January 1910
Wed [Jan.] 12. We arranged our tickets, bought some white suits and left Suva for Samoa on board the steam ship Tofina.
Thur [Jan.] 13 we stoped several hours in Latruka and enjoyed a bath in the Latruka baths.
Sat. [Jan. 15] We were fortunate in that we had two Saturdays and on the second Saturday we landed in Samoa. We were met at the boat by Pres. Wm A Moody ((William A. Moody, born 1870, from Thatcher, AZ, served from April 12 1908 to Aug 25 1910. President Moody spoke at Burton’s funeral many years later. )) and Elder Dee Hickman (( Edwin Dee Hickman (1888-1958).)) and after presenting our Elders certificates we were permited to land with our trunks and not pay duty. In fact they were not inspected.
In the afternoon we all went to swim and I sank but was pulled out O.K.
In the evening we held an elders meeting and there were 15 elders form Zion assembled. It was sure a spiritual feast and one to be remembered.
During the meeting we also rec’d our appointments and I was appointed to stay at Headquarters with Elder R.M. Forrest. ((Robert M. Forrest, born 1878, served Apr. 12, 1908 to Mar 10, 1910, from SLC, UT.)) I also rec’d the name of Kena but soon had it changed to Pira as the first word meant Hell fire. ((According to D B Farnsworth, Kenu was derived from Burton’s middle name of Kent. Pira was derived from his hometown of Beaver, UT.))
That night we went over and slept in Mary Ah Mu’s house and I sure had a swell bed. //
Sun [Jan.] 16 We all fasted and attended Sunday School and church. All we new elders had a chance to speak. After meeting we enjoyed meeting the Saints of Pesega ((A village that is now on the outskirts of modern day Apia on the Island of Upolu. The mission headquarters and the Samoa temple are located in Pesega.)) Branch.
Mon. [Jan.] 17 Elders began leaving from the branch.
Tues [Jan.] 18 Bro Shepherd left in a company for Tutuila ((Tutuila is the principle island of American Samoa to the east of Upolu. Pagopago is one of its principal cities.)) and we were left quite to ourselves.
Thus. [Jan.] 20 Have been studying most of the day on the language. This evening Pres. Moody and I went down to Gracis place and rehearsed some songs that he had written.
Fri [Jan.] 21 worked most of the day fixing chairs and cleaning up the place. In the evening we held singing practice. I also answered the two letters that were here when I arrived.
Sat [Jan.] 22 Today I made my first visit alone. I spent about 2 hours with Mary Ah Mu & family. I learned several Samoan words.
Sun [Jan.] 23 During past week I have visited nearly of the members of our branch and today I sat up in front with Pres. Moody and R.M. Forrest.
Wed [Jan.] 26 I shoed a horse for Pres. Moody to ride to Sauniatu.
Thurs [Jan.] 27 I went out visiting saints alone and learned how to count faaSamoa. ((Fa’a Samoa means the Samoan culture of speech, behavior and communal relationships.)) //
February 1910
I am studying some on the language. I have learned a few words some sentences and can count.
Feb 4 Mail from America came last night and was delivered this morning. I went down early in the morning expecting a pile of letters but I only rec’d one and that was not from home. However, when I found out there was only one, I appreciated the fact that I had rec’d one.
Feb 6. Rec’d a letter from Bro. Shepherd and answered it the same day telling him of my easy life in Samoa.
Feb 8 Today has been very warm. I worked all forenoon in trimming vines and bushes around the place. I try to work around the place in the forenoon and study but it seems so hard to study here.
Feb. 10 Just as we finished supper last night a Chinese half cast came in bringing presents of pies, cakes, and puddings. He explained to me that it was Chinese New Years Eve. Today all the Chinamen are celebrating. Mary Ah Mu called me over and gave me a basket // of ripe bananas as a present which was considerable more than our New Years brought me.
