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Day in the Life

Apr 1, 1857

Journal Entry

April 01, 1857 ~ Wednesday

April 1st 1857 I finished my corresponding letters to day
[FIGURES] I wrote 8 Letters to the Following persons J. Taylor
G. A. Smith E. Snow J. M. Bernhisel Joel M Berry
I F. Carter Wth R Prince &cc O Pratt & E. T. Benson


I sent Wm R. Prince &c some seeds of Muskeret & Muskscrow
& serves buries.

I met in council with the Rush valley herd
company at the Historians office untill 10 oclok

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal.

Snow, Erastus
9 Nov 1818 - 27 May 1888
640 mentions
Apostle
Benson, Ezra Taft
22 Feb 1811 - 3 Sep 1869
366 mentions
Apostle
Smith, George Albert
26 Jun 1817 - 1 Sep 1875
1380 mentions
Apostle, Missionary
Carter, Ilus Fabyan
8 Nov 1816 - 11 Dec 1888
392 mentions
Family
3 mentions
Bernhisel, John Milton
23 Jun 1799 - 28 Sep 1881
313 mentions
Taylor, John, b. 1808
1 Nov 1808 - 25 Jul 1887
1834 mentions
Apostle
Pratt, Orson
19 Sep 1811 - 3 Oct 1881
1037 mentions
Apostle
18 mentions

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Letter to Erastus Snow, 1 April 1857

Historian's office. G. S. L. City . Elder Erastus Snow Dear Sir, The Eastern mail arrived on the 24th. Ulto. bringing the last Oct. & Nov. mails; containing 28 Brass locksacks: it brought many letters to Prest. Young; and 17 to myself. Among others, I received letters from Elders Taylor, Geo. A. Smith, E. T. Benson, J. M. Bernhisel, and one from yourself, bearing date Sep. 25 1856. The Mail was accompanied by Elder J. L. Heywood, they had to winter at Devil's gate: the company suffered much from the want of food. There were about 20 of our brethren there, and they all lived about one month on ox hides: they left their winter Quar- ters as soon as they possibly could get through in consequence of the snow, and it was with great difficulty they got through when they did. We have not heard any word from the winter mails, but have learned that the snow was very deep both East and West of Laramie. We have had more snow in the mountains and vallies throughout the Territory than we have ever known before since we came here. The snow is now off from the vallies, but the mountains are deeply clad. We have lost but little stock during the past winter in comparison to the loss we sustained the previous Winter. We have had much later news from you and the brethren East via the California mail. As fas as news is concerned with us in Utah I will say we are having universal health, peace and plenty throughout the Territory so far as I know. Spring has broken upon us warm and mild, every kind of fruit tree that has suffificiently matured is loaded with

Letter to Ezra Taft Benson, 1 April 1857

G. S. L. city Dear bro. Benson The Eastern mail finally got in on the 24th. Ult. bringing 28 sacks of mail. It brought the Oct. & Nov. mail: it brought me over 15 letters from G. A. Smith, J. Taylor, E. Snow &c. and also your interesting letter from Copenhagen of Sep 30. I should have been delighted to have been with you on your journey through those old countries: it must have been very pleasant and I feel to rejoice to see how the work of the Lord grows in the midst of all opposition, I know it will grow till it fills the whole earth. Bro. Brigham said the other night at the prayer circle, that he was satisfied that the Lord would soon open a door in the midst of all these nations, he said he would like to send a man to Siberia, and the Japanese islands &c. There will be a company of Missionaries selected for Europe at the Conference all will go with hand carts from the vallies to the States: bro. Mack- intosh is among the number. We have had a very interesting winter both in the Legislature and in the church. The Twelve have stood at the head of some 40 missionaries for this city. I have attended a meeting about every evening for 5 months; the power of God has been with us and much of the Holy Spirit poured out. We have had some of the loudest preaching this winter I ever heard, the fruits of the Reformation have been very visible; the people have confessed their sins, whether they have been great or small, and made restoration as far as possible—the thief has returned the stollen property or done what they could at it. all have been down into the waters of baptism commencing with the Presidency

