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May 1st
At 10 o’clock our conference opened. The hall all nice and clean, 2 large vases of the most beautiful roses on the little table. The first thing President Callis said, the hall looked beautiful, everything in order and we owe very much to Bro. Hammon and Hyde for this conference. We had 3 sessions. All Elders were called to the stand for a 5-minute talk
May 2nd
This morning we met in the Orphun Theater. Forenoon meeting we had 500 people. Have held 3 session, the last one at night was a lanternslide picture of Utah and her people.
May 3rd
Met this morning to be assigned to our fields of labor. Our Florida conference was cut in two and one of them is called the South Ga. Conference, the others was divided also. I was left in the new conference with President Smith as our President. I was appointed to labor in Whitman and my companion was Elder Hatch of Franklin Ida., as the meeting was nearing the close in came Pres. Callis and said where are you sending Bro. Hammon, they said down to Whitman, no you must not send him there, he shall stay here in Way Cross and have the liberty of going and coming as he pleases after he has done such work here. One half hour after I went to the depot to see a man and I met Pres. Callis, he called me over to him and said how long have you been out, who called you, while here what kind of a home have you got, after getting my answer to his questions he laid his hand on my shoulder and said Brother Hammon you have done a wonderful work here and you have done enough, you may go home, go get your things and come with us to Jacksonville and go from there home. I said I haven’t money to take me home, but another Elder Bishop from Logan, Wm.Worley stood by and said I have enough for both of us, come on there’s no excuse. I ran back to my room, packed my things, ran to the P.O. found a letter from home $35.00 money order, cashed it, ran to the depot and got the train and now I am on my way back home. This afternoon went over to South Jacksonville, across the St Johns River, 1500 feet long, cost 1,500,000 a toll bridge. One day May 2nd 12 or 13 thousand automobiles passed over in one day the toll men told us they took in nearly $3,000 in that one day. Today we went and bought our berth on a Clyde Steamer the Seminale we will sail on the sixth 6th for New York. Our fair cost is $24.40 from N.Y. we will go home by way of Washington. We was banqueted today by J.A. Hendrickson of Logan, there was 17 Elders all sat down to the tables and we surely had a feast. U. A. Smith Pres. South Ga., conference headquarters at Way Cross Ga.
May 3rd
Was released this morning to return home. President Callis said you are honorably released to return home, he said it ain’t the length of time you are out, it means how much good have you done and I say Bro. Hammon go home you have done enough.
May 4th
Today we went and purchased our tickets for New Your on the Steamer Seminale belong to the Clyde Steamship Co. running between N.Y. and Jacksonville, Fl
May 5th
Have just layed around all day nothing to do, am writing this on board the vessel, we been out a day and night, we are supposed to be crossing Cape Hatteras the breakers are running high. This morning many are seasick. 2 Elders are sick.
May 6th
This afternoon at 3 o’clock we pulled out into the St. Johns River and slowly crept down to the broad Atlantic at the bar we saw many sea porpoises. It seemed as though they swim right in to the boast. Had a delightful trip and docked at Charleston S. C. the next morning.
May 7th
Left the boat and spent 5 hours in the quaint old city of Charleston. Have buildings that date back to1670, it looks like all the city is away behind all Northern cities. Went on board and sailed out of Charleston harbor at 3 o’clock afternoon. The sea was calm and a fine voyage so for. Eat supper on board ship; two of the Elders was sick and stayed in their room.
May 8th
Slept pretty good for being on shipboard. Arose at 6, had breakfast at 7 o’clock. This morning was the most beautiful sight, one could wish to see such a calm sea, and just small waves rise and fell. We sailed all day and at about 3 or 4 o’clock we saw a number of whales one of them came up 50 yard from the ship and showed about 3O feet of his body and they blew water up in the air, there must have been 6 or 8 of them. After supper the wind began to blow and there was quite a stiff breeze, a bad time.
May 9th
This morning the wind is blowing from the N.W. hard. With everybody on deck with our coats on. At break of day we sighted land, Jersey City, N. J. and we began to meet Steamers going and coming in all directions and they kept increasing until New York came in sight. From our ships deck it was a grand and glad sight-both by ten o’clock. We were at the dock in East River, we went ashore and finely found the mission head quarters and got us a room. After resting awhile we were taken around the city by one of the Elders laboring here in New York. Attended a meeting in the evening in the L.D.S. church, 273 Gates Ave. Brooklyn.
May 10th
Today we went over to New York City from Brooklyn, got our clergy permits fixed up and afterwards we went to a Baseball game, Babe Ruth, Ty Cob and other national players were playing. One day they estimated 50,000
May 11th
Today we visited the art gallery of N.Y. and saw some of the greatest painting in the world as well as many other great things of art. Also we visited the museum and there saw some of the wonders of the world, especially were we interested in the great stone columns taken out of some of the ruins of the old Nephite Temples in old Mexico and Central America and the carvings and engravings of the same, if only they could be translated what a wonderful story they would tell, no doubt of the Nephite people. Another wonder is the great meteorite that Lieutenant Robert E. Percy brought down from the North End of Greenland at the request of our government. It weighs 5 ton and is (next word I’m not able to read)on nichol and I saw another one found in Oregon, not quite so large but a very beautiful specimen as well as a few smaller ones. Then in the afternoon we went to the Zoological Park out in the Bronx, there we saw almost all kinds of animals, reptiles, fishes and fowels, from an Elephant weighting 8,500 lbs down to a fly
May 12th
Still continuing we visited saw the old Continental or Federal hall where Geo. Washington was first inaugurated President and I also sat in the old chair where he sat and saw the table on which was signed the Declaration of Independence and saw the statues of all the men who sighted the declaration of Independence. Went to the Woolsworth Bldg and went up the tower, the highest building in the world.
