Continued from here.On September 1, John Morgan traveled, with his wife, Pres. Joseph F. Smith and his wife, and Apostle E. Snow and his wife, to the Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona settlements, where they held conferences. They also traveled to San Juan, Utah. There are seven single spaced typed pages of entries for this one month trip. The trip requires more time and research than I’m able to give it right now.
It was impossible to know which wife was traveling with John, until the September 24th entry. Note: On September 22nd they were with Bishop Udall in St. John, Arizona.
From the John Morgan Journal, Marriott Library, University of Utah.
1884
September 24
Visited sister Jackson, one of the saints from Ala. Leaving Erastus at 9:30 a.m. drove a rough road to Snowflake stopping in the cedars by the way for lunch, supplemented by a nice lot of Watermelons. At our noon place we met brother Barney from St. George whose call was changed from St. John to Erastus. Arrived at Snowflake at 5 p.m. Mellie and I stopped at brother Minerlys.
Note: Four years later, in November 1888, John made a trip to this area with his third wife, Mary Ann Linton. A record of that trip appears in fourteen posts on The Ancestor Files beginning here. John and Mellie visit some of the same places and meet some of the same people, he and Mary Ann will visit and meet November 17 - December 23, 1888.
1884
On October 1, at the conclusion of their trip, Hyrum Groesbeck picked John and Mellie up from the Ogden train Depot. John wrote that day, … Found all well at home. Went out to the 10th Ward for the night.
October 2
Came down early and obtained my mail and papers and went up to the office and wrote until noon. Had dinner at Mellies and received a telegram from Silas S. Smith stating that 26 saints left Antonito [Colorado] for Conference. Called on a number of the Ex-Elders of the s. s. [Southern States] mission to aid in caring for the visitors …
On the 3rd he met in the President’s office with Pres. Cannon and Apostles F. M. Lyman and F. D. Richards about the Elders in the Southern Mission and the emigration of the saints from Cane Creek, Tenn …
October 5
Attended Conference at 10 a.m. Met a number of friends from different parts of the territory. At the 2 p.m. meeting Pres. Geo. Q. Cannon called me to the stand and soon afterwards announced my name as one of the First Seven Presidents of the Seventies which office I accepted publicly. Attended a Priesthood meeting in the large Tabernacle at 7 p.m. Pres. Taylor addressed the people ...
John attended meetings throughout conference and into the following week.
October 9
Attended a meeting of the First Presidency and Twelve, where Pres. Taylor stated his feelings in relation to missionary matters and urged care and caution in relation to steps taken about withdrawing the Elders before the people reject the Gospel. Elder B. H. Roberts and myself stated the entire situation of the Southern States mission to the brethren. After some consultation it was thought best to send the Elders who had been called and use care and wisdom in sending any more.
Tried to communicate with some of the Elders called to get them to return and go immediately on their missions.
Throughout the following weeks John was busy getting Colorado saints transportation to the Logan Temple, seeing missionaries off to Europe and other points, assisting Hyrum Groesbeck with his books, conducting teacher association meetings, and acquiring money for Brother Roberts. He traveled to the Brigham Young Academy in Provo, where he guided visitors through the rooms there, and met with visiting Indians from the Uintah reservation.
October 15
Elder B. H. Roberts called on me at 9 a.m. and we both went to the Pres. Office to see about some means to emigrate the saints from Cane Creek, and were quite successful in accomplishing our object … and the next day Pres. Geo Q. Cannon informed him that money would be provided to emigrate the Cane Creek saints by the time needed. John continued on his school reports, in his office writing letters and working on County Supt. Reports, on the 18th arranged to have a cow shed built and ordered some of the lumber … working on it the following day. 23rd … walked up to the Groesbeck property with brother and sister Lucy to see some rooms to rent.
October 24 … This is the 16th anniversary of my marriage to Mellie. Obtained $800 of Tenn. Martyr fund to assist in emigration of Tenn. saints. Bought draft and forwarded amount to B. H. Roberts, Chattanooga, Tenn. …
(To be continued.)
I took the picture of the old City Hall, August 2009, as it now appears, across the street from the recently renovated Utah State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City.
Thank you for adding the part about making about the same trip with Mary Ann later. It helps me. Also after reading The Undaunted by Gerald Lund the part about Silas S. Smith was interesting. He must have moved on to the San Luis Valley after the Hole in the Rock experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out that Silas S. Smith was involved in both places. I actually have my husband's grandmother's copy of "Pioneers & Prominent Men of Utah" here, which I often forget. Silas Sanford Smith's biography is on pg. 1170, and his picture is on page 87. After his part in the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition, he was President of the San Luis Stake from 1883-1892.
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