What’s it like to be a young man from the deserts of Southern Utah early in the 20th century – and a few weeks later to be a missionary on Samoa? Burton K. Farnsworth knew, and recorded it in his missionary journal. His descendant Laura shares that diary ((Transcribed by Laura Farnsworth Nielsen. I have tried to retain original punctuation and spelling. Numbers in [ ]’s are dates in the margin in the middle of an entry. Other items in [ ]’s are added for comprehension. X’s represent illegible characters. Information on other missionaries was taken from a list of missionaries who served in Samoa form 1888-1949 available through the LDS Family History Library. Other information was taken from FamilySearch.org)) with us in a series of Sunday morning posts. She goes beyond what I have done in posting journals, in identifying the people and places mentioned. This is going to be a great series!
The Journal of Burton Kent Farnsworth
Completing my course in the M.A. ((Originally the Beaver Branch of Brigham Young University, the school became independent in 1908 and was renamed Murdock Academy. Housed in the buildings of Fort Cameron, a former military base outside of Beaver, Utah, it offered a 4 year high school program. This privately owned school closed in 1922 when the new public Beaver High School was opened.)) of Beaver Utah in the Spring of ’09, I began working for myself and living on the Old Farm with Dennis. ((Older brother Franklin Dennis Farnsworth 1887-1961). )) I lived there and worked on a brick yard until on August 1st. M. Price Hutching ((Marion Price Hutchings (1890-1957) later served a mission to Tennessee.)) and I who had been working together, took a notion of going out in Nevada on a ranch where Price had relations. We left Beaver on the old Owen’s stage with nine other passengers and arrived in Milford in the evening after a dirty but nevertheless interesting ride. That night we stayed at the Farmer House and attended a picture show also visited with Miss Metta Schow ((Metta Schow Weston (1891-1974) was born in Panguitch, UT, but her family lived in Milford at this time.)) and her friends.
We left Milford at 9 AM the 2 of Aug. and before the day was finished we were out of Utah for the first time in my life. We arrived at Caliente about 2 o’clock and then made our way to Pioche by a sub engine arriving there at about 7 P.M. and met with Hutchings who had come down with boy from the ranch.
We went back in town and // attended an opening ball given in a new store, but as we were not well dressed for a ball we were not game to dance. About midnight we returned to our wagon and left Pioche for the Guyser Ranch.
In two days travel we reached the rancheo and I began work for Mr. Wambolt, a brother in law to Price and Price began work for Rob, his bro.
5/8/09 Next day Aug & I accompanied Mrs. Wambolt to Silver Reef in a spring wagon taking a load of vegetables to sell. That night we slept in a tent with an old miner who also prepared a most scrumptious feast for us. Next day we sold our load of food and passing thru Atlanta which was then booming a was literally a city of tents there being one lumber house scarcely finished which was used as a Saloon, we retired to Lake valley.
Mrs. Wambolt was an admirable woman, a hard worker, good cook and a fine mother to her one little boy.
I worked with them for one month mowing and making hay etc but owing // to differences of opinions and liking the other ranch better I left Wambolt’s and went to work with Rob on the Geyser ranch. About the first day I was there I went with Price in the mail cart to Oseola, four miles north of Geyer which is 60 miles north of Pioche. The valleys are long wide deep valleys with bunches or bands of wild horses here and there scattered through the country. The night we spent in Oseola. There was a shooting scrape went on in the lumber schack next door to us which was the saloon. There was one store, one saloon and two or three families.
While working on the Geyser ranch I did a great deal of repairing old machinery and cutting hay.
While there also I read several letters from Father one asking me to come and go on a mission which I answered stating that I would be home on the 1st of Oct prepared to leave for a mission.
The first of Oct came and the Boss took me to Pioche gave me money enough to come home on but could not pay my fare so I returned home broke. // I returned from Milford to Beaver on the Auto and met Father in the tithing office just about noon. Then we went home together.
In the afternoon I called Lester Shepherd ((Lester Andrew Shepherd (1888-1917) was the son of Lyman Andrew Shepherd and Sarah Ann Stoney. He died at the age of 28 during an operation for appendicitis.)) up on the phone and talked him into the notion of going and then our names were sent in together.
So after we each rec’d a call for a mission in Samoa.
On Nov. 19, 1909 we were given a farewell party in the opera House and given $80 each.