Feb 12 As is generally the case one has to suffer after time of rejoicing. I had my turn last night. Yesterday was Bro. Lisonbee ((James L. Lisonbee, born 1887, from Mesa, AZ, served July 5, 1908–Nov 11, 1911.)) birthday and I volunteered to go to Apia ((The capitol city of modern day Samoa, and the largest city on the Island of Upolu.)) for what ever they wanted for a feast. It was in the evening and I walked fast to get there before the stores closed. I must have become over heated for I thot I would turn myself in side out before I quit vomiting. I had chills and fever until after mid night when I went to sleep and next morning I felt as well as ever. I believed also I was poisoned on candy.
Feb 16 Bro. Forrest has been sick for the past week with Bubo ((An inflamation of a lymph node, particularly in the groin, as a result of any of several diseases.)) and I have had pretty much my own way at the Mission House.
I decided we best get a Doctor so Sister Mary got me a horse and cart and I had my first buggy ride since I was in Salt Lake City with Dennis[?] I found a doc. place but he was not home so I left word for him to come immediately. //
Feb 17
I have just helped the Dr. make an operation on my companion, Bro Forrest who had an absess in his groin. It was a very painful cut, deep and about 2 inches long. However a few minutes finished the job.
Feb 21 Everything is moving along nicely at Pesega. Bro. Forrest is improving nicely and no doubt will soon be around again. I spend my time studying and visiting while he reads and writes verses.
Feb. 22 Three months ago today I left home and in as much as I have been thinking of home I decided to write a little poem of home.
Feb 24 Natives are coming to Apia from all parts of Samoa to attend the big celebration to be held here next week. I met some of the saints from Tutuila who seemed to be very delighted to week Pres. Moody and I. one said to me “Your face looks very pretty.” They laughed and talked in Samoan at my expense so as quickly as possible I beat a hasty retreat.
I rec’d a letter from Bro Shepherd who seems to be in good spirits. //
Mar 1910
Mar 2. Ten year ago today the German Government came into possession of these islands and in honor of the event, we have just finished celebrating for three days.
On Saturday 26 of Feb. all the villages of Samoa under the German rule met at Mulinuu ((Mulinu’u peninsula, which juts into Apia Bay, became the site of the colonial administration in Samoa in the 1870’s and is the modern site for the Parliament of Samoa.)) and engaged in Samoan marches, dances, and other feats.
A Samoan dance is something very peculiar to us. Each village have a group to dance for them and each have their ‘taupo’ which means a ‘virgin’. They make all sorts of twists, signs and motions in their dances.
On Mon 28 all the native village brought their food stuffs consisting of pigs, chickens, talo and native fruits. Each village marched in in fine Samoan style, put their food before the Governor and returned to their part of the campus. The food was then dist. again. Our native villagewere the first to come. They were dressed in white and made a fine impression. Next day many of the villages followed their example. //
Yesterday Mar 1st was the flag hoisting day. It was more common to me than the other feats and programme, but was also attended with much ceremony. Today they had many sports, consisting of boat racing, which was wonderful. Also walking a small greased pole suspended high above the ocean. This pastime was very amusing as none of them accomplished the feat but would each time fall into the water below.
Mar 4 Owing to ill health, Bro. Forrest has been released to return home and I have been appointed as Mission Secretary until Conference time.
Mar 6th Today is my twentieth birthday. I feel well and weigh 187 bs.
Looking back upon the past year of my life I think it is by far the most eventful year. In this year I graduated from the Murdock Academy with a certificate in Iron Works.
After school closed in the spring I went to work for myself and lived on the farm with my Brother. I worked on a brick yard east of town, from which they were making the District School house. // While working on this job a peculiar attachment grew up between Price Hatching we became quite chummy while we were working together & we decided to leave town and go out in Nevada more for a trip than for any other reason On Aug 1st we left home and went out in Lincoln Co. While we were there planning another trip in California I rec’d a letter asking me to come home and go on a mission. I immediately returned home and on Nov. 22/09 left again for the Samoan islands. Now I’m at Pesega and have been here some time.
Today was the first time I ever blessed the sacrament and I did it in the Samoan language.
Mar 8 Today Bro Forrest and I have been proselyting around in our village. We visited 9 families of Saints and three who were not members. I saw more of Samoan life and manners then I have seen before but I saw more nackedness and filth than I ever care to see again.
