-- Dec 8, 1899; Friday
Presidents Lorenzo Snow and George Q. Cannon were at the office. At 10:30 A.M. Thomas Taylor kept his appointment and LeGrand Young and Brigham Young [Jr.] were also present. Brother Taylor came from Cedar City [Utah] as the result of being visited by Elder John W. Taylor, according to the request of the Presidency, as mentioned in this journal on a previous date. A note with interest is held by the Church against Thomas Taylor, amounting to about $32,000, and the note will soon be outlawed. A proposition has been made for the purchase of this note from the Church, but it was thought best, before selling it, to consult with Brother Taylor. It is understood that certain
parties have become interested in the iron properties owned by him, and President Snow thought it a good time to arrange for the payment of the note, if he had a disposition to pay it, and if not, then to take other means to protect it.
Brother Taylor complained now, as he has complaind before, and that bitterly, that he had on two former occasions arranged to sell this property, but had been defeated by the Church, to whom the property was mortgaged. In answer to this he was told that there was no desire to hamper him or prevent him from disposing of his property, and in order to show this President Snow now offered to extend the mortgage long enough to enable him to sell, which action would protect the Church and at the same time leave him free to dispose of his property; but Brother Taylor did not feel inclined to accept this offer. He was willing to give his note, and hoped to have the property perfectly free, so that he could dispose of it. It was explained to him that this mortgage could not possibly interfere with the sale of the mine, it being necessarily a part of the transaction. President Snow assured him again that he did not wish to hurt him, but hoped to see him sell and become well to do. Brother Taylor considered a moment, and then asked the privilege of meeting President Snow again. Two o'clock was set for the hearing. After Brother Taylor was through, President Snow told Judge Young that whatever was done to accommodate Brother Taylor must not in any way jeopardize the legality of his note.
The failure of Brother Franklin S. Richards to be present at the foregoing interview, as anticipated, was due to the weakened condition of his father, President Franklin D. Richards, which summoned him to Ogden [Utah] yesterday. A telegram was sent to him this morning, inquiring about his father, and the following answer came at 10:50 A.M. "Father is very weak this morning. Will you and the brethren please exercise your faith and prayers in his behalf". At 11:40 A.M. a telegram was received from President Richards' son-in-law, Joseph A. West, stating that the sick man was growing weaker, and asking that some of the Apostles come to Ogden by the 12 o'clock train to administer to him. Brother Brigham Young was found and was asked to go. He had only six minutes to catch the D[enver]. and R[io]. G[rande]. train, but succeeded in getting to it in time.
An appealed case from the High Council of Salt Lake Stake, and one from the High Council of St. Joseph [Arizona] Stake, were considered by the Presidency. The former case was that of Spencer Clawson versus Charles M. Plant, in which the latter had been excommunicated for refusing to pay a debt of $100, for goods obtained by him, as a peddler from Brother Clawson, wholesale merchant. The account had become outlawed. The papers in the case had been placed in the hands of three of the Apostles, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith and Anthon H. Lund, who recommended that the decision of the High Council be sustained. The Presidency, before accepting the recommendation of this committee, decided to confer with them in relation to it. It appears that Brother Plant had seen President Snow before and after the High Council
decision, and that the President, in order to save him from the power of Brother Clawson, had given him an order on the latter for $100, drawn on account of $40,000 and interest that Brother Clawson is owing to the Church, but he had declined to honor the order, and Brother Plant was subsequently excommunicated.
The other case was that of Joseph Cluff versus Central Ward, appealed by the plaintiff, and referred to the same committee, who recommended that the decision of the High Council be sustained. It involved a piece of ground on which the Central Ward meeting house stands. The committee recommended that in case the members of that Ward still want this ground that they be required to pay Brother Cluff, on or before January 1st 1901, the sum of $237.84, with interest at ten per cent from April 29, 1899, until paid, and that he then give the Ward a legal deed for the same. If he refused to do this, the committee recommended that the decision of the Council excommunicating him be sustained. The recommendation was approved by the Presidency.
At 2:15 P.M. Brother Thomas Taylor and Judge LeGrand Young met again with the presidency. Brother Taylor informed President Snow that he would not like the mortgage extended on his iron property, and did not think that it should have been given in the first place. He respectfully offered to give his note, or to renew his note for $32,000, to be paid within twelve months if he made the sale now being negotiated, providing the mortgage be cancelled, and no one be allowed to purchase the note: and this with the understanding that anybody else who might consider himself interested in this deal should make arrangements with him.
President Snow replied that he would not like to promise not to dispose of the note to a third party, nor to foreclose the mortgage, as it would all depend upon circumstances. He said further that he considered that he had given very fair terms, which could not possibly injure or hamper Brother Taylor in the sale of his property.
The latter now arose and was about to leave the office, his manner indicating that that was an end to the business. As he moved to go, he said with much feeling and even bitterness that he did not owe this money anyway.
President Snow told him that as Trustee-in-Trust he was but doing his duty to the people over whom he presided, and that Brother Taylor, one of the people, should not allow ill feelings to enter his heart against him. So saying the President shook hands with him; and Brother Taylor departed, with the remark that this was only a repetition of his former experiences, that is, whenever he got ready to sell his property, this thing was brought up to hamper him.
Judge Young followed Brother Taylor out and had a conversation with him in the hallway, and on returning reported that he would not listen to him nor to any other man on this question. So Brother Taylor had said. At 3:45 P.M., however, Judge Young came back to the office and informed President Snow that he had had another conversation with Brother Taylor, and that he now consented to an extension of the time, excusing himself for
refusing this accommodation before by saying that he understood President Snow to require personal security. (1)
-- Dec 9, 1899; Saturday
Presidents George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith were at the office; President Lorenzo Snow absent at Brigham City [Utah], whither he went this morning, in order to be present tomorrow at the dedication of the new meeting house at Beaver Dam.
Word was received this morning that President Franklin D. Richards died at about fifteen minutes after twelve A.M., this date.
The sum of $30 was appropriated in labor tithing to the Cannonville [Utah] meeting house. ...
A political club has been organized at Juarez, in order to give the Mormon colonists a political status in Mexico. The officers are A[nthony]. W. Ivins, President; William D. Johnson, Vice President; R. Eyring, J[oseph]. C. Bentley, H[elman]. Pratt, Dr. Keat and J[ames]. H. Martineau, executive committee; and Senor M. A. Sanz, Secretary. A memorial to President [Porfirio] Diaz, praying him to accept renomination to the Presidency of the Mexican republic, as the desire of every Mormon colonist in that country, was adopted unanimously and signed by all heads of families present. (1)
Endnotes:
1 - First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
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