Letter to John Taylor, 1 April 1857

G. S. L. City Elder Taylor Dear Sir, Our Eastern Mail for October and November arrived in this city on the 24th. inst.; containing 28 brass lock sacks; 30 were sent, but 2 of them were deposited somewhere. The Mail has grown several months old while on the way, mostly at Devils gate: it was accompanied by our friend J. L. Heywood, who reports, that while weather bound at the Devils gate, the company suffered much for the want of food; having subsisted for one month on Ox hides entirely. The Mail company left that point as soon as they could possibly get through the snow; and it was with great difficulty they got through when they did. The Mail brought Prest. Young a great many letters, (and to me the following: 2 from yourself, of dates Septem. 16 and October 18 respectively: 5 from Hon. Geo. A. Smith, July 8, 27, Augt. 10, Septem. 14 & Oct 22: Elder Erastus Snow Sept. 25: Hon. J. M. Bernhisel Sep. 13 and Oct. 15: Elder Joel M. Berry Sep: 1 & Oct. 13, and Messrs. Wm. R. Prince ^Hy^ Oct. 18: Elder E. T. Benson Copenhagen Sep. 30; and I. F. Carter Portland Maine.) We have not yet had any word from the Mails of the winter months, but we have learned that the snow was very deep East as well as West of Laramie. We have had more snow in the mountains and vallies through this Territory than we have ever seen since our settlement in these mountains; yet there has been but a small amount of stock lost in comparison to the loss last season. I was truly gratified to hear from you by letter and

Letter to Orson Pratt, 1 April 1857

G. S. L. City . Elder Orson Pratt, Dear brother The Cala. mail for Feby. arrived here March 4th. bringing packages containing the pamphlet entitled the "Holy Spirit." The Eastern mail for Oct. and Nov. arrived on the 24th. Ult. bringing packages of your pamphlets entitled "The true faith" "True Re- pentance" and "water baptism," which have been distributed according to the respective addresses. This mail has been detained during the Winter in the mountains, by the severity of the weather and the unusual depth of snow. Elder Joseph L. Heywood was with the Mail and suf- fered very much on account of the lack of provisions. They lived one month on Hides, boiled and prepared in the best manner they could. It has been reported the snow was very deep on the plains Eastward. There is quite a spirit manifested this Spring through the Territory in the cultivation of fruit, many are selling out fruit trees of all kinds that can be obtained. There is every prospect for a very fruitful season of fruit, grain, and vegetables; the Earth is well saturated from the moderate melting of large bodies of snow. The Temple block begins to assume its industrial appearance, & already the huge blocks of rock, are being brought from Red Bute on which the sound of the hammer and chisel again are heard. The big cotton wood canal is nearly finished so that we expect water to be more plentiful in this city, as well as on the farming lands. Theire has been organized a company to raise cotton on the Santa Clara under the superintendence of bro. I. C. Haight. There is quite a number of parcels of chinese sugar cane here, and many others on the way which will be cultivated with care and

Letter to William Robert Prince and Coy, 1 April 1857

G. S. L. City Messrs. Wm. R. Prince & Co[mpan]y. Gents The last Nov. Eastern mail arrived in this city on the 24th. Ulto.; having wintered in the snow at Devils gate: it brought me your note of Oct. 18th. I have not heard from any mail since the 1st. of Nov. When the mail of the winter months arrive I shall expect to receive the fruit cuttings sent for, which I am anxiously looking for. I have requested Hon. J. M. Bernhisel to forward you $5. for a few of the Dioscorea Batatas as a trial; if you obtain the order please send them to my address. I would like to obtain a genuine article of Hovey seedling strawberries accompanied with a suitable staminate. Your letter having been detained until so late a date I have but a few seeds of any kind on hand which will be of value to you I enclose a few seeds of the Mesquite and Muskroo from the Rio Virgin and Santa Clara. the coarse seeds are Mesquite, the fine Muskroo, it forms an ornamental tree some 20 feet high. I could not give information whether the proper time of sowing should be Spring or Fall. I also enclose a few service berries where the bush is calculated it produces two crops each season. During the summer I will dry carefully some of our best mountain currants of each kind & service berry and forward to you, or any other native seeds which I think may be of any worth to you. some of our native currants bear a remarkable good berry both for size and flavor as large as the English black cherry. I am satisfied that Utah will prove a good fruit growing country. Aprictots and Peaches

