is your duty to listen to his voice and counsel, and not, my brethren, go against it. You should be exceedingly careful in this respect. The mind and will of God, when it is made known to this people, will be made known through the head, and we should be willing to sit and watch the operations of the Spirit of God on this man whom God has chosen, to see how he is affected, and how the Spirit moves through him; and to sit reverently, and I may say submissively; for it does not detract from our dignity in the least to be submissive to the mind and will of God as it shall be manifested through His chosen head. You should not be rash to express your views, especially if they come in conflict with your seniors in the Priesthood, who have received the Apostleship before you, and whose experience has been much greater; for God honors those who honor His servants, and you will never gain anything, my brethren, by doing anything that is improper in this direction. Therefore, in your Council listen to the President of your Council, and endeavor to seek for the Spirit of the Lord as he possesses it, because the Spirit of God does not tell different stories. If it rests upon the President of the Council and it rests upon you, there will be a perfect agreement, and you will see eye to eye. Frequently it is the case (we have all seen it) that differences arise which are only differences of expression. I have heard views presented by different brethren, and have presented them myself, and have felt sometimes disposed to be argumentative about them, which upon cooler reflection I have seen were only differences of expression. We looked at the same thing from two different sides and took two different views of it. You remember, doubtless, the old story about the shield being silver on one side and gold on the other; how the knights quarreled about it, almost killing each other, one asserting that it was a silver shield and the other that it was a golden shield. They had looked at it from different sides. So in Council. Sometimes questions arise, and we get warmed up. We look at them from our standpoint, and we think that is the correct view. Somebody states it differently, and we imagine that there is antagonism. We have to be careful about this. There should be no controversy and no disputations among the Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We should never enter into controversy one with another. We should never argue one with another; for that is not the Spirit of God. Whenever the spirit of argument comes upon us we may know that it is not the spirit of God. Hold our peace, if we can, and let it go; and afterwards perhaps, when the heat has passed away, we can then talk about it without exciting feeling. I would warn you against this spirit and this feeling; for it is so natural to men of our composition and organization. We contend for that which we think is right, and we seem to be endowed with a great deal of firmness, in some cases almost amounting to stubbornness and obstinacy. You cannot be too humble. In saying this I do not mean to say that you should bow and bend and be subservient, and be afraid to express your views. Humility and subserviency, or anything of a sycophantish character, are very much opposed to each other. A man can be independent and yet be humble and manifest a meek and lowly spirit; and this is the spirit that Apostles, and in fact all the Priesthood of God, should always manifest.

My brethren, there might be a great deal more said, but I do not know but this is all that is necessary for me to say. I cannot charge you more concerning the sacredness of the office that you are about to receive than you yourselves probably already feel. I believe that God will not permit the blood of His Apostles to be shed in our day as it has been in former days. We have had the great pleasure of seeing a number of our brethren die natural, instead of violent, deaths. But few, considering the number and the age in which we live, have been called upon to lay down their lives for the truth. It may be that you will be tested. I know you will be. I know that God will not permit a faithful Apostle to pass through this life without, at some time or other, calling for, in his feelings, the sacrifice of his life. You may expect to be in places where, to all human appearances, your life will be taken, and you may have to lay it down. It is more than probable that you will have to make such a sacrifice in your feelings, at least; for the Lord will test you upon this point, to see whether you are full of that integrity that would sustain you in laying down your life for the truth and for the testimony of Jesus. You must, therefore, be prepared. While it may not be necessary for your blood to be shed, still you should be prepared even for that, and be willing to lay down your lives for the sake of that glory which God has in store for you; for He intends that you shall be rulers in His Kingdom, that you shall be kings, that you shall be judges, that you shall sit with your brethren and judge the nations of the earth.

I pray God, the Eternal Father, to fill you with the power, and spirit, and gifts and qualifications of this high and holy calling. And that you, with us, may be faithful to the end of your days, is my desire.

I might say, before sitting down, that you may be called to go to the nations of the earth, and you should be ready to do so at any moment. This is your calling, to go anywhere where you may be called upon to go, to travel to the ends of the earth in carrying the gospel, and also in seeing that it is carried, and in feeling interested in the salvation of the children of man. You should have this feeling constantly with you. That God may fill you with all these gifts and graces and blessings, and preserve you to the end, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.²

After this, President Woodruff spoke very excellently to them. We then proceeded to ordain them. President Woodruff was mouth in ordaining Brother Mariner W. Merrill; I was mouth in ordaining Brother Anthon H. Lund, and Brother Jos. F. Smith was mouth in ordaining Brother Abraham H. Cannon.

