Woodruff New Documents – May 2024

172 March 5^th 90. President W. Woodruff Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dear Brother:

Your welcome [illegible ]er of the 15^th ult received and contents noted. [illegible] are sent us instructions who to send lists of passengers &/c. to, and who to direct our presidents of companies to receive instructions from at New York. We regret very much that Mr. Gibson has refused to act for us, but have learned from long experience that any man is but little mind in this marvelous work of God in these last days. The following will be the dates of sailing D. T. British Company per S.S. Wyoming April 19. 1890 Scandinavian do " S. S. Wisconsin May 3. 1890 British Co " S. S. Wyoming May 24, 1890 Scandinavian do " S. S. Wisconsin June 7. 1890 British Co " S. S. Wyoming June 28. 1890 " " " " " " August 2^nd 1890 Scandinavian Co " S. S. Wisconsin August 16. 1890 " " " " " " September 20. 1890 The Holland Saints and the Swiss & Germans can choose any of these companies. Our idea is to send small companies and often. We may have later companies this will depend upon cirmcumstances. The fare for the Scandinavian

Companies fare will be £13.11.8. We pay [Gguion ] Co 15/- from Denmark to Liverpoool and they take care of our emigrants all the time they are in this City. The brethren want 1-one shilling added for some expense they have to meet in Denmark with police &/c. Bro. Flygare of Ogden can explain this stress, as I have added 16/- sixteen shillings to the £12.15.8 which makes £13.11.8 for adults Scandinavia to Salt Lake City, Ogen, Provo or Spanish Fork. I do not understand what you mean in the P.S. _"At the figure 462 it will not be necessary for you to add a $2 margin for provisions from New York to Ogden as heretofore"- We never provided provision the people provide themselves. On the Old Domin ion Steamship if emigrants want bed and board they have to pay two dollars and a half. This we paid for all the returning missionaries. They go as emigrants and furnish their own food once the railroad, the same as the emigrants do. We used to furnish the President of the Company with ten dollars - two pounds - for "tips". But as I under stand it all such things came out of the profits of the emiration over sea and land. I do not know of any 2⁰⁰ two dollars added for provision from New York to Ogden. We have published the rate just as you cakled it £12.15.8 Twelve pounds fifteen shilling and eight pence supposing this included evrything. There was a cost of 25⁰⁰ twenty five dollars transferring the

621 Coloma Diaz, Mexico May 7 -1891 Pres W. Woodruff and Council, Salt Lake city, Dear Brethren:

Your much esteemed favor of April 14 came to hand on my return from a visit to the other settlements of this Mission. I left Coloma Diaz on Friday, March 27^th and on Saturday evening reached Coloma Juarez, ^60 miles^ and the next day met with the Juarez Sunday School (1) and the afternoon and evening meeting of the Saints. (2) On Monday evening met with the Y.M. Mutual I. Association (3) On Tuesday visited the flouring mill of Bro W. R. R. Stowell ^which is a credit to Juarez.^ His miller Jus W. Memmott crossed the sea with me in the sailing ship "Underwater" in the spring of 1861. We drove over our old camping ground of 1885 and the banks of the Piedras Verdie and on the evening attended a Priesthood meeting ^[illegible] Thursday^ at the Meeting house[ illegible](4) ^ & had an excellent P. meeting & adjourned^ On Wednesday with Bp ^Geo W, Lency, Henry Eyring ^w R R Stowell^ and Jules P. Romney we drove to the Lenaeja wash to make an inspection and learned the advisability of taking out the water from a stream that runs part of the year in that wash, or of making a resevoir so as to put some three or four acres of land under cultivation. We counselled together and concluded it could be done. On Tursday April 2^nd it being Fast Day I attended the Fast meeting in the morning and in the afternoon met with the Juarez Relief Society (5) and ^ 66 [illegible] officers & members^ in the evening met with the Priesthood of Juarez according to adjournment on Tuesday evening. There were present 1 Apostle 8 Seventies 12 High Priests 10 Elders 1 Teacher and 8 Deacons. We had a very intersting meeting. The meetings were well attended all day. On Friday attended a meeting of the Y.M. M. I Ass. 48 enrolled officers & members

