Thursday, December 9, 2010

John Morgan building tenement row. Dec 10-Dec 17, 1889. Part six. Concluded.

Continued from here.

1889
December 10

In the house most of the day owing to heavy rains. The streets were almost impassable. Have been reading Brancroft’s “Utah” and find it a fair and impartial history. Spoke at 6 and 14 political club meetings.

… December 12
At work about the house building and other matters during the day. Commenced building up the south wall of the Tenement row. More or less showery almost every day during the week so far.

December 13
Still pushing the building ahead and getting along nicely.

December 14
Finished the walls and roof today, closing the house in and secure against storm. Plasterers and carpenters at work.

December 15-17 John Morgan traveled to Provo for a Sunday School Conference. He traveled home to Salt Lake with B. H. Roberts

December 18
Buying Christmas things for Annie and the children. … attended the theatre at night.

December 19
Stormed during the day and no chance to get out. Read Brancroft’s History of Utah, which on the whole is the fairest and most reliable historical work ever published on the Territory and will doubtless do much good in alloying prejudice and carrying information into quarters where no Elder could reach.

December 20
Reading Brancroft’s History. Weather stormy and streets nearly impassable on account of mud. Owing to continued snow and rain storms the roads in every direction are nearly past traveling.

December 21
Talked the sale of some Real Estate with some agents of business about town….

December 23
Attended family prayers at 930 a.m. and Fast Meeting at 10 a.m....

December 24
Looked after matters about home. Brother Roberts called and we canvassed matters pertaining to a Mission East talked of. Made arrangements to sell a piece of property in the 17th Ward today.

December 25
At home, the first Christmas in five years and quietly enjoyed ourselves. The day passed very pleasantly indeed. Warm and spring-like. Rained some.

December 26
Set some men to work fencing the back lot of the tenement row and piling up rock. Attended a reunion of the old folks and widows of the 16th Ward. Songs, speeches and recitations occupied the time.

December 27
Leveling up around the tenement row with gravel and finishing the fence. Attended Council Meeting at 12 M … Received a notice from the First Presidency that brother B. H. Roberts and myself had been called to a Mission in the Eastern States to try to convert public opinion on the Mormon question.

[Note: I haven’t found another journal entry where John Morgan mentions this building project, or his tenement row. I assume he is now finished building it.]

(Concluded.)
John Hamilton Morgan journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah.

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