A number of items of doctrine and procedure were taken up and counsel was given concerning them.

I remained in town until 8 o’clock, when I attended a political meeting at the City Hall, and remained there until nearly 10 o’clock. The officers of the various clubs were present, and excellent instructions were given to them, principally by Brother F. S. Richards, who is the Chairman of the Municipal Committee. I made some remarks of an encouraging character.

Brother Brigham Young took me home in his buggy.

While we were in Council today, attending to the ordination of the brethren, my team, which was tied in front of the Gardo House, was run into. My horses ran away and ran astraddle of a telegraph pole and mashed my carriage—the victorine once owned by President Young—and ran for some distance before they were caught, after they were separated from the carriage. As the accident occurred through the carelessness of a man who worked for Studebaker Bros., I got my brother Angus to go down and see them about the matter. He took Brother Andrew Smith with him, as he saw the manner in which it was done. They promised to make all the necessary repairs.

Tuesday, Oct. 8th, 1889.

At 11 o’clock the General Board of Education met and transacted business.

At 2 o’clock Presidents Woodruff, Smith and myself, in company with Bishop H. B. Clawson, had an interview with Col. Isaac Trumbo, who has just returned from a visit to the Paris Exposition and to different parts of Europe. We had a very interesting conversation with him.

The First Presidency and Twelve then met in council with Brother Jesse N. Smith, of the Snowflake Stake; C. I. Robson, of the Maricopa Stake; Brother Gibbons, of the St. Johns Stake, and Brothers Richards and Hatch, of the Snowflake Stake, and conversed concerning the situation of affairs in Arizona. A letter had been written to Brother C. I. Robson, in answer to questions that he had propounded, respecting the course of action which they should take in that Stake, and after a number of remarks were made, it was voted that the policy set forth in that communication by the First Presidency should be the sense of the Council concerning the course to be taken.

Brother Silas S. Smith, of the San Luis Stake, Colorado, was present and gave us a report of the manner in which they managed political affairs in that Stake.

I dictated my journal to Brother Arthur Winter.

Brother Wilcken took me to my home.

I had a very interesting visit with my sister Annie in the evening.

Wednesday, Oct. 9th, 1889.

Brother Wilcken called for me and accompanied me to the Hot Springs.

At 10 o’clock I attended a meeting at the Assembly Hall of some of our principal citizens, the object being the collecting of funds for our political campaign, in view of the approaching municipal election. Seven thousand dollars were subscribed by those present, though the meeting was not a full one, a great many who were invited not being present. Speaking was done by myself, F. S. Richards, James Sharp, Heber J. Grant, Elias A. Smith, John C. Cutler, Geo. Romney, Francis Armstrong, and others.

After this the Deseret News Co. met at the Gardo House, and I was authorized to make a deed for some land which belonged to the company.

At 1 o’clock I met with the Board of the Savings Bank.

After this Brother B. Y. Hampton carried me home. From my home I walked over to my son Abraham’s, where I had been invited to meet some of his family, and my brother Angus and two wives; my sister Mary Alice and her husband, Charles Lambert; my sister Annie and her daughter-in-law, the widow of Geo. J. Woodbury, recently deceased. There were present also, two of my wives—Sarah Jane and Martha, who were invited by Abraham; my daughter Mary Alice; and afterwards my daughter Emily and sons David and Preston. We had a most excellent visit, and I enjoyed it very much. It was the first relaxation I had had for a long time. I felt that such visits ought to be more frequent. One of the faults that I find with myself is my neglect of those social amenities that go so far towards making life pleasant. I am neglectful in this respect; but it is not due to disinclination so much as it is for the want of time.

My sister Annie walked from Abraham’s to my house, and we had considerable conversation concerning her position.

Thursday, Oct. 10th, 1889.

My son Abraham carried me to the Hot Springs and back.

