Journal, 1888-1889

File — Box: 2, Volume: 1

Identifier: II

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

1888
August 25
"Started out for Rochester early, walking five or seven miles, then took the train. On the way I stopped a few hours to visit a peculiar community of people known as the Harmony Society. Their peculiar habits and general policy is indicated in the two names. They were the followers of a man named Geo. Rapp, who by preaching his unorthodox views of primitive christianity had gained a following of several hundred in Southern Germany in the latter part of the last century. Through the persecution of the orthodox clergy they had been led to seek a new home in the new world. Landing in Western Pa. about the year 1805 they organized into a society with all things common...they had previously proclaimed in favor of celibacy as more compatable with a saintly life than the marriage relation. Husbands and wives still occupied the same houses but no new children were born to them, consequently the little colony were becoming extent, having then dwindled from some five hundred to less than one hundred and they mostly verging in the grave. Though not seeking for wealth their natural industry and economy had amassed for them several millions mostly in mills and various manufactures. To preserve their habits of quietude and primitive simplicity they had put their industries off at some distance. But for their hundred or more hired servants and their families their town would be an anomoly indeed. Their hotel was always open to beggars, tramps, Mormon Elders, etc., free of charge...Also offered me wine which they made in abundance as well as whiskey, they were temperate in its use. They were visited by our elders, but gave me to understand plainly they took no stock in our doctrine, though that would not hinder them from doing right by us. They seem to be all German though they spoke English quite well."
While Heber was on a mission he was exposed to many new ideas and groups of people. This is one example of another religious viewpoint different from his own, and yet similar in some aspects. They shared a mutual tolerance and respect, along with a firm conviction in their beliefs. In other instances Heber showed less tolerance as in the following excerpt:
September 2
"After dinner went down to the camp meeting paid my fee of ten cents and took my seat under the trees...there seemed to be between one or two hundred loafers about the grounds drinking summer drinks, chewing, eating watermelons..."
Disgusted with the false teachings he overheard preached to this crowd Heber left for "more congenial climes" to soothe his mind with a few chapters from the Book of Mormon. Heber walks a great deal from town to town, attends meetings, spends time writing letters and reading Mormon scripture and preaching to anyone who would listen, staying with friendly families.
September 21
"Brother Robinson had baptized the wife. She seemed to be honest hearted and kind but I couldn't take very well to her. She lacked humility and a genral air of saintliness."
Heber continually mentions the weather which is very wet and humid compared to arid Utah.
October 26
"Walked sixteen miles up hill and down, over fields and fences through woods and dales in mud and rain to the place of our conference."
October 31
"Spent most of the day at Sister Bakers in our usual social manner"
Thursday was always fast day, when he would engage in study and prolific letter writing.
November 7
Assisted the brethern in confirming the children, Sister Baker two each by the hand being full of the spirit and gave them such advice and blessings as to melt them all to tears of joy...Preaching and singing to Bro Van Gilder and wife in the evening. She was considerably troubled over the position of her husband-too much of a novel reader for Mormonism"
November 18
"Had two good meetings in the afternoon...But as in times of old when the sons of God came together the devil came also, so on this occasion Devil John came and exhibited his hoofs and horns at the close of the evening meeting by reveling, wrangling and seeking a sign. But he could really do nothing against us, only for us"
December 2
"It seemed to be a habit among many of the people in these parts to get up a couple of hours before daylight and wane the time away staring into the fire. Such seemed to be the custom of this family" [With whom Heber was staying at the time]
December 16
"I spoke in the afternoon on the relationship of God, angels, spirits and man"
A summary of his labors at the end of Volume III states:
"recorded in this book, held fifty-seven meetings, baptized eight persons and assisted in the baptism of five others; blessed or assisted in blessing six children, and administered to the sick ten times...travelled three hundred and twenty miles by rail and walked about five hundred and wrote one hundred and thirty-seven letters."
Volume 4 1889
This journal begins with a description of Heber's trip to Washington, D. C. mixing business and sightseeing.
1889
January 12
"We loaded the 7:20 B&O express for Washington, D. C. Our course lay over Maryland and down the Potomic by Harpers Ferry to Washington"
He gives a candid description of the president of the United States:
January 14
