Mormon History, Jan 1, 1847

[Hosea Stout Diary] Friday January 1. 1847. New Years day and cold and windy at thatall peace and good order.
I have not heard a gun fire on this occasion neither this evening or this morning except three rounds of artillery in the morning. I attended to business as was usual.(no more for today [crossed out])
(Saturday Jan 2nd 1847. Quite sick all day with a head ache[.] Very little up. I attended to police duty as usual.[crossed out])
This being the beginning of another year and our sojourn in Winter Quarters perhaps is about half out I thought I would give you a synopsis of the "face of affairs".
The brethren have mostly got into their houses.
The city is divided into 22 wards & has a Bishop over each ward. They seem to be doing their duty better than I ever knew the Bishops to do before. The poor are uncommonly well seen & attended to
The police Tax are being collected and the people are appearantly willing to pay the same though some have fled because of the police tax and are trying to raise an excitement against us in Missouri & all who have left here contrary to council as far as I can learn have had bad luck & they are truly "cursed"
The most opposition we have in Missouri is in consequence of the Stories of the dissentersotherwise the Missourians are very friendly. Pork can be bought from two to four cents a pound. Corn from 40 to 50 cents a bushel. Wheat from 31 to 40 or 50 cents a bushel.and other things in proportion. I have seen potatoes sell at a dollar per bushel here. Had not the Saints been here the Missourians could not have sold anything for previous to our coming they had no market for their produce.
The Seventies Quorum have established a factory to manufacturing willow baskets and are now employing some 20 or 30 hands to good advantage and have made quite a number of baskets[.] This gives employment to those who have no other means of supporting themselves by their labor.
Doctor Willard Richards has a house with 8 sides and covered with dirt.& forms an oval and is called by the names of the Octagon, potato heap, apple heap, coal pit, round house, The doctors den
I might have said that some here have great objections to police.
The mill will be in opperation in next month.
There are now arraingements being made to send off three hundred pioneers before winter breaks who will proceed to the head of the running water and sustain their teams on the rushes as they will travail up the river. and wait there till grass rises & then proceed to the foot of the mountains near the head of the Yellow Stone where they will put in a crop.
The Twelve contemplate & are now raising companies that is each is raising a company who will follow after the pioneers when grass rises here with as many persons as can subsist on the crop put on by the pioneers
There is peace in this place and the Saints seem willing to abide council notwithstanding some dissent and escape & find fault with every move that is made for even now the transgressor in Zion begins to tremble.
I have heard of no report of adultery in this place since the affair last fall or summer with the three young men.spoken of at the time so effectual was the lessen give then on that subject.
The war between the United States and Mexico appears to be continued and there is yet no signs of its termination which creates great dissatisfaction in the States. Elders Hyde & Taylor both arrived in saftey in England
Our herds and flocks are wintering well on the rushes & are thriving well[.] The weather has been thus far uncommonly favorable but the wind often changing had no snow to interfear with any business yet & every body seem to be industerously & usefully employed
The Council decided to have this place stockaded or Picketed in to keep out the Omahas. There are a great number of houses on the lone, but it does not yet look like a fortified place as the line is not half filled.
The place hase the appearance of a log, town some dirt ruffs & a number of caves or "dug outs" made in the banks sometimes called "Dens" & such like names.
The town would be hard to set on fire & burnt down for there are so many "dirt toped & dirt houses
We are not now troubled much with the indians, who at this time are away from here[1/4 page blank]

[source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]

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