Letter to George Albert Smith, 1 April 1857

Historian's office. G. S. L. City . Brother Geo. A. Smith; Dear Sir, I take pleasure in announcing to you that the Eastern mail arrived on the 24th. Ulto.: bringing 28 brass lock sacks, having left 2 by the way; it brought the last Oct. & Nov. mail: anything later we have not heard by the Eastern mail. The mail was accompanied by our friend J. L. Heywood, they all wintered about Devils gate with about 20 of the brethren. They suffered much: subsisting for one month on poor beef, and the next month on Hides. Brother Heywood considers he has gained quite an experience in cooking raw hides, they boiled, roasted, stewed and fried all ways; they all lived through it and left as soon as they could get through for snow, and came near leaving the mail at last. Many had much anxiety about brother Hey- wood and all were glad to see him come home: he looks well with his long sandy beard. The mail brought me 6 letters from you including the one sent by A. W. Babbitt who, as you know was killed by the way. I was truly glad to hear from you and that you was preserved in the railroad smash up. I was glad to hear that you had got along so well with bro. Taylor in getting us out so good a history of the death of Joseph. I have not yet seen it, I have not heard how it was sent, if by mail, I expect it will turn up by and bye when the Winter mails arrive I called on Bathsheba and read all my letters to her: she had received letters from you too. I was pleased with your dream and I believe that you will be enabled to start the cars engine or no engine that is visible, it will be all right anyway. We will file it in the office. We have had a hard winter in Utah if 8 feet of snow in the vallies, and from 1 to 100 in the mountains makes a hard winter

Letter to George Albert Smith, 1 April 1857

G. S. L. City . Brother George A. Smith Dear Sir, I take pleasure in announcing to you that the Eastern mail arrived on the 24th Ulto., bringing 28 brass lock sacks, having left 2 by the way: it brought the last Oct. and Nov. mails. We have not heard anything later by the East. The Mail was accompanied by our friend J. L. Heywood; they all wintered about Devils gate with about 20 of the brethren. They suffered much: subsisting for one month on poor beef, and the next month on Hides. Brother Hey- wood considers he has gained quite an experience in cooking raw hides: they boiled, roasted, stewed and fried all ways; they all lived through it; and left as soon as they could get through for snow, and came near leaving the Mail at last. Many had much anxiety about brother Heywood, and all were glad to see him come home: he looks well, with his long sandy beard. The Mail brought me 6 letters from you, including the one sent by A. W. Babbitt, who as you know was killed by the way. I was truly glad to hear from you and that you was preserved in the railroad smash up. I was glad to hear that you had got along so well with bro. Taylor, in getting us out so good a history of the death of Joseph. I have not yet seen it. I have not heard how it was sent, if by mail I expect it will turn up by and bye when the Winter mails arrive. I called on Bathsheba and read all my letters to her: she had received letters from you too. I was pleased with your dream, and I believe that you will be enabled to start the cars, engine or no engine that is visible, it will be right anyway. We will file it in the office. We have had a hard winter in Utah, if 8 feet of snow in the ^[sideways text] Rec[eive]d Sept. 3 1857 at Salt Lake April 1st, 1857 Historian's Office Geo. A. Smith Wilford Woodruff ^Copied^ [end of sideways text]^

Events

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Apr 1, 1857