May 13th
Went from N.Y. to Washington D. C. This is a fine city, the most beautiful I ever saw, wide streets and almost all kinds of shade trees on both sides of the street. The varieties of the trees were obtained many of them from foreign lands. We visited most of the Federal Buildings and met our Senator Reed Smoot and one of our congressmen Dan B. Colton, the later sent his car and driver and took us all over the capitol and in the executive mansion where we met and shook hands with the President Calvin Coolidge. We also saw them painting and engraving money and printing stamps. Visited all points of interest.
May 14th
Went down to Mt. Vernon, Geo. Washington tomb and their saw many of the articles used by Washington. Also many used by his wife Martha Washington, their living room, bedroom, guest chamber, his gun, his pistol, his sword, his old carriage, all of his old mansion also, which is located at one of the most beautiful locations on the Potomac River, 15 miles down the river from the Capitol. Being in Virginia we also saw his fathers old home and the church where Geo. Washington used to go and at the same time the father of Robert E. Lee, the great Confederate General. At 6:50 o’clock we boarded the train for Chicago, we passed through Baltimore, Harrisburg Penn. Also Pittsburgh Penn.
May 15th
Traveled all day through Ohio and thought Indiana arriving in Chicago. Spend an evening. At 6:50 o’clock and our tickets and a Pullman berth for Ogden, Utah.
May 16th
Today we traveled across Iowa, Neb. And part of Wyo,
May 15th this is how it is written in his journal?
Today we are in sight of some of the Rocky Mountains and I think we have pass through some of the most dreary and cold looking county in the West.
May 17th
At 11:30 o’clock we landed in Ogden and I phoned out home to my family and they came in and took me out home, just 4 months and 12 days.
IN THE BACK OF HIS JOURNAL HE HAS WRITTEN A FEW DIFFERENT NOTES AND ALSO HE HAS ASKED SOME OF THE ELDERS FOR THEIR AUTOGRAPHS
NOTES AS FOLLOWS:
Council of Constance, so called by being held in said city in Germany in the year 1414,1418
Those present at council
The Emperor of Germany
The Pope
26 Princes
7 Patriarchs
20 Archbishops
140 Counts
20 Cardinals
21 Bishops
600 clerical dignities and Drs.
4000 Priest
This council condemned to death Rev. Huss and Jerome of Prague.
After much deliberation it deposed the three contending Popes-John 23, Gregory 12, Benedict 13 and elected as Pope Martin 5th
Below is a joke that was in the back of the journal.
One Elder sat on a log away off in the woods and had lost his was, they sat a long time, finally heard a rooster crow, one of them said God bless that rooster. They followed the direction and found a farm house. After being given a bed and slept till morning they again heard the rooster crow, this time the Elder said curse that rooster, his companion said what is the matter, well last night I never had a bed to sleep in and I was glad to hear him but know I have a bed I don’t want to hear him……..
Some of the churches are like some small boys. Out in the street the other day they had a track built and an old orange crate for an engine, every thing was quite well arranged, hid under the engine was a English bull dog to pull the engine. In front of him was a second box with a skunk hid and the boys would lift the lid high enough for the dog to smell the skunk then he would pull the……….sorry I’m not able to understand the last 6 words that are written.
I’m not sure if these next stories happen to Grandfather, they are typed as they are written in his journal.
A 7 foot Negro said to me one day on the street in Way Cross, were is the Western Union, I said pointing to a sign on a street about ½ block away. He said that Palm tree is as to tall for me, I said it looks to me lie you are too tall for the Palm tree. The Negro laughed and said, Cop you sure got me……….
One lady said to me, see how much we are clean, you people out in Utah, see how the Lord smiles on us with rain and you all have to water your land. O no, I said you do not understand it right, the Lord feels sorry and that rain is when he weeps over you.
The impartial enlightened verdict of mankind will vindicate the ridicule of our conduct and he who knows the hearts of men will judge the sincerity with which we have labored to preserve the government of our fathers, in its spirit…Jefferson Davis
THESE ARE SIGNATURE OF OTHER MISSIONARY WHO WHERE WITH GRANDFATHER ON HIS MISSION
Autographs as follows
Elijah Palmer Park Valley, Utah Jan. 8 1926 age 34
J.A. Hendrickson, Logan, Utah 65 plus
Edward A. Corless, Randolph, Utah age 23
Eldon J. Peart Evanston, Wyo. age 26
Stanley Peck Silver City, Utah 1-7-26 age 18
Perry P. Wakefield Huntington, Utah 1-7-26 age 25
Alma Andrus Spanish Fork, Utah Aug.68
There are 3 newspaper articles that are glued in his journal.
THAT’S WHAT I CALL A FRIEND
One whose grip is a little tighter.
One whose smile is a little brighter
One whose deeds are a little whiter
That’s what I call a friend
One who’ll lend as quick as he’ll borrow.
One who’s the same today, as tomorrow.
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