Journal, 1874-1877

File — Box: 1, Volume: 4

Identifier: I

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

1874
January 24
"went to City Subscribed for Salt Lake Herald daily 3 mo"
February 1
"attended Sunday school & two meetings Bp Gardner preached on marriage urged it as a duty binding the Saints"
March 20
"I had ten of my family in the school they had made good progress this winter"
March 31
"Mr Ingalls Indian Agent from the muddy reservation called on me to take my testimony in regard to a reported Indian depredation in Meadow Valley Wash in the Summer 1869 by the Piute Indians"
April 6
"Conference met & adjourned until May 6"
April 7
"Attended the female relief meeting the society was reorganized I planted potatoes"
April 18
"I drew off money depositied in the Parent Coop store $300 sent Br Gardner $200 of it to pay frieght on steam engine from Sinker & Davies"
April 28
"John E and family (son of his first wife Esther) come in from Rush last night Heber arrived to day with 102 head of muttons from Rush"
June 16
"Took some wool to Wasatch factory 910 1bs at 25c recd 1/3 cash 2/3 to be cloth or Coop"
June 24
"Last evening we heard the report of Cannon that was the Antimormon party rejoicing over Congress passing the Poland or Anti Polygamic bill"
July 1
"I was at Butterfields as an arbitrator between some city men & herd boys about damaging some houses on the bench"
July 9
"My 54th birthday jobing about home feeling rather feeble in health Boys ploughing on Esther A I get good help this summer from the boys"
July 16
"We picked five bushels of goosberries took them to the city 2 bus tithing"
August 22
"Went to the City bought a Singer Sewing machine for Esther A and Mary for $89.00"
August 26
"I loaded up & started for Dixie"
September 8
"Watered & baited at Desert Spring then drove to the sheep at Pinto Creek"
September 9
"Got my sheep out of Br Days flock four hundred head of them"
September 25
"arrived home about 3 p.m."
October 17
"Went to the City paid mr D Davisson $370.00 for eight head of Merino sheep all bucks S R had selected & brought them home last Wednesday"
October 18
"Attended Ward meeting Elders Woodruff & Sheets preached on the United Order or Coop met with the directors after dinner talked on tannery & herding in Coop also on starting men to work on St George Temple"
October 19
"Paid over $48.00 in cloth an offering towards building the St. George Temple"
October 20
"Took to the fair four Merino bucks Alfred & Iras went down with me there was a slim show of live stock & considerable horse racing"
1875
February 17
"I was this day naturalized a U S citizen in the U S district Court Judge Emerson presiding my witness A O smoot & T Allman"
May 22
"Had rained most of the night we got up the flock docked 1103 & altered & marked a fine lot of lambs"
June 22
"started to Rush valley with supplies"
June 23
"Found all well at Vernon" [This is typical of his trips to Rush Valley to check up on his sheep and cattle business and visit his younger wives]
June 25
"Rode on the range & by sheep camp
June 27
"arrived home near midnight had drove from Camp Floyd ridge"
July 14
"Attended a school party at Hills farm as per invited yesterday morning but it come out a sotty affair for beer was drank too freely and quarreling & much disorder followed and I got my family together & left for home & concluded that beer drinking is a bad habit for the saints"
August 17
"I started to Rush aalley but feeling very poorly I turned back home & had a severe attack of corola for several hours I was so sick that I thought I might easily leave here I had no fears about it only I wished I had my will made out so after I had gone my family might know how to share my property among them"
August 18
"My sickness gone leaving me sore in my bowels I started to Rush drove to Camp Floyd"
September 22
"At 2 A M I began loading up winter supplies & at day break started for Vernon"
September 23
"arrived at Vernon & found the boys with most of the stock gathered up"
September 24
"I rode to the sheep camp taking supplies pasture very poor and dry out getting out the cattle appeared timely"
September 25
"Helping the boys seperate out strange cattle & guarding at night"
September 26
"counted off total 1035 (cattle)
September 28
"drove to Utah Lake with the herd"
October 10
"Started all our young folks to conference...My hearing is growing worse so it is not pleasant to be at meeting, can't hear but little of the preaching"
John decides to move Mary and her family from Rush Valley back to Jordan.
December 3
"Started with Mary, children & chattels for Jordan home"
December 6
"Unloaded Marys things & fixing at her house"
December 7
"Worked on Mary's house"
December 20
"I attended a baptism meeting at Jordan Mill & was rebaptized for the remision of sins & renewal of our covenants & subscribed to the conditions there of my wives Esther & Esther Ann done the same"
1876
January 1