"Immediately after lunch we went to the White House, where in the large reception room were priviledged to shake hands with the president He was not tall but very heavy, fat and dumpy, had a much older and less fresh and vigorous appearance than I had imagined. Looked like a great lump of fat, so much so that his eyes had a squinty look. He appeared pleasant however and greeted all"
In New York Heber says:
January 29
"After having our photos taken we went to Prof. Worths museum the best by far that I had ever seen for the money 10 cents. The most interesting curiosity of this museum is the ossified or bone man. He appeared to be or ordinary height but very thin, stiff as a bord, and light as a doll. He told us he had been in this condition for thirty-one years, but was as free from pain as any of us and even now had a good appetite for his dinner"
Returning west to Fayette City Heber says:
February 9
"It seemed quite a relief to me to get back into quiet country life, among a humble, lowly but socialable class of people free from the ostentation and formality of the higher circles of society. Still there was a slight repulse in being thrown suddenly into the opposite extreme of familiarity, awkwardness and even slowenlyness that bordered on filthiness"
March 7
"Rained all day confining pretty well indoors. Towards evening I made a dam in the creek below the house and baptized Hiram. Confirmed him in the evening"
April 9
"Continued my course over the hill to John Bakers'-"Devil Johns"- as called to distinguish him from others of the same name. It was no misnomer either; but he treated me very cordially. He was fixed up in fine style about his house-some said for the purpose of aggrevating his wife, who had left him on account of ill use and lately joined the Church in Kansas."
April 15
"Bro Barthalomew came to inform me that my wife and little, boy were at Jonson Hendershot's anxious to see me...I soon made my way over there several miles distant and there sure enough they were."
With his wife Susie and young son Heber Jr. he toured Washington again, visiting the National Museum, Smithsonian Institute, White House and Capital, etc. From there they went to New York.
June 5
"Bid the family farewell and went on to Sister P's for dinner."
July 10
"She was in deep mourning over the loss of her mother. Still she did not feel to mourn as those who have no hope. The Gospel had made a great change in her- from a proud selfish unbeliever to a humble sacrificing saint."
After the lush midwest Heber is more aware of the desert dryness of Utah as he returns by train to Utah when his mission is over.
July 11
"Reached Grand Junction early in the morning and Green River for a late breakfast. Here is a two hundred miles stretch of the most barren, dessolate forbidding looking country I ever saw; a scene well calculated to heighten ones appreciation of the rich valleys of Zion beyond. But even they were very dry and parched."
Heber arrives in time for the Twenty-fourth of July celebration.
July 24
"The ward assembled at the meeting house at 10 A.M. and executed a nice programme consisting of music, singing, speaking etc. taking part myself as orator of the day. There appeared to be general satisfaction. There was a children's dance in the afternoon and one fore adults in the evening...ice cream and sodas also drew their share of attention. It kept me pretty busy renewing my old acquaintances so numerous on such occasions"
July 25
"Missed the train for Pleasant Grove"
This is the last entry in this journal. Mary Bennion Powell, his daughter, added these lines to the bottom of his journal:
"He missed the train all right. The train for happiness; for early in life, he decided to be a polygamist, which broke his wife's heart, and the hearts of all her children who were old enough to know that marriage means absolute and single loyalty to ones spouse."
Journals
1889 - 1898
1890
January
"On the 9 of January I was ordained a High Priest and Bishop of our ward...This was a great surprise to me so young and boyish, & overwhelming almost to suffication at the time, but I had previously learned to adjust myself to the changing vissitudes of life and round up my shoulders for most anything."
On his return from his mission, Heber was elected a member of the Territorial Legislature and served in that capacity during its session of 1890. He prospered financially and as a leader in his church and in politics. He writes" "Two years later I was complimented by the Democratic Party putting through several of my pet measures, among others a bill authorizing the sale of University lands and another was exempting morgages from taxation...I was a member of several committee and chairman of the com. on enrollment...In the midst of some mischief we probably did some good. At any rate we had a good time, and wound up about the middle of March. We were all in Salt Lake campaign in which we got thoroughly mixed up with mud and fireworks and badly beaten by the liberals to boot." After his defeat he "went back to the noble work of the plow, awaiting my country's call again,-perhaps to wait forever."
1892
April
"Sold part of my cattle as beef in the Spring at a low figure and sent the remainder off to the hills. Bought and planted 2000 fruit trees in two fields. The larger one containing 1400 prunes, cherries & peaches was entirely destroyed later on with grasshoppers. Yet with all these misfortunes I seem to prosper and make money. Such is life in the west."
1894