The First Presidency and Twelve met in session this morning at 10 o’clock. President Woodruff made some very plain and pointed remarks concerning his office and the Presiding Bishop’s Office. He felt that the power which had been exercised over financial matters by his predecessors was now concentrated in the hands of the Presiding Bishop, and he wanted to get the views of the Council concerning this. After making his remarks, he called upon me, but I begged to be excused, for reasons which I explained. I said my views were very well known, and there had been comments made regarding them, and I preferred not speaking at present. Brother Jos. F. Smith gave his views, followed by each one of the members of the Quorum, in the following order: Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Anthon H. Lund, Abraham H. Cannon. Brother Thatcher was not present, having been called home by sickness of a grandchild. Each one expressed his views with great freedom. After they had all talked, I arose and made clear some points as I understood them, which did not seem to be understood, in relation to the position of affairs. Some of the brethren had taken the ground that the Bishop should be the Treasurer. I told them that in the revelations on the United Order this was the case; but in other revelations there was nothing of this kind said that I could recollect and while there was nothing written to show that the Trustee-in-Trust or the President of the Church should hold all the funds in his own hands, still this had been the unbroken tradition from the beginning of the Church to the death of President Taylor. The President of the Church had handled the funds. I made a great many remarks upon the present situation. The Presiding Bishop could spend money without any check in making any improvements he pleased, without having to call upon the President of the Church; while the President of the Church could not spend a dollar without calling upon the Bishop. I thought this was all wrong. I said, suppose, as will doubtless be the case, the Church should have large quantities of funds, if these are held by the Bishop and under his control, though he may be under the direction of the President, nevertheless there would naturally grow up around him and his office a great deal of influence which I felt belonged rightfully to the President of the Church. Said I, suppose we had half a million dollars banked in the name of Bishop Preston, would not this give him great influence, and take from the President of the Church that which we feel rightfully belongs to him?

I had a good deal of the Spirit in talking in this strain; but some of the brethren thought that it would not lessen President Woodruff’s influence for Bishop Preston to have the cash of the Church in his hands. Of course, I differed in this, but I said I was not disposed to contend. I merely stated my views. I did not wish to reflect upon the Bishop Preston or his conduct in the least; but I drew the contrast in order that it might be made plain. I was clear in my mind that the President should hold the purse-strings and have the money in his hands. This had given President Joseph Smith power; it had given President Brigham Young and President Taylor power. However, I was ready to accept whatever the Lord signified as His mind upon this subject.

There was an excellent feeling in the meeting. After we got through with this subject, the propriety of starting the erection of a college and a hotel, and other buildings, in order to give employment to our young p own people in the city that we might have votes at the municipal election, was considered and the matter, on my motion, was referred to the Quorum of the Twelve, as a committee of the whole, to consider the best plan to take.

At 4 o’clock I attended a meeting of the Board of Directors of Z.C.M.I.³

Friday, Oct. 11th, 1889.

I came up this morning, in company with Brother Wilcken, from my place in West Jordan Ward, where I went last night to stop. I called at my home on the river as I came by, and then drove to the Gardo House. I attended to some business, and from there went to the residency of the late William Jennings, to attend the funeral of his daughter Emma, recently married to Brother J. E. Carlisle. The family were quite desirous that I should attend the funeral, but I could give them no definite promise, as I expected to be out of town. I told them, however, I would try and get back in time. Brothers O. F. Whitney and John Henry Smith spoke, and I followed. Bishop Kesler also made some remarks. Her death was very sudden. She had been confined and delivered of a fine child, and everyone felt exceedingly pleased; but she died very unexpectedly, through failure of the heart. It is almost a miracle that she has lived as long as she has; for she has been very seriously affected with St. Vitus’ dance and bleeding at the nose for a great many years. Upon my return I had an interview, in company with President Woodruff, with Col. Isaac Trumbo and Bishop Clawson in talking over our affairs here and the steps necessary to be taken in connection with our defense.

After this, President Woodruff and myself had an interview with Mayor Armstrong and the following members of the City Council: James Sharp, John Clark, J. Fewson Smith, Geo. D. Pyper, T. G. Webber and A. W. Carlson; also Recorder H. M. Wells, City Attorney F. S. Richards, and Apostles John Henry Smith, Heber J. Grant and A. H. Cannon. The question of the reincorporation of the city was considered and of taking a census. Both propositions were decided in the negative. It was decided to proceed to erect a joint building for the City and County as early as practicable.

I drove down home.

Saturday, Oct. 12th, 1889.