(5) Phoebe Fife Pres Evette Mary B. Eyring 1^st and Susan Martinau 2^nd Counsellors Pres J Eyring Sec. Elizth Coon Ass Sec Keturab Baker Treasurer & 12 Teachers 48 members Total officers & members enrolled 66

622 and in the evening attended a conjoint meeting of the Young Mens & Ladies Mutual Improvement Associations and listened to a most excellent program. On Saturday April 4 attended a meeting of the children in their Primary Association Pres Keturah Baker, Rhoda Stowell 1^st and Wealthy Shafer 2^nd Counsellors Louie [illegible] Sec. 104 officers & members. On Sunday April 5 I spent in Juarez. Attended Sabbath School afternoon and evening meetings. Meetings well attended and an excellent spirit prevailed. Monday Apr 6. attended a meeting of the Town Council, or committee and heard the proceedings. The subject of the reservoir and endeavoring to get the water upon the land where we had investigated in the Lesaja Wash was discussed which resulted in the appointment of Bp Geo W. Lencey Henry Eyring and Isaac Turley as a committee with instructions to secure the services of Bro Jno M [illegible] to survey the land and calculate the amount of water that can be reserved in the reservoir and the amount of land that can be put under water and when all calculations were carefully made to report to the next Priesthod meeting. On Tuesday Apl 7^thattended a funeral of a six year old son of Bro Sextus E. Johnson named Layne Johnson who had died at Juarez. On Wednesday 8th left Juarez for Pachieco. We drove to the mouth of the Kunyon and stayed over night with Bro Heleman Pratt who [illegible] here. Thursday 9^th Bro. W.R.R. Howell who had driven us from Juarez was taken very sick and had to return. His son drove team for us, and Bro & Sis. Pratt accompanied us to our[ illegible] to Pachieco, (Thursday April 9) calling upon Bro [illegible] M. Allen on the way. The road up the kanyon is exceedingly rough, there is a great deal of traffic, hauling lumber & wood, and the [illegible] are very much cut up and rockey. We arrived

Colonia Diaz Chihuahua, 637 Mexico. August 19^th 1891 President W. Woodruff and Council Salt Lake City, Utah Dear Brethren:

I have just returned from another very interesting and satisfactory visit to all the settlements of the Mexican Mission. I last wrote you on July 29^thfrom Colonia Juarez on the 30^th alt, in company with Bro. W.R.R. Stowell & wife, Sister T and the children. We left Colonia Juarez and drove to the mouth of the Kanyon. We stayed here all night and had a very pleasant visit with Elder Helaman Pratt and his family. The next day we drove to Bro. Orvil M. Allens where we dined and held meeting. It is quite a rough road through the Kanyon and a part of the way from the summit to Bro. Allens. He has the charge of the companys stock and appears to be a capable man. He has made himself a very comfortable home and I think he will make a success. His trouble was to secure good help it being so lonely. It is only between six and seven miles from Corralis. We had some 30 souls at our meeting and should have had more had it been known. We drove that evening to Bro. Franklin Spencer's. He has built himself a comfortable home at Corralis and is doing now well in the stock and cheese industry. He makes artery for particle of cheese which commands ready sale at Chihuahua, Bp.Jesse N. Smith owns an interest in the cheese industry. Sister T. was taken down with the colera morbus and was in a dangerous condition but was remarkably healed by the power of God. On Saturday Aug 1^st we visited the Primary Association. It had been reorganized. Sister Laura A Mecham was president with Sarah A Lunt and Martha Porter as her counsellors Mary E. Porter Secretary. This association we found in are excellent condition. On Sunday we attended the Sabbath

school of the Pacheco Ward, which includes Corralis, and the afternoon and evening meetings which were well attended and an excellent old-timed spirit prevailed. It seems as if we are better Saints and enjoy more of the power and spirit of God in our tribulation, common to all new settlements, than we do in our prosperity. The Saints here are humble willing united and earnest. They labor under very discouraging circumstances, up in the pines. The town site ^is^ covered with rocks ^the^ water ^is^ short and land scarce, but they are hopeful patient and energetic. They have a good school house, a store and some comfortable buildings. There are some 30 families, and they want more help. On Monday we went to Elder George Calvin Williams (Parson Williams) and held a meeting on Tuesday evening. We were much pleased with his energy. He has a nice Southern home, good orchard and kitchen garden and a good farm. He is a stock man and his very comfortably situated. Bros. Thompson and Coon have rented Bro. Helaman Pratts ranch There are three ranches in what is known as Cane Valley belonging to Apostle Moses Thatcher. Elders Helaman Pratt and George C Williams. Some families are living on them endeavoring to improve the lands and make homes. It is quite an experiment in this high altitude.