Mar 11 Today is the first time I have made a bold attempt at proslyting I visited // four families and spent some time with each trying to work up singing practice.
[Mar.] 11th Tonight 3 new missionaries arrived from Zion. We walked from Apia in a drenching rain and were as wet as drowned rats but were glad to arrive.
[Mar.] 12 Bro Forrest left yesterday for America and I am left in charge at Headquarters. I rec’d mail from home also some money
(To be continued.)
Here is Elder Farnsworth’s mission call letter. It is the kind of record you might find for your own pre-1930 missionary ancestor in the new Early Mormon Missionaries database.
.
.
Interesting entry for March 11, he’d spent two months without making much of an “attempt at proselyting.” My first thought was how lazy can you be, but then I realized most of that time was spent learning the language. Also, does anyone know if the white suits are part of Samoan culture?
President Moody. I don’t know much about him, but I do know that he outlived four wives. (Non polygamous, and his fifth wife outlived him.)
His first wife, Adelia Williams, died during their earlier mission to Samoa. (See Ruth Yeaman, Women from Zion in the Samoan Mission, 1888-1900.) When he returned to Samoa this time, he said, “As may be expected, one of my first acts was to visit the grave of my first wife, Adelia…”
Thanks, again, Laura and Ardis. This continues to be great. And more memorable take-aways, including:
“one said to me ‘Your face looks very pretty.’ They laughed and talked in Samoan at my expense so as quickly as possible I beat a hasty retreat.”
By the way, do you know if in his “civilian” life he went by Burton, Burt, or maybe even Kent?
I’m hoping Laura will check in today and answer questions and respond to comments. I know she has definite information on the white suits, and assume she can answer the question about name.
Isn’t this a great diary?
I don’t know the details on the white suits, but I’ve found several photographs of church members in Samoa (some with Burton, some not) with nearly everyone dressed in white. White clothing would certainly be a lot cooler in a tropical climate. I think the lavalava was traditional among Samoans, but the American missionaries would probably have felt uncomfortable in something so closely resembling a skirt.
My Grandfather went by Burton throughout his life. He passed Kent as a middle name to my father and my son, as well as several other descendants. My brother was given Burton as a middle name, and now uses it professionally after discovering too many Williams in his field.
Two things from this entry that strike close to home: James Lisonbee is almost surely a relative because all the Lisonbees descend from one common ancestor, Coker Lisonbee, who is the first to have that last name. The family name was Lisenby, but because Coker was born out of wedlock, the family forced a spelling change onto him. Thus, if Lisonbee is your spelling then you know how the lineage goes.
Second: Murdock Academy. My gg grandparents valued education very highly and sent all of their children to school beyond the basic education available in Piute County, Utah at the time and for most of their 12 children that meant Murdock Academy in Beaver, at least up until it closed its doors in the 1920s (if memory serves). They included their daughters in the plans for higher education for all their children, a decision that more than one of their neighbors thought was folly.
GGGrandpa estimated that by the time he passed in 1938 he had spent somewhere near $120,000 in cash and in kind for the education of his children.
@Chad. That is impressive that your GGGrandpa was so devoted to the education of his children. I hope it has been a benefit to generations.
That situation improved as public schools became available and improved in quality. In 1925, Burton Farnsworth became the superintendent of schools in Millard County. The following is an excerpt from his biography.
Until he arrived in Millard County, each little town had its own school, a number of them being conducted in one room. A number of them even tried to hold a high school. The schools were not very good, the small communities being unable to pay for good teachers.
Burton felt that if they would consolidate the schools into two good high schools–one in Delta for the west side of the county, and one in Fillmore for the east side–they would be able to get fine teachers and everyone would benefit. It would necessitate busing the students, which was shocking to many of the parents. It took all of his persuasive powers to get them to go with him over the route in a bus and see what could be done, but in the end he won out.
A father told him one day, “Well, Farnsworth, we sure fought you when you wanted to bring our children up here to Fillmore to school from Flowell. We’d fight you harder if you wanted to take it away from us now and put us back in that little school”