Brother Wilcken accompanied me to the Hot Springs. I returned to the Gardo House, and had an interview shortly afterwards with Senators Morgan, of Alabama, and Turpie, of Indiana, who called upon me, they said, to pay their respects to me, and not from any idle curiosity. Senator Morgan is an old acquaintance of mine, and though well acquainted with him I was surprised at the manner in which he explained our doctrines and position concerning the Bible to Senator Turpie. It was done in a very comprehensive manner and in very few words. Brother Penrose, who was present, was also struck with the clearness with which he stated our views. We had quite a lengthy conversation with them, and before they left I asked them if they would have any objection to my introducing several of my friends to them who were in the house. They said, no; they would be glad to see them. I brought Brothers John Henry Smith, Heber J. Grant, my son Abraham, John W. Young and F. S. Richards. The Senators had some conversation with them and then withdrew, an arrangement having been made to show them some of our little folks tomorrow. I was sorry that I had to leave and expressed my regrets to them; but I could not do more for them, as I had an engagement to leave by the afternoon train. It had been arranged for the Utah Central to stop on the street leading down to my place, for President Woodruff and myself to get aboard. While waiting there, the senatorial train passed, carrying the party down to Utah Valley. When we reached Provo, Brothers John T. Caine and W. W. Riter came aboard our train and told us that Senator Morgan and others were desirous to see President Woodruff. We were in a special car which had been furnished us to take us to Deseret. As it was a little more convenient for us to go on to their train than for them to come on ours, we went to their train and was pressed to eat supper, which we did. Senator Morgan, Senator Turpie, a Mr. Reed, and Mrs. Davis, the wife of Senator Davis, of Minnesota, were at the table, also Brother John T. Caine. Mrs. Davis is a very beautiful woman and we had considerable conversation with her. She seems greatly interested in Utah affairs and spoke very frankly about the wrongs that were existing here. They detained our train one hour on purpose for this interview.

My wife Sarah Jane’s mother and her sister—Sister Jane S. Richards—accompanied us to Payson, where they got out.

Sunday, October 13th, 1889.

We reached Deseret about one o’clock, but we had all gone to bed and slept very soundly. Our party consisted of President Woodruff, my son Abraham, Brothers Jesse W. Fox, C. H. Wilcken, Alfred Solomon, B. Y. Hampton, Samuel Bateman, Owen Woodruff and myself.

In the morning, teams came down to the train and took us up to Brother Wm. Black’s; the Bishop, his brother, had a few days ago been sentenced to the penitentiary for 75 days.

At ten o’clock we met with the saints in the meeting house. The house was crowded, a much larger congregation than one would suppose could be gathered in looking at the sparsely settled place. President Woodruff called upon me to speak, which I did, but I did not have anything like my usual freedom and only spoke some 20 minutes. He then called on my son Abraham and Brother Jesse W. Fox. In the afternoon President Woodruff spoke, and I was called upon to follow, and I enjoyed a goodly outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord and spoke with great freedom and power. Brothers Bateman, Solomon and Wilcken spoke afterwards.

Monday, Oct. 14th, 1889.

This morning, before daylight, Brothers Solomon, Bateman, Owen Woodruff and my son Abraham went to some lakes for the purpose of hunting wild water fowl. After breakfast, President Woodruff, Brothers Black, Jesse W. Fox, C. H. Wilcken, B. Y. Hampton and myself went to the look at the place selected for a reservoir, and from thence traveled over the land that we had taken up under the Desert Entry act. We traveled along the proposed site of the canal and found most excellent soil and everything apparently favorable for a beautiful settlement, if water can be obtained, as no doubt it can be if the reservoir system should be a success. From this place we traveled without road to a ranch of Bp. Black’s near the lakes where the brethren had gone to hunt. We heard of them from there, but did not see them. We returned to Brother Black’s at Deseret, and they came in shortly afterwards, having, among them, killed 23 ducks. Brother Solomon had killed the most, my son Abraham the next.

We had a meeting this evening with the directors of the Deseret Irrigation Company, in order to arrange terms upon which our company (of which my son Abraham is president and which is called the Salt Lake and Deseret Canal Company) might have joint ownership of the reservoir. A proposition was made by the other company that we should build the dam and raise the levee and do all that was necessary to preserve the water and give them one-third of the water kept in the reservoir for their rights in the site and for former expenditures. This proposition was viewed in a rather favorable light by the Salt Lake Company.

Tuesday, Oct. 15th, 1889.

My son Abraham returned to the city last evening. President Woodruff and the other brethren desired to stay another day and hunt ducks and geese. I went down with them, but did not take any gun nor go out shooting. I spent the time at the ranch. 17 ducks were shot this day. President Woodruff shot four birds, but they turned out to be mud hens.

As I did not feel very well, I returned to Deseret between three and four o’clock. President Woodruff desired to go to some lakes at a distance and did not get in until after dark. He was accompanied by Brothers Bateman, Solomon and his son Owen. They had not shot anything, however.