July 12
"Went up Millcreek to the sheep in the afternoon. Found the bears & wolves had killed 50 in the last two weeks"
Heber takes his family on an outing to Rush Valley, where he spent so much of his youth.
August 31
"Israel & I took our families in my rigg on a tour of the valley. Went by his farm over west & up to the 'old place' by way of Hacker Cedars & Duck Creek. I fisst went to this 'old place' with my parents at 4 years of age in Aug. of 1863, & for 12 or 15 years after, it was my headquarters for the warm months & occasionally for winter also. But that once lively and prosperous ranch is now silent & dessolate as the grass. Nothing but dreary sagebrush & lonesome cedars. The two old cedar door posts still stood out of which I knocked the latch pin for a relic. The old snubbing post still stands on the oldest corral ground with the larriet marks still round its neck. We stood around the old 'saddle rock' & again struck fire by pelting it with stones as we did 30 or more years ago.... It all seemed like a dresm: what a world of change: What will 30 more years bring forth? "
September 1
"I was considerably interested in Israel's journal & encouraged in the habit of journaling. Without it ones life seems running away into oblivion. By it we lived after we are dead. That our kindred may know us for generations to come."
September 7
"Wrote in my journal & knocked about until after dinner when I started to the sheep in Cottonwood on horseback. Rained on me all the way up the mountain. The trail had grown up & the brush was weighted down toward me with wet dripping snow. The mountain was so steep & slippery that the horse could barely stumble up after me. I fought my way through these difficulties for several miles until almost exhausted & benumbed... just at dusk I stumbled onto the camp. George had retired but got up & helped me to an old miners cabin where we built a rousing fire before which I partially stripped and dried. I now recall an experience as a boy of nine years old equally trying. Kanosh, father's Indian boy & I were about to start from Rush Valley to Jordan with small animals for father's Dixie Mission... I had occasion to cross the creek after the sheep, but in so doing fell backwards into the water head over heels and out of sight. I scrambled out caught my breath, stripped and dried my clothes just sufficiently not to be noticed by others as being wet & then rode all night in them driving the stock across the desert... It was in November or near about, but I appeared to suffer no bad results."
September 15
Picked out a little over 200 buck lambs & started back for my camp, with them, but got hung up about half way in the big sage brush. Kept fire all night to keep off the wolves."
1984
September 24
"Received & branded 2607 sheep from Brown 351 of them were long wools from the other herd. All of them together with my old "scad" herd swelled the number to about 3800."
October 23
"Rode 60 miles on a buck board to Smith well. It was a rough tough barren country."
October 24
"Rode 65 mi: to Vernal over a desolate unforbidding country"
October 25
"Unita Valley smiled & shimmered in the desert lika a gem in the mountains"
December 23
"went to the old home. Found most interesting entertainment reading Father's letters to friends in England to Nauvoo, across the plains & his earlier & later cares in pioneering this valley. I read an extract or two in meeting & spoke there from relating to saving letters and making family records diaries etc. Also referred with regret to the increasing habit of smoking, drinking, hoodlumism etc. among our boys...Also declaimed against the growing tendency among saints to put the means into fine houses fine furniture, costly apparel etc. & neglecting material enterprises as creamieries, caneries, taneries, factories & founderies, etc. that would not be dead unproductive properties but would give increasing employment & prosperity to all."
1895
January 2
"Went to town. Borrowed $1500 from the Deseret Bank"
January 16
"Visiting about with Patriarch Smith. He is a very peculiar man: but no doubt all the old patriarchs were peculiar."
January 19
"Our evenings were spent with books, papers, letter writing etc. The children came in for their share of attention also. We take great pleasure in them."
1895
February 4
Heber lists the Bennion family financial status and then says: "By the above we would appear to be rich. But the trouble comes in paying 10% on property that is yealding but 5% or 6% By a series of reversals & reverses we have run several thousand dollars lacking of late years & if continues would, of course bankrupt us in a few years. But we trust with the blessings & approval of the Lord to better in the future & get out of this muddle. Time will tell."
April 26
"Cousin Alice J. Harker being again afflicted with insanity. The relief society had proclaimed a fast for her in which quite a number of the breathren participated. We met at her house, held a sort of fast meeting, singing, talking, praying. I finally administered to her."
December
"went up to the sheep of Bingham Creek... An old man named Davis herding near by had accidentally shot himself this moring in camp, dying instantly. He was discovered soon afterwards by a boy going to the camp to enquire for some liquor for our rancher who had been hurt by a fall from his wagon... the body was still alone & undisturbed as it had fallen... the old rusty pistol in sight on the bunk. It was a sad lonely scene only intersified by the monotonous ticking of the little clock, admonishing that life or death time still went on measuring out to us our allotted lease of life."
