President Taylor and Council
Dear Brethren:
I want to say a few words
upon temporal matters. In my former letters
I stated the opinion of the brethren that the
company from Farmington could come to
Arizona better in Febuary and March, but
the times admonish us that nobody can come
in the winter at all. They will be under the
necessity of waiting untill spring untill the
grass grows, before which time niether teams
nor stock can travel. We would be glad
for early emigration for the purchase of Saint
Johns needs both men and means to hold
it. We are also about purchasing the small
upper ditch, water and land which we could
not get when we made the other purchase.
We baptized one of the mexicans at St. Johns,
an honest man apparently and zealous in the
Gospel. I ordained him an elder and gave
him instructions and quite a number of the
mexicans at St. John attended our meeting at
the mexican brothers house and brothers Tenney
and Nail preached to them in Spanish and our
mexican brother has baptized 5 of them and
a prospect of more. I think there is a fair
prospect of an effectual door opening in
Arizona to bring many of the Mexicans pop-
ulation into the Church. They are of coarse a
good deal mixed with the Indian blood.
We recieved a letter to-day from brother Haskel
He had arrived safe at San Juan after en-
countering huricanes and snow storms. He
found only 2 men and 3 women and 8 child-
ren in the settlement, and they had a fright
from a report that the Utes was coming to
destroy all on the river, but they did not do
it. Soon 3 men arrived from Silas Smiths
Company. they were still hemmed up and could
not travel, no road, had to blast thier way
with powder of which they were out. They said
it would take 300 lbs. more powder to blow
them into the river and out again and Silas
Smith had gone back to obtain the powder to
accomplish it. It seems quite a mistake
for companies to undertake to travel a road
with women and children in the winter, that has
not been explored. I think we should avoid
a repetition of it. I have heard the new boat
was in the river at Lee's Ferry. I am glad
to hear it. I wish president Taylor and
Council would change the name of that ferry.
I do not like the name. If it was changed
perhaps there might not be as many Ghosts
visit it and scare the women as there has
been in days that are past. There has been
strange stories told by the sisters who have
been to work there. We are beginning to
have cold weather in Arizona of late. Thermom-
eter has been showing for several mornings
past from zero to 6 degrees below which is
an uncommon thing for this country. I
expect Sunset people will finish threshing
tomorrow. Head to go to Snowflake and
borrow thier machine as the Clawson ma-
chine refuses to do any more threshing this
season. They will have about 3200 bushels,
which is less than what I expected, yet 2/3 of
all the Mormons of Arizona are looking to
these figures for thier years bread. It should
read 13000 in order to feed them untill
harvest. But Sunset are doing all they can
for the needy.
I wish to say to my brethren the Apostles
that I expect you to make whatever use you
please of the communication I have sent
you. I sent what the Spirit dictated to me
I do not expect any revelation to go to the
Church as the word of the Lord only what
goes through the mouth of John Taylor as
our president, only what is delivered in
our public meetings through the mouths of
the Apostles and Elders as they are moved
upon by the Holy Ghost
Your brother in the Gospel
W Woodruff
[upside-down text] I wish to ask Brother Taylor and Council
a question concerning myself. What does
the spirit dictate to you upon the propriety
of my returning to Utah in the Spring via
St. George and spend a few days there and
then on to Salt Lake. The 10th of March will
be over 3 years since the Temple was dedi-
cated. I work^ed^ in it at that date. Please
think of it and answer and oblige
Your brother in the Gospel [end of upside-down text]