Wednesday, Oct. 18th, 1889.

We drove last night to our car, which was kept waiting at the station, and went to bed. Had a good night’s rest. The train was at Santaquin when I got up. At Provo we got breakfast and reached the city about ten o’clock.

President Woodruff got off the train near his home.

I met with the directors of the Literary and Scientific Association at ten o’clock. Attended to business, and then met with one of the committees of the Municipal Central Committee, the members of which had been appointed to look after electors, which means the securing of voters. I made an appointment to meet with them and Mayor Armstrong, Street Supervisor Charles Livingston, and David James, who has the contract for building the sewer, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. At that hour they met with us and we had quite a lengthy conversation concerning the employment of men in the city.

We had a bank meeting at one o’clock.

At two o’clock there was a meeting of the Literary and Scientific Association in the Assembly Hall, at which I presided; considerable business was attended to and the old officers were re-elected for the next four years. They were, myself, Brothers Moses Thatcher, Aurelius Miner, F. S. Richards, James Jack, Don Carlos Young and John Q. Cannon. After the meeting of the stockholders, the directors met and I was elected President, Brother Thatcher vice President, John Q. Cannon Secretary, and James Jack, Treasurer.

We had a call from Bp. Wm. H. Maughan and Brother Charles H. Hall, who had been released from the penitentiary, having been pardoned by the President.

I drove home in the evening.

Thursday, Oct. 17th, 1889.

Brother Wilcken and myself went to the Hot Springs.

At ten o’clock we had another meeting with Mayor Armstrong, John W. Young, C. W. Penrose, W. H. Rowe, and Frank Jennings. There were also Heber J. Grant and A. H. Cannon, of the Twelve. We transacted considerable business, and it was arranged for one hundred men to be employed at the rock quarry of Brother John W. Young.

I dictated a letter to Brother Winter addressed to Brother Jos. H. Dean of the Samoan Islands.

We had another meeting, which occupied nearly all the afternoon, with a large number of brethren, members of the City Council and others, in relation to the business that we had had under consideration in the morning.

In the evening I drove home.

Friday, Oct. 18th, 1889.

Brother Wilcken accompanied me to the Hot Springs.

We had a large meeting this morning which occupied until about two o’clock. The meeting was composed of President Woodruff and myself, with a number of the Twelve, City Councilors, the committee on electors, and Elias A. Smith. It was decided for the county to expend fifty thousand dollars in improvements on the city, and the city one hundred thousand. Other business was attended to also.

It was decided by President Woodruff and Elders Young, Lyman, Grant, A. H. Cannon[,] J. W. Young and myself to take down the Endowment House.

A number of letters were read and I dictated answers to them.

Saturday, Oct. 19th, 1889.

Went to the Hot Springs this morning. I did not go down home last night. I therefore got to the office early and went to work at my correspondence and other matters, in order that I might be prepared to take a trip to Canada with President Woodruff on Monday morning, for the purpose of visiting our settlement in Alberta.

I have been full of business today. Attended to various matters. Dictated my journal to Brother Winter, listened to the transcript of a sermon which he read to me, which was reported by Brother Geo. F. Gibbs; also listened to public correspondence and dictated answers thereto.

Brother John W. Young has arranged for a special train to take President Woodruff and wife, my wife Carlie, Brother Jos. F. Smith and Brigham Young to Pocatello. I propose to go by the regular train, so that I shall not expose myself to attack through being in company of my wife.

My son David accompanied me home.

Sunday, Oct. 20th, 1889.

Brother C. H. Wilcken accompanied me to the Hot Springs, where we took a bath. On our return we called upon Mayor Armstrong. We had conversation on the political situation, concerning which he wanted some counsel. Sister Armstrong served us with a good breakfast while we were there.

From there we drove to my home, and I occupied the rest of the forenoon in packing up for our proposed journey to Canada.

At quarter past one my sons William and David accompanied me to town to attend meeting.

Elder Eggertson, a returned missionary from Denmark, spoke first and I followed. I read from the 11th chap. of Hebrews and had very much freedom in speaking. I felt deeply impressed to speak to the saints today, and have thought that I could not leave the city without doing so, if I freed my feelings. I had heard of many of our people feeling discouraged and indifferent concerning affairs in general. It had been reported to me that some thought it was inevitable that we should go into bondage, and it was no use for us to make any effort to prevent it, for it was predestined. To me this feeling is one that should not exist in the breasts of Latter-day Saints, and I felt deeply impressed with the importance of speaking upon this to the saints in the Tabernacle. I felt greatly relieved by my remarks, though I had an unusual dread of speaking.

