"Lee's Ferry Ariz
President Wilford Woodruff
Dear Brother
It has occurred to me that you ought to know
how affairs are going at this place, which is my excuse for in-
truding on your time, which I know is fully occupied with other
affairs.
Last spring I divided my family, according to your counsel,
a portion of them moving to Kanab for the purpose of schooling my
children. In May 1891 a family residing at Tuba City, came here
from Richfield Utah, where they had spent the winter visiting friends.
At Panguitch they buried a child, and without disinfecting the
wagon or themselves, not even stopping to wash the dead childs
clothes, they came to our house, and remained overnight, mingling
with my little children, and the consequence was in 4 days my oldest
boy by my first wife, was taken violently ill with fever and sore
throat.
We knew nothing of the nature of the disease, but had faith
in God, as we are here on a very hard mission, and had tried as
hard as we knew how to obey the word of Wisdom, and attend to the
other duties of our religion, such as paying tything, family prayers
&c &c, that our children would be spared. But alass, in 4 1/2 days he
choked to death in my arms. Two more were taken down with the
disease and we fasted and prayed as much as we thought it wisdom
as we had many duties to perform here. We fasted some 24 hours and
once I fasted 40 hours, but all of no avail for both my little girls
died also. About a week after their death my fifteen year old
daughter Melinda was stricken down and we did all we could for her
but she followed the others, and three of my dear girls an[d] one
boy has been taken from us, and the end is not [y]et. My oldest
girl 19 years old is now prostrate with the disease, and we are
fasting and praying in her behalf today. We have become better
acquainted with the nature of the disease, than at first, and we are
strongly in hopes she will recover, as two already have, that came
down with it. I would ask for your faith and prayers in our behalf
however. Whatv have we done that the Lord has left us, and what can w^e^
do to gain his favor again.
Yours in the gospel
Warren M Johnson"