1896
January 5
"Working with the sheep all morning...at meeting I spoke of Statehood & its probable good results., also favored from public treasure."
January 24
"Went to the special Priesthood meeting in the Assembly Hall. We were admonished for the public exhibition of our dead in their temple clothing. It was advised that it would be better for church officials to resign were they seemed to be irreconcilable differences with them and their quorums or superiors."
May 13
"Took the morning train to Wasatch arriving in time for dinner. Found no snow but cold and blustery. Just beginning to lamb, but cold and coyotes disposing of most of them."
June 10
"My shearing dragged along for nearly two weeks a wearisome job & hard on the sheep... we sheared about 5200 & docked a little over 2000 lambs. These with the rams & the bunch from home amounted to about 8000."
October 13
"In the evening Bros. Panter & Haigh came up to see Charly Wright Jr. about his being drunk the day after being sustained by the people for the higher Priesthood. We advised him to wait until he overcome this evil before going to the temple."
1897
January 29
"Susie miscarried-twin boys two-thirds developed. We were much disappointed though we could hardly expect her to carry through with so much sickness."
February 6
"Went to Priesthood meeting & listened to a long discourse by Brigham Young the gist of which was in opposition to round dancing. I am a round dancer myself but never experienced the wild effects they speak of. Those who do, if they are such, should stop immediately. If taking a lady's hand or even looking at one excites passion, the indulgence should cease at once.
1912 to 1923
April 27
"reading & writing in the morning. Uptown in the afternoon with Susie. My application to Utah Nat. Bank for $5,000 loan was turned down. I must & can & will get out of debt."
February 2
"Fast day with the folks & turned my face homeward bidding farewell to this great irresponsible carefree life to again take up the battle of life with debt & worry. But the Lord being my helper I will get affairs in better shape. Life is too short to be taken up entirely with debt."
1914
January 4
"I was out calling on missionaries when I got a call to come to mother as she was worse. We all gathered at her bedside & prayed that she might go in peace. She said she wanted to die, as her time of usefulness was past. She died at 11:50 pm. She would have been 74 Jan. 25. It was a beautiful life. . . She over done herself early in life doing for others & broke her health for the later half of her life... She was & I hope ever will be my guardian angel.
January 7
"Buried Mother. She was a beautiful corpse. It was a beautiful funeral."
1916
January 1
"I seem to neglect my journal until I lose track of myself. We had a very nice Xmas. All the family together seventeen of us. I wonder if it will ever happen again. This is such an uncertain world - so many chance for good and evil."
December 22
"My journal has been lost all this time-put away so carefully that no one can find it. We had passed through much trouble & trial in the interim. Sterling got very sick. He had to go straight to the hospital & have his appendix out. He has not been well since & has to wear a truss."
Heber continues his work as a farmer, struggling to get out of debt. In 1918 he said: "I was promised in a Patriarchal blessing 25 years ago that I should 'see the purposes of the Lord fulfilled to the increase of my faith, even under adverse circumstance'" As time goes on and things are becoming more difficult financially for Heber all the time, he begins writing longer philosophical passages in his journal. For example: "When the time of the trouble comes such as never was since there was a nation. To that same time when every man's hand is against his neighbor. The law of the Lord-the United Order will be their only salvation. The order of Enoch is very unpopular today everybody is so eager for wealth & popularity that they cannot tolerate the idea of living in common as God's people should. Their hearts are so much upon the things of this world."
1919
June 7
"Met Charles & Mary who informed me of Ethel's death at 3 pm We have made a long and persistent fight for her life, but the latter is over & the struggle ended. We feel that we have been blessed in having such a sweet spirit commited to helping for 33 years. She has a beautiful sweet babe to keep her memory fresh & green."
Heber and Susie's first child Etherlyn spent most of her life as an invalid until her death at the age of 33.
1920
April 10
"About town with Emma. Went to a movie to get out of the rain-the first I have been to for years,"
1921
January 10
"Have vacillated between the two Counties the last two weeks, hunting cattle & tending to business & incidentally some pleasure possibly."
1922
June 25
"Susie's birthday. Turned and regulated the water on Sterling's farm at 6 a m. Then chased range cattle & herded milk cows until about noon when I changed clothes and went to Salt Lake in time for Birthday dinner with the family."

Dates

1888-1889

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