In the evening, after I returned home, I called my family together and talked to them as a teacher would and made inquiries about their condition and gave them counsel.

At half past seven I took my daughter Mary Alice with me to Ogden. I was met at the depot by my son John Q. and Brother F. S. Richards and Bishop Stevens. The two latter wished to obtain counsel from me. John Q. took my daughter and myself to his house in a carriage. Though the visit was unexpected, himself and family were very glad to see us. A young lady by the name of Daisy Woods was there, a neice of my daughter-in-law.

Monday, Oct. 21st, 1889.

I started for the north this morning. Left my daughter at John Q.’s. The latter drove me to the Utah Northern train in the midst of a pouring rain. I rode in a sleeper to Pocatello. Brother J. L. Dalton rode with me to Logan. At Pocatello I met Brother John W. Young and my son David. They had come up on the special train, which had brought up President Woodruff and wife, President Jos. F. Smith and Elder Brigham Young, they having to come in this manner to escape observation. My son David, I was sorry to see, had sprained his ankle, having been turned over in a carriage just before they started from the city. The sprain was a bad one.

We took a sleeper for Portland on the Oregon Short Line, and bid good bye to Brother John W. Young and David and some young ladies who were with them. We were able to take our meals on the train.

Tuesday, Oct. 22nd, 1889.

There was nothing particularly notable about the country traveled through, and during the early part of the day there was plenty of timber. But afterwards we traveled through an open country. After we reached the Dalles the railroad ran alongside the Columbia River. The scenery was very grand and we saw a number of very fine water falls. There were numbers of Indian camps on the river. Salmon is very abundant in this stream, and we saw a number of wheels which were used for the catching of salmon.

At 8:40 we reached Portland in a heavy rain. We had arranged for carriages to take us to a hotel. Brother Willard Young came up, as Brother Brigham had telegraphed him, and he brought his carriage to meet us. He took Brother Jos. F. Smith and Brigham and my wife Carlie with him to his residence. As I did not wish to expose myself to my enemies I thought it better to not go with my wife. President Woodruff and wife and myself went to the Esmond Hotel. I had considerable difficulty to secure lodgings for President and Sister Woodruff. I did, however, manage to secure a parlor and bedroom and had a cot brought into the parlor, upon which I slept. I never was in a hotel which was called first class where there was less civility and more indifference than in this house. They are building a very magnificent hotel here, and when that is finished there will be ample accommodations for all travelers.

Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, 1889.

I had letters of introduction and I delivered one to Mr. Maxwell, of the Oregon Steam and Navigation Railway Company. He treated me very cordially and learning that I had a letter for Mr. McCord, he went round with me to his office, where I found Mr. D. E. Brown, the asst. passenger agent of the Canadian Pacific, for whom I had also a letter of introduction. This gentleman arranged for our tickets and promised to send them round to me at the hotel.

Captain Willard Young, who is here and is interested in the care of important work for the government on the Columbia river, he being one of the corps of typographical engineers, called for us this morning. I rode in his carriage with his brother Brigham and Carlie, he driving. Another carriage carried President Woodruff and wife and President Smith. We obtained a most excellent idea of the city of Portland, as we rode for a number of hours through all parts of it and through its park, which is not finished, but will be very grand when it is completed. The improvements in this city are very remarkable. There must be a great amount of wealth here, judging by the houses, which are as elegant as can be found anywhere. The views of the country and of the mountains, St. Helens and Mt. Hood, are exceedingly grand, and especially from Portland Heights, where Cap. Willard Young has erected a very handsome residence which commands a view of the whole country. Before we went to his residence, however, we were taken by him to the Fair, where we spent several hours. There was a very fine display of manufacturing articles and a great many interesting objects. There was an automatum which played chess and checkers and beat everyone that it played with. Brother Jos. F. Smith is an excellent checker player and he sat down and tried a game with the automatum, but the automatum beat him. We were taken to Capt. Willard Young’s residence and took dinner there. We found Brother Wm. B. Dougall and wife, Maria Y., who is a sister of Brother Willard Young. Brother Willard Young’s wife is a daughter of the late Capt. Wm. H. Hooper, and there were two of his daughters there, Cora and Alice. We had singing after dinner. Carriages were called at 8:30 and we were taken to the Northern Pacific train. The sleeping car was a very beautiful one. We left Portland at ten o’clock.