Nov. 21 We had a party down at Bro Shepherd and had a swell time returning home nearly morning.
[Nov.] 22. Bid good bye to folks and friends and about 12 n left on the Auto. I called in to Bro Shepherds place to help Lester carry out his box and after bidding goodbye to them (amid their tears) we left for Milford the road was a little rough but we enjoyed our ride and were soon in Milford.
We ate supper and spent the evening with Metta Schow & Co. and left Milford on the 9:30 PM train for Salt Lake City. //
Nov 23. Arrived in Salt Lake about 6 AM and met Mill Mansfield at the depot and went immediately with him to Aunt Julia’s. (( Julia P. Murdock (1852-1938) was the wife of Philo Taylor Farnsworth, older brother of Burton’s father, Franklin Dewey Farnsworth. Her death certificate lists her address as 155 First Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT. )) They had not yet awoke so we laid down and I enjoyed a 2 hours sleep on the couch.
Breakfast was then announced and I then had the priviledge of meeting the family.
This was my first visit in Salt Lake City and I sure enjoyed myself. I went out to get acquainted with the street car lines and after a few pleasing experiences I got pretty well out to some of the lines and then went out to Shep’s place.
[Nov.] 25 We spent the time to great advantage [26] getting acquainted and cite seeing. Saw a football game between the U of U and A.C.U. (( Agricultural College of Utah, now Utah State University.)) at which the U of U. was viscorious. Also to a dance in a U. of U.
[Nov.] 26 I went thru the Temple and was set apart as a Samoan Missionary by Apostle Lyman. (( Richard Roswell Lyman (November 23, 1870 – December 31, 1963) was an American engineer and religious leader who was an apostle from 1918 to 1943. He was excommunicated from the church in 1943 for an unauthorized plural marriage. He was rebaptized in 1954. ))
[Nov.] 27 Left Salt Lake and Utah for Samoa
[Nov.] 28 Spend the day looking out over sage brush flats in Idaho.
[Nov.] 29 Awoke to see from the car window // the broad smooth Columbia river on our right and the Rockies covered with green moss and pretty tree on our left with occasionally a beautiful water fall. We arrived in Portland about 11 AM but it was rainy and we stayed at home in the Rainer Hotel and visited with Elders.
Nov 30 We left Portland and arrived in Seattle after ridding over a country almost submerged in water. While there we visited shows and dives of all kinds.
Dec 1st We visited the world Fair grounds and also traveled to Vancouver B.C in a steam boat ^Iqurious^ the railroad having been washed out.
2 We visited around in Vancouver. I rec’d mail from home. We visited in Stanley Park (( Stanley Park was founded in 1888. It contains a number of “monument trees.” The most famous is the “Hollow Tree,” a 700-800 year old Western Red Cedar. )) and saw many strange animals, also the big tree.
Dec 3 On Friday Dec 3 we bought our tickets from Vancouver B.C. and boarded the steamer Makur which is the largest boat on the line, having 6 engines, 3 passages speed at 6xx knots (19 knots) an hour and weighing about 8000 tons. The first two days the weather was fine and I felt good. // But the third day I was somewhat miserable and lonesome while most of the passengers were too sick to die. I did not get sick.
Tues. 7 Sea was better and all began to feel a desire to live.
Thurs. 9 Today I had my first argument with a “Christensen Minister.” There were four or five on board ship and it set me to reading tracts and praying.
S[a]t. [Dec.] 11 We reached Honolulu, landed and spent about 6 hrs. sight seeing. It was like the fourth of July to me to land in the garden of the Pacific and enjoying seeing the Stars and stripes waving in the breeze.
In Honolulu I visited the acquarium and saw the most complete collection of live fish in the world. We visited the Honolulu Park which I think is the prettiest place I ever saw. We took a street car ride thru Honolulu and were indeed pleased with the place.
The following Tuesday we stoped at Famxxy Island but did not land. It is only a speck in the ocean.
Wed. [Dec.] 15 We crossed into the Southern Hemisphere. Sea calm as a lake and looked more like the broad prairies than the ocean. //
Sun [Dec.] 19 we lost today because we crossed the 180 meridian. (( This is the basis for the International Dateline. )) Everybody on ship had forgotten their sickness and were all feeling fine and playing games.
