The history of Z.C.M.I, Jan 18, 1890

-- Jan 18, 1890
[Apostle Heber J. Grant Diary] I met Capt[ain] Bonfield of Chicago at the Herald building today. I met with the City Central Committee. At 2 PM met at the Gardo with a number of the brethren and it was agreed that free schools be provided for during the present legislature. At five PM attended a meeting in the ZCMI office at which the subject discussed was as to what would be the best course to prevent the frauds being successful that had been perpetrated by illegal registering on the line of the Denver and Rio Grande Western RR Co. Webber, Rowe, Dinwooday, Young, Clark, Romney, Thatcher and myself were present and the feeling was that in case there was no action taken by the Denver and Rio Grande to prevent the voting of their men who had no right to vote that we should get the merchants to withdraw their freight from that company. (1)

-- Jan 20, 1890
[Apostle Heber J. Grant Diary] At ten AM attended a meeting at the Gardo. After a long and a full talk it was decided by those who were present that under the circumstances that the best thing that could be done in case it were possible to effect it would be to have a fusion ticket for the coming City election . . . At 4:30 attended a meeting at the ZCMI office of the same parties who met there Saturday to discuss the D&RG freight question and the best plans to prevent the voting of men on that road who had been illegally registered. We hoped to meet Mr. Dennett of that Road at the meeting but he is out of the city. (1)

-- Jan 21, 1890
[Apostle Heber J. Grant Diary] At ten attended a meeting at the Gardo. There were present the members of the City Central Committee and they desired to learn the wishes of the brethren as to the proper persons to be chosen to run on the ticket of the Peoples Party. There was a long chat but it was voted as the sense of the meeting that the matter be left entirely in the hands of the Delegates to the Convention. It was considered best not to give any instructions. At Two PM our Rd committee met at the ZCMI office with Mr. JH Bennett of the Denver Railroad. We explained to him that there had been a car run down on his road as far as Pleasant Valley Junction and that there had been men on the different sections of his road registered who had never so much as seen Salt Lake. He said that he had no knowledge of the matter and that he would do all he could to prevent fraud on the line of his road. Said any of the men on the road who came in to vote who were not entitled to do so wo
uld be discharged. . . . This evening attended the 10th Ward Political Club. Cha[rle]s W. P. Penrose and Myself were the speakers. (1)

-- Feb 3, 1890
[Apostle Heber J. Grant Diary] I called at the Gardo and told the brethren there as to the success of the trip to Denver. Clark and I called this afternoon on Mr. Bancroft. After reading the letter from Mr. Dodge he said that he did not feel that he was authorized to allow us to examine the company's pay rolls. We telegraphed to Mr. Dodge that Bancroft construed his letter to allow us to examine the pay roll only for the list of names shown to him in Denver and asking him to instruct him to allow us to examine the November and December rolls. This evening attended a meeting of the members of the Legislature in the ZCMI Shoe Factory. A school Bill providing for free schools was read and talked about to some length. I confess that I regret our inability to have Church schools in our territory. (1)

Footnotes:
1 - Diary Excerpts of Heber J. Grant,
LDS History Chronology: Z.C.M.I

Mormon Timeline: Z.C.M.I
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