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January 5th
Went to the churches office building and was set apart by APOSTLE GEO. ALBERT SMITH to go on a mission to the Southern States also I purchased a few articles that I needed.
January 6th
Went back to town met a few friends, went to a show and at 4:15pm left on the D.R.& N.R. for a 6 months mission to the Southern States. Sat in the seat all night, did not get much sleep, was a cold night, plenty of snow all through the mountains, daylight found us at Grand Junction, Colo.
January 7th
As we passed over the top of the world as some call it, up Eagle Canyon and through (next words I’m not able to transcribe) pass and over the mountains through the Tennessee Pass and into Pueblo, Colo. And on to Denver where we changed cars for Chicago. All night on the train.
January 8th
Rode all day on the train, changed cars for Chicago at Omaha and passed on through Iowa and arrived at Chicago 8 o’clock in the morning.
January 9th
Stay in the city of Chicago all day, it sure was cold with a strong wind from Lake Michigan and went had luncheon at a restaurant. Stay in waiting room until train time, boarded train at 8:46 o’clock for Atlanta, Ga. Road all night crossed the Ohio River at Evansville, Indiana, cold day, we road South through Old Kentucky.
January 10th
After riding all night we arrived in Atlanta, Ga. 9 o’clock, no one to meet me at the depot. So went to the Terminal Hotel, after a rest at the hotel all night went to the Mission headquarters and met many Elders and some of our young Sisters who are laboring in the office.
January 11th
We met with, also were asked and answered questions by Pres. Chas. A. Callis and after an all day stay, 3 elders came on to Jacksonville and two other elders left, one to labor in Atlanta, Ga the other one to go back to Kentucky and after an all night ride again we arrived at Jacksonville, Fla. A city of about 150,000 a beautiful place built on either bank of the St Johns River. Beautiful palm trees as well as my other kinds.
NO JANARY 12TH
January 13th
Went out today around the city, reviewed some of the beauty spots also went to the P.O. and returned home again.
January 14th
Went out sight seeing today, visited some of the oldest buildings in the city. Some to them looked fully as old as they were claimed to be. Had supper at a restaurant. We are waiting here in Jacksonville for Pres. Callis to come down from Atlanta where he will decide where to send us to labor.
January 15th
Went out tracting in J. V. First thing went among the Negro’s to seek out a few white we found but very few. When we came home to our mission home we found Pres. Callis. Glad to see him now will soon find out where we will go to labor. Went out and held a cottage meeting, it was my first privilege to speak, we were taken out in an auto and brought back again, had a fine time
January 16th
Pres. Callis arrived from Atlanta, held Priesthood meeting, went on the street and held a street meeting, very hard to get many to stop and listen, the speaker was your humble servant D.J.HAMMON. Set in mission house and read and discussed Bible questions.
January 17th
Went and visited the Phoenix Park Sunday School. Had dinner with one of the Later Day Sts., Frank Smith. At night held meeting in our church chapel and had a very large attendance. DJH and Alma Andrus were the speakers and after meetings we were asked to administer to Sister Foster, which we did.
January 18th
Went to P.O. and stopped at one of the cities beautiful little parks. Beautiful palm trees and fountains of water. A very great Statue of a confederate soldier and one side the bust of a man called-A Christian Soldier. Met together in Priesthood, DJH and J.A Hendrickson were assigned to labor at this time in Jacksonville.
January 19th
Elder Alma Andrus left this morning for Douglas, Ga., to labor. Myself and J.A Hendrickson stays in here. Went to the Ostrich and Alligator Farm and saw thousands of alligators, one especially large and had been caught and is supposed to be the largest and oldest alligator in captivity according to all they know about. Gator he is 800 years old. After the young alligators are one or 2 years old they never grow more than ˝ in per year in length. The ostriches were surely as interesting. After the young ones shed their firs feathers, the male is black with pink legs and beaks the female is drab color.
January 20th
Today we went out tracting; I went along, as also did my companion. I gave out 86 and visited 17 families. In the evening we held a cottage meeting, had a splendid attendance, 45 people after we returned to the mission house there was a message left for us that some Elders were wanted to go out to Lake City to administer too little girl four years old who had the diphtheria, so my self and conference Pres. J.J. Wise went out in an automobile (Ford) the two men who came after us were not in the church nor the parents of the little girl. The parents were very bitter against us but we not being wise to them things. We consented to go, went at 10 o’clock and reached there a little before 12 o’clock. We found the folks were not friendly to us but after some talk and explaining we administered to her, while going out we nearly met with and accident with another car, but thanks to the Lord we were saved.
