Letter to Ammon Meshach Tenney, 27 May 1880
Ammon M. Tenney
St. Johns, Apache Co., Arizona
Dear Bro.
I have consulted with lawyers and friends about entering the St. Johns
purchase and after getting all the information we can, we have come to the
conclusion that the safest, best and cheapest way is to enter the land by
quarter sections. It is very difficult to enter a townsite and we have to pay
a good deal more to the Government and it takes all together too long to home-
stead.
If you have not used your entry right, I would like you to enter the
Quarter which is of the most value and then put trusty men to enter the rest.
Those who enter will have to claim a house or shanty of some kind, until they
pay for it, and get a Government title before they can deed to others. You
will want to find out the sections, stakes, half sections and quarter sections,
so as not to make any mistakes about the land you enter. All persons will have
to go to Prescott to enter the land.
You will want to learn the Township, Range Plot Section, so as not to
make a mistake in the entry.
I enclose a letter to J. W. Young, which I will not seal for I have an
order in it for several persons who paid tithing to J. W. Young, and they may be
with you, some of them. I want you to see that they have credit on the tith-
ing books, of whatever ward they may be in, as I do not know where John W. is,
I trust to you to send the letter to him.
I wish now to say that we decided in Council last night to send David Udell
-[ David K. Udall ]- to preside as Bishop at St. Johns., L. John Nuttall will notify
him. I have tried ever since I came, to get him appointed as Bishop of that
place, but I did not get it accomplished until last night.
I shall be glad to hear from you from time to time to know how you progress.
My love to your family and all the Saints with you and please excuse a short
letter now.
Your brother in the Gospel
W. Woodruff