We were greatly pleased with the kindness and attention which Capt. Young and family showed us. He did everything in his power to make our stay delightful.

Thursday, Oct. 24th, 1889.

We reached Tacoma, Washington Territory, which is situated on Puget Sound, at 8 o’clock, and embarked on the steamboat which was to carry us to Victoria, British Columbia. We breakfasted on board the boat.

I have heard so much concerning Puget Sound and of this region that I have had a great desire for many years to visit it. Judge Macfadden, who was Delegate from Washington Territory in the 43rd Congress sat next to me and from him I learned very much concerning this region and became deeply interested in it. Afterwards other gentlemen of my acquaintance conversed with me upon the magnificence of the country, and my desire to see it became a fixed one. It came up fully to all my expectations. The weather was delightful today. The sail was very interesting. We had a very fine boat—the Olympia. Puget Sound is a magnificent sheet of water. The mountains are covered with timber, which is so grateful to the eyes of those who live as we do in a timberless region. The Olympian mountains on the west gave us some grand views of mountain scenery. We stopped at Seattle, and afterwards at Port Townsend. We concluded to go ashore at the latter place, as the vessel was going to remain there three quarters of an hour. While I was walking through the streets with a party I was overtaken by ex-Senator Conover, who represented Florida in the Senate. We were very intimately acquainted in Congress, and he appeared very glad to see me and pressed me to stop and see the country. He himself was very much taken with the country and thought of making it his home. After I returned to the vessel he came down with a party of friends, one of whom, a man by the name of Bergman, had lived in the Territory. A man by the name of Nowell, who is editor of a paper, came also, and I held quite a reception on the boat. I was very warmly pressed to stop on my return and view the city. After leaving this place a Mr. Irving came and spoke to me. He was a passenger to Victoria. He is the husband of Mrs. Barton, who is a sister of Bp. Barton, of Kaysville, and Brother Wm. Barton, of the 20th Ward. He recognized me and introduced himself to me.

The entrance to Victoria is a most beautiful one, though it will not, I believe, admit very large vessels. The town has a very English look, and the change from the bustling, restless energy of an American town to this staid place struck me as being a very great contrast. I thought I would write an article for the Juvenile Instructor calling attention to the difference between the two countries, separated by only an imaginary line, and yet the inhabitants of each so different. Americans partake of the spirit of America; the Canadians partake of the spirit of their government and their institutions, and are in striking contrast, in many respects, with the Americans. They are quiet, not inquisitive, disposed to not pry into your affairs by asking questions, and do not display that restlessness which is so characteristic of our nation.

We put up at the Driard—a most excellent house, whose fame, I am told, is very widespread for the excellence of its table. We had a very fine dinner and the beds were all that could be desired.

Friday, Oct. 25th, 1889.

The folks made some purchases this morning and walked around the town. We visited the museum. After lunch we took carriages and went around the city, and then walked to Esquimault, where there were four men-of-war, among them the flagship “Swiftsure”. The climate of this island is mild. There are some very elegant residences, but the houses are generally plain, yet they have an air of comfort and an atmosphere of repose which you can feel. At the hotels there is no show, but everything is of a substantial and excellent character. In the evening we embarked on the steamer “Islander” for Vancouver. She is an elegant boat and we had good state rooms, with electric light in each.

Saturday, Oct. 26th, 1889.

We had a good night’s rest and took our breakfast on the boat.

In all my travels I never had such charming sailing as on this Puget Sound. The trees grow down to the edge of the water, and ships of heaviest tonnage can be tied up to the trees as though in a dock. The water is very deep. Some views which we had this morning in passing through inlets were very beautiful and the weather was all that could be desired. Vancouver is a new city. It contains some excellent buildings, and has undoubtedly a great future before it. Its harbor is all that can be desired. The largest ship that has ever been on the Pacific, which is the second largest on the Atlantic, has been there. The stretches of water around it are wonderful. When we reached there we found the city busy with preparations for the reception of Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada. Arches of evergreens were erected and there was a great display of flags. I was much struck with one inscription which I saw stretched across the street; it was: “Welcome to our Governor General—a happy people without a grievance”[.] I felt that this was in very striking contrast with our condition in Utah. Although this was a monarchial government, there was really more liberty here than in our Republic, of which there has been so much boasting. I stood on the platform very close to the Governor General, wife and staff, and ladies-in-waiting, when they came from their cars into their carriages. The Governor General is a fine looking man and has a very intellectual face. His wife is a fine looking lady. There was some hurrahing when they landed, but nothing like the demonstration that one might have expected, under the circumstances.