January 21st
Went out tracting gave out 75 tracks and had some good gospel talk with a few of the people where I visited. The weather is quite warm today; I hope it keeps this way.
January 22nd
Went out tracking again today, took a new Elder with me. Bishop Hunt of St. Charles, Idaho. Gave out some tract, had some good gospel conversations and met some who were very strong against us.
January 23rd
Saturday. We do not go out tracting on Saturday because it is a very busy day for the house wives. Had a good bath, shaved and went and got some laundry work done. Looks like rain, it is very cool.
January 24th
Sunday. Did not have breakfast. Went to Sunday School, Priesthood Meeting and had dinner with Bro. Lee Brimhall and wife. Sister Brimhall is a daughter of Thomas Stevenson of Preston, Ida, one of my old neighbors. Went to meeting in the evening.
January 25th
Stayed in room all day on account of rain, reading and studying.
January 26th
Went out tracting but people seemed to be more interested in shows or theaters, making money and everything except religion, hard to get them to stop long enough to take a tract-cold today and foggy.
January 27th
Went out tracting or retracting found several who felt pleased with our tracts and one lady said Lord bless you when I left. So 2 young Elders arrived today from Utah, one from Smithfield, Hanson by name the other from Rama, New Mexico, one is 18 the other 25 years old, Jensen.
January 28th
Went tracting in forenoon and went to Bro. Brookes home for dinner, in company with Pres. Hinckley, we talked on the principles of the gospel for about 2 hours in the evening, went to Y.M.M.I.A. in the chapel.
January 29th
Raining today, did not go tracting but went to find a family that belonged to the church, walked 2 ˝ miles through colored town, at last I found them, Geo. T. Harrison.
January 30th
No tracting, went with Elder Goble to visit some Saints who had a little son to be baptized, we were gone until dark, in the evening we all (Elders) went to a show in our own chapel and were shown views of the Salt Lake Temple and interior also and he showed many other very beautiful pictures of western life.
January 31st
Sunday. All went to Sunday school and speaking meeting, which was addressed by your humble servant DJH. In evening attended meeting and after meeting ordained 6 boys and men to Elders and Priest and Teachers.
February 1st
Went out tracting and in the evening went out to administer to one of the Sisters (Mary Kyle) who was sick, but felt all right the next morning.
February 2nd
Done some tracting in forenoon and afternoon. Was wanted out at a hotel as there was a lady there who had been in an auto accident, found her in a very bad condition, having been badly mangled in the accident, her name is Mrs. Lee Miller. In the evening went on the street and attended a street meeting, two elders spoke, Bro. Hunt and Bro Wilkerson of Ogden.
February 2nd (this is how it is in the journal)
Went out tracting, visited people, do not seem to care very much about gospel literature, visited some 10 families
February 3rd
Tracting as usual, went to Fairfield, one of the suburbs of Jacksonville, had several good gospel folks with several of the people where I visited.
February 4th
Went out to Phoenix Park and tract out there and held a meeting at night. Some of the other Elders not feeling very well. I went alone and held a short meeting.
February 5th
Revisited a few homes today and also went through to Resin and Turpentine Commission Co. warehouse and all the grounds, there is about 40 acres, some times they have 150,000 barrels of resin in the yard, each weighing about 500 lbs. Ships come in here and load up and take it to N.Y. and other places. Turpentine is distilled from the Pine Gun and then they have the Resin.
February 6th
Saturday. Staid at home today and bathed and cleaned up. Look like storm.
February 7th
Sunday, Today myself and J.A. Hendrickson went to visit the Springfield Sunday School, had a fine time, nice little lot of young children, sold one Book of Mormon in the afternoon, went to administer to Sister Brimhall and afterward went to a Mr Simmons who is not a member and next was a little baby of Sister Cordell’s and in the evening we surly did have a fine meeting of the Y.M.&Y.L.Mutual Association.
February 8th
President Chas. Callis held council meeting with some of the Elders, and myself and Elder Hunt visit some of the sick Saints and administered to them, made two trips to the hospital in the evening, went to the depot to meet a sick Elder, train late and we had to wait until 11:30 o’clock the Elder was Bro. Henry Larson of Cleveland, Idaho, one of my old friends. He was surly glad to se me, he was considered by the Drs. To be in a very bad condition, he took my bed and I slept on the floor.
February 9th
Staid at home today. Was detailed to care for the two sick Elders and cook and in the afternoon went to the P.O. and cashed an order for 10.00, the Dr. Came out to see the 2 sick Elders. The one has the flu the other has a very bad swelling in the groin, the Dr could not tell before Friday how it would terminate, perhaps and operation, I want to say they are both very faithful and very patient.