Tues. 21 We landed in Fiji and found that we were doomed to stay there 23 days or there abouts and was told it would cost about 9 shillings per day. However we fell in with a good half cast Samoan family and lived splendidly well for 3 wk on 80.00 or $2 ½ per wk. We encouraged the good woman and left her with Heavens blessings upon her. We had a neat little lumber house on the main street and on the beach were we could stroll at leasure. Much of our time was spent in the botanical gardens studying gospel and argueing among ourselves. We also had several long country walks and many boat rides.
Our xmas and New Years were spent here and we did what we could to make our benefactors, the family, happy. We noted with joy that our efforts were much appreciated. //
(To be continued)
Laura and Ardis, This is great. I especially like:
“a dirty but nonetheless interesting ride”
“we were not game to dance”
“I sure enjoyed myself”
“after a few pleasing experiences”
“the third day I was somewhat miserable and lonesome”
the “Christensen Minister”
And, maybe the best:
” Much of our time was spent in the botanical gardens studying gospel and argueing among ourselves.”
I love these kinds of posts, being able to see the world through the eyes of someone from a different time and point of view. Thanks, Laura and Ardis!
Wonderful! This is going to be an enjoyable one! Thanks, Laura and Ardis. I particularly liked some of the lines Gary mentioned, including the one about “argueing among ourselves.”
He didn’t say much about the train ride–the only hint that he even rode a train is his reference to having “made our way to Pioche by a sub engine”–but the only way he could have left Milford and arrived in Caliente on the same day would have been by train. The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad stopped at Milford, and then turned westward, stopping at stations in Lund and Medina before crossing the Nevada state line and proceeding to Caliente.
The Union Pacific line between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles still follows that same route–but you’d have to become an engineer (or a hobo) to ride it these days.
I am from Panaca, NV and it was interesting to hear about the area in 1909. My step-father’s brother owned Geyser ranch in the 1970’s. Thank you so much.
It appears that the missionaries traveled on the S.S. Makura, which was operated by the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail (until acquired by the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand in 1910). The route was Vancouver, Victoria (B.C.), Honolulu, Suva, Wellington and Sydney. I’ve tried to figure out what island he mentioned that they stopped by without landing, but “Famxxy” doesn’t come close to anything I can find.
My interest was piqued when I saw the title of the post because I knew that my father’s uncle had served a mission in Samoa about the same time. So I checked his brief biography on Family Search. It says “On November 12, 1909, John was called to serve a mission among the natives of the Samoan Islands.” I wondered if he had been able to travel from Eagar, Arizona, to Salt Lake City in time to travel with Elder Farnsworth. So I checked his endowment record: November 26, 1909, Salt Lake Temple–the same day that Elder Farnsworth says he went through the temple.
So, I think it’s safe to assume that he traveled with Elder Farnsworth and the others up to Seattle, hung out in the same dives, etc., thence on to Vancouver and on board the S.S. Makura for Fiji, etc. And I’m looking forward to any comments Elder Farnsworth had to say about Elder John Butler!
This is my great-grandfather. Thank you for the post.
@ Mark B.–I checked. Elder John Butler doesn’t get a lot of discussion–apparently he and Elder Farnsworth weren’t serving in exactly the same places–but he is entered in the mission register right after Elder Farnsworth. He served for 3 years, 10 months, and 6 days and was given the native name of Eti. (That’s a separate document I’ve borrowed from the LDS FHL.)
The Tongan Islands were called “The Friendly Islands.” I’ll have to check the original and see if that might be what he wrote. I’m pretty sure on the F and the y at the end, but the word was rather badly scrawled.
Thanks, LauraN! John Butler’s middle name was Eddy, which may explain how he got the native name.
Your diarist does give some hints about that unknown island’s location–it was north of the equator and east of the 180th meridian. (That excludes Tonga, which is south of the equator and west of the 180th meridian). After a little more searching, I’m going to put my money on Fanning Island, now called Tabuaeran, part of the nation of Kiribati. In 1909 it was a British possession and a way station on the Trans-Pacific Cable (from Canada to Australia), and even had a post office. And it’s at 3°52′ North, 159°22′ West, which is consistent with Elder Farnsworth’s journal.
With so many Farnsworth descendants and other interested readers — and mostly because Mark won’t let go of a research puzzle once it takes hold! — I won’t be surprised to see other little mysteries in this diary solved this way. I know I’ve said it 17,396 times already, but Keepa’s commenters are the best.