But these places have all been inhabitated at 638 sometime. I did not send the above but substituted the following ----------------------------------

I have just returned from a visit to all the settlements in the Mexican Mission, having been away from Colonia Diaz nearly five weeks. I wrote you from Juarez July 29. Since then I have visited the Saints in the other settlements. We left Juarez on the 30^th July, and stayed overnight at the mouth of the Kanyon with Elder Heleman Pratt. The next day we visited and held meeting at Bro. Orvil M. Allens. He has charge of the company's stock. At Pacheco we attended meetings of the Primarys, Sabbath Schools, Sunday meetings, Fast Day meetings and Relief Society meeting. Also held a meeting at Elder Geo. C. William at Cane Valley and one at Elder Franklin Spencers at Sarralis. All the meetings were well attended and we enjoyed the blessings of our Heavenly Father in a remarkable manner. At the Fast Meeting Aug 6^th, we united our hearts and prayed for rain. The crops were suffering for the want of rain and the water used for irigation was decreasing and the people were much exercised about it. Between the morning Fast meeting and the afternoon meeting of the Relief Society of Pacheco, it rained but not much but as soon as we were assembled in the Relief Society meeting it commenced to pour down rain. We had a three hours meeting, simply because we could not leave for the rain which poured down. It was quite a testimony to the young people and

pleases everybody. He would have to be a better made man! for I do not please every body. Sunday in this mission the unpre siding Pristhood compare favorably with the presiding Priesthood. Bro. [illegible] finds lots of faults & has his notions, one of which is to keep out of my way as much as possible. It is a pity he is not more propulds. With kind love, your brother & fellow laborer. Geo. Teasdale

Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua Mexico, Sep 21^st 1891 Personal Dear Prest. Woodruff,

In company with Bro. E. M. Curtis and family we visited the farm of Bro. William Galbraith of this Ward. We enjoyed a picnic under the trees by the river bed now quite dry and had a feast of watermelons. Bro. William Galbraith has bought 930 acres of land, 250 of which he has broken, 150 acres are planted in corn which in a good season would produce 50 bushels to the acre, this being a dry season he only expects to raise 25

643 tons to the acre. The corn looked splendid. I measured one of the ears, it is as 13 1/2 inches long 7 1/2 inches in circumfrence at the largest end, and 6 1/2 at the smallest. He has ten acres in Lucern. For an experiment he planted it 2 1/2[ illegible] Wheat and that produced 85 bushels, and it was sown too late to make a favorable crop. He has planted out 4000, four thoursand fruit trees, 1500, fifteen hundred grape vines, and 500, five hundred ornamental and shade trees. He has had eight yoke of oxen and 3[ illegible] of horses. He has used four yoke of cattle for ordinary plowing amd six yoke for breaking using a gang plow. He said one of his sons 12 years old had broken three acres in a day with four yoke of oxen. This will give you some idea of what can be done by labor and perseverance. He has raised wagon loads of melons. I think the land is splendid. This is private purchase, but the company has just as good land lying out of doors waiting for the people to cultivate it. There is a great deal of fault found in Bro. Griswell Hendricks stock that have done a great deal of damage to crops this season. It is a Terrible dry season, water and grass scarce. A great deal of work has been done on the Railroad, but the Brethren have not received their money and it makes things very unpleasant. Still they hope that in October the money will come and then all are promised their pay. I find more trouble amongst the presiding Priesthood than amongst the people. Bro. Macdonald finds a great deal of fault and seems to be at outs with some of his brethren whom he treats with great coolness.