"the Summer of 1875 had been warmer than usual latter part & fall very dry & dusty late fall & fore winter very rainy the wetest time I had seem since the country was settled Pasture very poor we moved our cattle south east to Castle Valley My boys are coming up Heber, Israel, & Alfred are a great help to me I am hopeful they will take good ways & that soon I can trust stock in thier care for I cant rough it as I have done... During summer & fall the teaching was to all the Church to repent of your back sliding & renew your covenants by rebaptism & work into the United Order Dec 1 I was rebaptized at the baptismal font at Jordan Mills also my wives Esther & Esther Ann...Mary was baptized at Vernon"
January 16
"Attended meeting twice & S school forenoon Bp Gardner preached mostly on building a factory He said he wished it to be a ward job all that could to take shares in it If the ward would not the six that had signed the note for machinery could & would build it, said that 100 men could in two days improve the mill rase so it would bring plenty of water for Mill Factory & irrigation down here Speakers today testified to the near approach of trouble in the nation so that it was high time for us to take care of ourselves"
February 17
"Took supper at Esther A 15 children present"
March 1
"Israel writes that the sheep have wintered well, but he seems very wishful to come home as may be seen by the following lines" [he was sixtten years old, Esther Ann's son]:
Home
In the hills I love to wander
In the valley I love to roam;
But better still than valley or hills
I love to be at home
Twas there in childhood hours
I loved to run & play;
And chase the gaudy butterfly
through many a sunny day
Tis there my thoughts are centerd
When I'm wandering far away;
And I kneel before my maker
And for the dear ones pray
Israel Bennion
March 25
"Had been up most of the night Mary had a bad time of it got away with what is called a false conception"
June 6
"went to the city turned 26 wethers on lamb tithing sold 23 to Pettersen for $100.00 got 29 wool sacks from Coop"
June 25
"Bp Gardner met this branch & nearly fifty persons were baptized into the United Order eight of my sons"
July 14
"Jane Berry went to the city on the back for England her poor health seemed to make her dispondant & home sick I paid out one hundred dollars in currency to carry her back to England to her Mother" [who is Jeane Berry]
July 15
"Started early to the city we saw Jane start at 7 A M Sam R went to Ogden to see her safe on th U P train she was very deeply affected at the last & sunk in Spirits, as though the journey would go hard with her said she would come back after awhile but time will tell"
September 24
"Afternoon we began our teachers visit awhile at Bro Mackeys I was called home to attend to careing for the body of a drowned man found at the Bridge, we brought him to my house & laid him in granary at evening his comrades from the smelter above fetched the body away his name was MacDonald"
October 31
"Loaded up & started for Castle Valley with supplies & about 100 head of cattle"
November 5
"Nooned at Gunnison left a lame steer with a Butcher to make what he could of him & credit & tithing"
November 7
"Passed through goosberry valley ouver into Gunnison Valley down a terrible hill"
November 8
"Passed over the rim & arrived at Camp about 3 P M"
November 18
"Drove on the San Pete road I rode ahead with Hyrum to Manti where I found a mare I had lost over five years I took out a writ of replevin & got possession of the animal before Justice Brown who acted very tedious & reluctant in the case The young man Chris Yansen Defendent was civil & kind to us"
December 8
"Attended the last day of school term has been rather thin but quite an interest has been awakened weather has been foggy for days past"
December 12
"Went to the City via McGees factory Attended meeting of the Young Mens Mutual Improvement Society lecture on temperence I concluded there was too much letter & too little spirit in the meeting"
1877
January 29
"Went to the city sold 160 1bs of wool to ZCMI at 20c bought feathers 75c"
August 7
"Went to city to attend water trial"
August 26
"Teachers meeting in afternoon a building committee was there appointed to superintend the building of a Ward house I was excused by my request felt I had too much already on me to do justice to it"
August 29
"Mr Gibson come out to buy cattle we heard of Prest Youngs illness Pres B Young died at 4 P M"
August 30
"Went to mill creek canyon after a load the Alfred left by break waggon Wille watering Ira & Harden cutting willows"
This is the last entry in John's journal.
The following account of John's death was told by Harden Bennion in Bennion Family History Volume I.
"On the morning of August 31st 1877, he mounted, without saddle, a gentle old horse to ride over to Brother Sam's to arrange for a threshing machine then working to come over to his place and likewise thresh his crops. While on the way he stopped at the Webster blacksmith shop to attend to a small matter of business, and having accomplished it, again mounted his horse by stepping first upon the tongue of a spring wagon that stood conveniently near. The action resulted in an internal injury of some kind from which he suffered extreme agony for nearly 24 hours, and from the effects of which he died the following day. His funeral was held under the shade of the trees he planted and loved so well."

Dates

1874-1877

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