February 10th
To have staid at home to look after the Elders who are sick, did nothing but cook and wait on the sick.
February 11th
Dr. came today to examine the sick man, H.L., Dr. decided he would have to be operated on, will wait till tomorrow in the mean time ice pack is being kept on the affected part.
February 12th
Sick are about the same. Dr. came this afternoon and will operate in the morning 9 o’clock he thinks Elders Larson will have to go to the hospital.
February 13th
We administered to Elder Larson and just as we were through the Dr. came and said we could not get a room at the hospital so he opened the affected part here in the mission.
February 14th
Sunday. Staid at home with Elder Larson while the other Elders all went to Sunday School but in the evening I went to meeting.
February 15th
Bro. Larson is getting better, I have been out tracting, had 4 good gospel conversations, visited the new church that is being built on the corner of Park and Copeland Street.
February 16th
Went out to administer to some sick folks who do not belong to our church, we blessed and administered to two members of the family.
February 17th
Went to the Dr. Wilkinson to take Elder Larson. Dr. thinks he is getting along fine. In the evening went and held a cottage meeting at the home of Geo. Copeland, 30 present
February 18th
Went out tracting today, where we visited the people did not seem to take very much interest. Went to Y.M.M.I.A. in the evening.
February 19th
Went out this morn. Visited 12 houses, 2 talked to me, one reviled me. The other was a Russian Jew, she talked very kindly to me, she thought the Mormons were just as good as any other church. Started to rain, did not go out in the afternoon
February 20th
Prepared today to leave Jacksonville, President Callis said for myself and Elder John L. Hyde from Metroplis, Nevada, we are going to Way Cross Ga., to labor. We have packed all our things, visited a few friends and will go on the 4 o’clock train. I think we will enjoy our work there much better.
February 21st
Arrived in Way Cross about 7:30. Secured a room until morning. Went to find some of the Saints, found they held Sunday School every Sunday morning being directed by a young girl, we walked around for some time before we found the place and my companions said to me we just as well quit, just then I heard music, I at once said that is our Sunday School, I looked all around, finally I looked up and saw a boy about 12 years old looking out of the window, I shouted up to him, is that a Mormon Sunday School, he nodded his head. So I went around to the stairway and went up, we were just as glad to see them as they were us. We soon introduced ourselves and the good people was just starting Sunday so we were just in time. After Sunday School we held a short meeting (preaching) after which we went out to Bro E.G. Brown and had dinner. After dinner he said he was going to his fathers 50 miles off, so he wanted us to go which we did. After the 50 ride which was one of the most pleasant ride I ever had we reached his fathers. We immediately began sending out word to the neighbors and again in the evening we held another meeting in an awful forlorne looking old house.
February 22nd
A beautiful morning. After breakfast we went out hunting for turtledoves, found some but never got to shoot any, but got one quail. Went to the St. Mary’s River to get some fish from an old fisherman, who done nothing but fish, he had been out all forenoon and only succeeded in getting 6 fish (shad) they called them, they are very pretty fish, in weight about four pounds, very much like our mountain herrin, but much larger. They call the male fish a buck and the female a roe. We also returned to Way Cross today.
February 23rd
We went down in town today and tried to find a room where we could stay to ourselves but we never succeeded very well, went back and stayed with Bro. Brown again.
February 24th
This morning took our grips and carried them all the way to town 1 ˝ miles to town, it was pretty heavy. We got along all right, but was quite tired when we got through, found a room, not good enough but it fit our purse, but we are alone so we can study all to our selves, when staying with Saints we do not get this chance.
February 25th
Went out and through the efforts of Bro. Wm. Bennett we tracted some homes of his neighbors and had a splendid cottage meeting, one good investigator. Had a good time after the meeting. Went to administer to a sick baby and staid all night with the folks, Brother Harry Brown.
February 26th
After returning to our room we took some tracts and walked out to Heberdville, about 3 miles. Found a Mormon here by the name of Davis, had dinner with him, he did not seem to have much interest in the gospel.
February 27th
Have been studying the gospel most all day in the afternoon went to the Y.M.C.A. found a man that belongs to our church but he works for the rail way and does not have much time to go out, but he is quite firm in the church, He and his wife separated over his joining the church, but he is very strong in the faith and she is just as hard against it. So the poor man has had lots of trouble over his religion.
February 28th
Last night we stayed with Bro. Harry Brown. Got up quite early and walked into town. Put on some clean collars and went to Sunday school and after Sunday school we held a preaching meeting. One of the brother went out on the street and brought in a stranger, he was not from Way Cross, stayed all through the meeting, told me after he enjoyed it very much. Held another meeting in the evening at the home of Bro Brown.
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