Day in the Life

Jan 16, 1860

Journal Entry

January 16, 1860 ~ Monday

16 A shower of Frost all trees covered with Frost I spent the
day in the office I had a small party at My house through the
evening Capt Walter Murray Gibson and his Daughter Solulah
A crown Lucy Gibson were both present they both were Baptized By
H. C. Kimball Jan 16th 1860 at 37:30 PM. and confirmed members
of the C. J. C. L. D. Saints under the Hands of the Presidency of
the Church President Young being mouth There was also
at My House A. O. Smoot & wife, Thomas B. H. Stenhouse &
wife Lorenzo Snow & wife & Brother Houtz & wife Capt Giboson
Had been a great traveller through the Indies, Archipeligo &
Mexico He entertained us through the Evening in giving
sketches of his travelleds the customs, Habits & Religion of the
People, also the productions, Fruits, Animals, Birds, & reptiles
of the thousands of Island and Continent which he had visited
Many of those Ilands contained hundreds of new kinds of Fruit
the ownly Food they raise by cultivation is rice & sweet potatoes
all other food groes spontaneous when a man lands upon one of
those Islands he Finds his food before him upon the trees evry
one of those Islands contain a large supply of cocanut & Bannana
there is but one of the Island that is dangerous in consequence
of wild Beast and that Iland loose about 3 men in 2 days upon
an Everage by the Tiger alone. There is but one Island that
He visited which contained dangerous Reptiles. Georgia & the
souther States contained a thousand times more Dangerouse
serpents than the Indies & Islands. they manufactur a vary
fine silk cotton is also raised & produced from the cotton
tree. Nearly all kinds of Fruits are ripe all the year round
containing ripe & green fruit, Blossom, & buds upon the trees at
the same time He saw vary large forest trees some 70 feet
in DCircumference. There was an aromatic Fragrance in the land
breeze through the whole year which was a vary peculiar & healthy


He was much delighted with his travels in India He has expended
some seventy Thousand Dollars in his Travels. He fitted up a
fine ship which cost $7000 in the Deceration of his state room
He was Arested by the Dutch his ship siezed, and He was imp-
risioned for about one year & a half sentenced to death his ship
sold all without any Just cause or provication He escaped from
Prision through the help of some Malays. while in Prision He
had a Dream which showed him his Escape, his return to
the United States, his visit to Utah & Dreamed that some saints
returned with him to the Malays Islands. And He is now
Here & has Embraced the Gospel. He said he went through
Mexico in 1847 & [184]8. And when the U. S. Government sent an
armeyy to Utah to war with the Mormons He laboured vary
diligently to get the Administration to send Peace commissioners
to Utah at first He could make no impression upon members
of Congress or the President at last they consented to the propo-
sition He was one of the first men named and finally there
were some Dozen Applicants and at last as the president
wished to make as much out of offices as he could sent Powel From
Kentucky & MCCullock of Texas two of the worst men that
was offered. Capt Gibson conversed upon several other subj[ec]ts
The Express came in & Brother Stenhouse got sum papers &
Red his correspondence in the Herrald. TBrother Giles the Blind man
called in & played upon his Harp for two hours I gave him
$2 for his music

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

Smoot, Abraham Owen
17 Feb 1815 - 6 Mar 1895
584 mentions
1835 Southern Convert
3 mentions
Young, Brigham
1 Jun 1801 - 29 Aug 1877
3440 mentions
Apostle, Family
2 mentions
Kimball, Heber Chase
14 Jun 1801 - 22 Jun 1868
1456 mentions
Apostle
Houtz, Jacob
1814-1896
18 mentions
69 mentions
Historical Figure
4 mentions
Snow, Lorenzo
3 Apr 1814 - 10 Oct 1901
699 mentions
Apostle, Family
6 mentions
Stenhouse, Thomas Brown Holmes
21 Feb 1824 - 7 Mar 1882
30 mentions
1 mention
Gibson, Walter Murray
16 Jan 1822 - 21 Jan 1888
38 mentions

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

1860
Church membership 61,000; population of Utah Territory 40,273, population of 33 United States 31,443,000.

Jan 16, 1860