President John Taylor:
Dear Brother
As soon as I receivd your letter concern-
ing St. Johns and the Meadows, I wrote
immediately to Brother Tenney to go and
purchase St. John if he could. And on
Saturday night, at the Sheep-herd Spring
in the Mountains, some 40 miles from
Sunset, I received a letter from Brother
Tenney upon the subject; the follow-
ing is an extract. ("On the evening
of the 14th I received your letter, and
according to your request, I started for
St. John in pursuit of the object this morn-
ing about 9 o'clock. I have signed my
name to a bargain; thus buying the
entire right of water, ditch, and land,
(except 2 1/2 acres situated upon the
east side of the river, in the edge of
the town:) Commencing at the bridge—
(including the bridge)—and running
down the River, for the sum of (750)—
Seven hundred and fifty head of cows;
I thought I would stay at the Spring until
the 25th. I went to bed at 10 o'clock, awoke at
12 with my mind deeply exercised; and
my monitor said to me; "aArise tarry not
at this place. Go to Sunset. Direct Bro Tenney
to close this fa[water damage to paper] and secure the Meadows
without delay, for the enemy is on the alert."
So I awoke awoke my messenger who brought
me the letter. We made our fire, got our
breakfast and took our carriage and drove
40 miles to Sunset, over a rough rocky
country a part of the way. We arrived
about 7 o'clock. I counselled with Lot
Smith, and yesterday I wrote a letter to
Ammon M. Tenney to go immediately
and close this bargain, and secure the
2 1/2 acres if possible. Buy out the whole place
if possible; so that the Jews or Gentiles should
not have a hold among them. And this
morning we sent 4 men, fitted out as
missionaries from Sunset and Brigham
City and have called for one from Saint
Joseph and 4 from Snow Flake to join
them and go direct to Bro. Greer's—who is on
the meadows, and to get all they can to
running from 2 to 6 years old; to be paid
within one year. I have 3 weeks to decide
and^or^ notify them that I cannot accept.
Thus giving you time to express to me.
Now, you may think this a big price, and
so it is, but just as sure as you loose this
chance, or let it go a while longer, you will
just so sure have to pay 250 more cows;
and it will continue to rise. What is the sum
of 750 head of dows, when we are blessed with
the cattle upon a thousand hills, compared
to a home for two hundred large families
and probably more? How ever it is in the
hands of the Priesthood. They would take other
stock of purchasers at fair prices. If I had
them I could turn out 40 yoke of oxen to-day,
but probably not tomorrow.
(Round Valley is a little east of South of St. John)
It will be well to proceed immediately to take
up the Meadows; if no other way, send men
from the settlements. I mean more than I
say; for it is very urgent, you may depend upon
it. If it was me directing as you are I would
not let day-light nor dark make any difference
and while I speak of this, I will say that if
there is any Mormons that could be spared
it would be well to send them immediately here
to take possession; as nine points in the Law
is to have peacable possession, for I tell you
before-hand, that when this purchase is known
it will make one of the greatest excitements
that ever was here, as it will break up
merchants and at least 100 families, who
have built, and are depending upon rent-
ing from the Barths Brothers.
My well in the new Meadow is 65 feet
deep to water, which is inexhaustable.
I have expended $2000 there, and was
going to move my family there in two
weeks, but if you deem it wisdom for
me to move here to St. John, without unloading
I will do so, as it will be wisdom for some
one to be here.").
Now Brother Taylor, all of the foregoing is
from his letter, which will give you a little
insight into the affair. I got his letter at
about 8 o'clock in the evening. I had been
traveling through the snow all day. I had
been two days getting 10 miles, with heavy
loaded teams, and was calculating to make
it a rendesvous at the Spring. The Quarterly
Conference will be at Sunset on the 29th and 30th.
take up claims, so as to secure the Meadows
before the inhabitants of St. John know any
thing about it. Our missionaries are now on
the way with my letter to Bro. Tenney.
Now, Brother Taylor, what I wish to re-
quest concerning this matter is this;
That the companies who are being organized
to come to take possession of St. John and to
locate the Meadows will not delay, but come
this fall. And, again, you will see from
Bro. Tenney's letter, that according to the
contract he is to pay 750 head of cows
from 2 to 6 years old. Now, we have got to
depend a good deal upon the Brethren
who come from Utah, to bring this kind
of stock with them. So I wish you would
instruct Bros Rockwood and Vancott to see
that these companies are well supplied with
surplus cows—enough to pay for the purchase
of St. John. And, again, stock is the best
property for our emigration to bring to this
country, as stock, I think is higher here
than in Utah. At the present time, of course,
our emigration should bring what farming
tools and provisions they need, until they
W Woodruff
Purchase of St Johns
Dec 1879
raise, if they can: as bread-stuff is as high
again here as it is there. I should like to
be informed, as soon as you receive this, what
the prospect is about the companies, and
what the chance will be about their bringing
cows with them. We can begin to feel and
see the importance of the counsel and views
of President Young, years ago concerning this
country, and he often said; "Bretheren, form
your settlements in Arizona ^and^ New Mexico,
for the day will come, when you will want a
home there; and the time will come when
many will be glad to find friends in
Arizona." That day has already come, and
we have got to occupy this country, and
there is plenty of room; and the sooner some
emigrate ^from Utah^ the better. St. John is the hot-bed
and Carthage of this county; and I feel
it very important that we secure it.
I do not know as I have any thing more to
say upon this subject, at present. I received
word from Brother Brigham Young that he
thought he would visit us in Arizona soon,
with some other bretheren from the North. We shall
be glad to receive them; and all would be glad to
receive Bro Taylor, in this Country, if the journey
was not too long, and his business would per-
mit; or any others of the council
If Brother Brigham should want a day's hunt
to rest him, I could take him, in a day's drive
where he could see antelope in flocks like sheep
I saw 300 on Saturday in going 2 miles—
a hundred in a flock.
My Love to the Council
Your Brother in the Gospel
W Woodruff
per Lewis Allen