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Rec'd May 25, 1887
Ans'd [May] 27, [1887]
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L.D.S Historian's Office,
P. O. BOX 321,
Salt Lake City, Utah,
President Joseph F Smith
Beloved Brother
Your vary
Kind interesting Letter of March 31 is before
me and I have read it with much interest
and I was vary glad to get it for not hearing
from you I did not know but I had offended
you in my joaking manner about reading
But as Porter says it was all wheat. I ment No
Evil I was truly thankful to learn that you
had got better I hope you will Enjoy good
health My health is still quite good at
present Like yourself I had a wife with me
3 months otherwise I live a Bachelors Life
I am mostly occupying a room on the ground
floor 12 foot square, 2 doors, 3 windows, carpet floor, walls
papered fireplace, plenty of wood good bed wire Matress,
sleep Well Enough to eat & wear, water rather poor
Plenty of kind friends, Lone town, 2 miles from
any other, plenty of Experienced Row a boat in a pond
ketch club fish. I read & write some of the time a doz
Letters in a day I had a family meeting on Sunday
whare I stay partook of the Sacrament ordained one Elder
1 Priest & 1 Teacher There was Fathers Mothers 5 sons &
2 daughters present At the close of the Meeting I rode to
To St George Temple And in the Evening I set apart
D D McArthur as first councillor to J. D. T. McAllister
and David H Cannon second councillor and Thomas P.
Cottom Bishop of the 4 ward of St George Stake of Zion
Br McAllister set apart a Brother Pace as first
councillor to Brother Cottom & Brother McArthur set
apart David Cannon Jr as second councillor to Bishop
Cottom The above ordinations directed by the Presidency
of the Church J. T. & G. Q. C. I left St George yesterday at
4 oclok I left Mother Cottom Dangerously sick
has been sick two months I am affraid that
she will not recover she has waited upon
me a great deal she is a Noble old Lady and
Mother. The Man I am now stoping with
is an old Policeman in S. L. City says He will
take pleasure in waiting upon you if you
will call upon him Speaking of Lot Smith He
has imperfections as will as other Men He has been
hard on his wives & children which a Man should not
But I have generally Defended him the best I
could as He seemed to have but very few friends
He has got into another scrape of Late I dont
know how He will come out two Gentiles Jumped
the Land of the Saints at Moancopy and Lot took
some brethren and went with shot guns & drove
them off The Gentiles raised a possy of Men
and arested all but Lot He got away I dont know what
the comeout will be in the Matter. Lot is rather
Hasty in such matters
I got a vary interesting Letter from Brother
Moses Thatcher He gave me the whole History
of all his operations in Mexico I Expect probably
He has kept you advised of all affairs in
that Land I see they Bought 10000 Acres of Land at Diaz
48,000 at Juarez & 75000 at Carralis total 133000.
Moses went to the States & bought a steel boiler & Engine
25 Horse power, first class Mill with 60 inch saw, A
shingle & Lath Maill and plainer to dress boards Bought 4
Large waggons, 15 yoak of Oxen Axes, chains, shovals
scrapers, Barrows, carpenter tools and Blacksmiths tools
one ton of Nails The whole outfit a little over $6000. The
Brethren furnished $2400 & M Thatcher $3,600. It
is supposed they are now at work with it. Brother
Thatcher had to return to Utah But Expects to
soon go back of course you got all the Leading
News from Utah more than I can give you
There was much satisfaction over the Removal
of Dixen and we all hope Zane will soon be called
to another Mission The Ring feels vary Mad because
the Law Deprives them of Entirely Robing the Mormons
they are laboring hard to get the commishisseners
commissioners to form an oath that the Mormons cannot
take and the commissioners dare not do it as they have got
instructions from Head quarters you will see from
the News the Account of the burning of the implements
of the board of Trade at Logan I learn that
Loren Farr is slowy recovering from his accident
I feel to sympathize with Brother and Sister
Gates in their Loss of their children such
things are hard sacraifices Sister Eliza R Snow
Smith has been quite Low But I understand she
is some better I have not seen the March No
of the Contributor I Received the April No
with your communication on Christmass
which I think was vary good That Number contains
a cut of my Navuoo House and the only peice
piece I ever wrote for the Contributor you will
see that Sam Gilsons has withdrawn his offer of
Reward for presidents Taylor & Cannon pretending
that prosecutions are about to stop in Utah
against poligamy & cohab that is for a [Blind] & because
they have used up all the Money they have got
and Government dont furnish Enough Money
to keep up the prosecution & to pay for the whisky
and women to supply all the officers I am
always glad to hear from you but I dont want
to hender you in keeping up your other corresspondence
My family are generally Well I hear from some
of them almost Evry I pray God to Bless you
and give you freedom both in time & Eternity
Your Affectionate Brother in the Gospel Lewis Allen
Box. 410.
Mr Joseph F. Spright
Honolulu
Sandwich Islands
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W. Woodruff
Rec'd May 25, 1887
Ans'd [May] 27, [1887]
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