I had an illustration while here of how difficult it is for me to travel without being recognized. I certainly thought that in this out-of-the-way place I would not meet with any, but I met with no less than three persons who knew me, and they stopped me on the street and spoke to me. We were detained by the train of the Governor General and did not get off on the hour. Our ride this afternoon was through magnificent timber, beautiful lakes and rivers, with elevated rocky mountains in endless profusion. The climate is exceedingly mild for the latitude.

Sunday, Oct. 27th, 1889.

This is my son Clawson’s birthday. This has been a day of complete enjoyment. The scenery has been very grand. I have traveled in many lands, but take the journey from Tacoma to the close of today and I think I never saw and enjoyed such splendid scenery in the same length of time. The weather has been excellent. We took our meals on the dining car.

Monday, Oct. 28th, 1889.

I find the meals on these dining cars are not equal to those on the cars in the States, neither are the porters so attentive.

We arrived at Dunmore at 11:15 and had to wait there until 3 o’clock. We went to a hotel, so-called, and got a very plain dinner. I telegraphed to Mr. Geo. Webber at Lethbridge to meet us tonight at 1 O’clock and asked if he could accommodate us with three beds. He replied by telegram that he could. We left Dunmore at 5:45 P.M. and succeeded in arranging some beds out of the seats, on which we obtained some sleep.

Tuesday, Oct. 29th, 1889.

At one o’clock this morning we arrived at Lethbridge. Mr. Webber met us, and with him C. O. Card, G. L. Farrell and Oliver Robinson, who had come up from Lees Creek to meet us. We slept till 6:30 and started about 8 o’clock. Drove out about 11 miles to Mr. Houk’s on St. Mary’s River and got breakfast. Myself and wife rode on Brother G. L. Farrell’s carriage. Houk resided at Salt Lake at one time. He moved here and married a quarter Indian. We stopped to water and feed about 22 miles from Lee’s Creek. We arrived at dusk at Lee’s Creek, and President Woodruff and wife and myself and wife Carlie were entertained at Brother Card’s, whose wife Zina is Carlie’s sister. Brother Jos. F. Smith went to Brother G. L. Farrell’s and Brother B. Young to Sister John W. Taylor’s

Wednesday, Oct. 30th, 1889.

We remained in the house resting the greater part of the day. I wrote Topics of the Times for the Juvenile Instructor. Had a number of brethren and sisters call in and visit with us.

Thursday, Oct. 31st, 1889.

President Woodruff and myself rode with Prest. Card, and Brothers Jos. F. Smith and B. Young rode with Brother G. L. Farrell, and we spent the day examining the land purchased by the Church; and as we passed several lakes containing wild fowl, President Woodruff, Brothers Jos. F. Smith, B. Young and C. O. Card used the three guns we had in endeavoring to shoot some of them. They fired a number of times; but Brother Young was the only one who was successful in shooting. He killed one goose, which fell in the lake, but which could not be reached, though Brother Farrell went out on horseback to try and get it. He shot another Canada goose, but he was so busy shooting he did not notice where it fell.

President Woodruff is 82 years of age and he is as eager for hunting and fishing as if he were only 20 years old. His fondness for sport is extraordinary. The sight of the fowls we saw today excited him very much, and he tramped around with an activity that many men half his age could not do. I have no taste for hunting. I have a dislike to taking life. If I had to kill the meat that I eat I would be a vegeterian. I shrink from killing even a chicken. Therefore, it is no pleasure for me to carry a gun and hunt birds or animals.

The land over which we traveled, and which possesses the same characteristics as all this country, is covered with grass, but not a tree to be seen, except on the margins of the rivers, where they are sheltered from the wind. It is very doubtful in my mind whether trees will grow here unless they are protected from the wind. It is a very windy country, the wind blowing almost constantly. There is a warm wind, called the Chinook, which comes, bearing warmth with it, from the coast. No doubt, the steady blowing of the wind makes the country healthy, and in the winter time modifies the climate, causing the snow to melt. A better country for grass I never saw. All animals are exceedingly fat here. As far as the eye could reach it is a billowy plain covered with grass. There is a range of mountains lying to the west, which are called the Rocky Mountains. They are not very distant. I was glad to see them, because I think they add very much to the beauty of the landscape. There are very fine rivers running through here, but they are so deep down that they could not be taken out for irrigating purposes without very costly works. Irrigation, no doubt, would help this country if water could be obtained for that purpose.