To Col. Wilson Andrew
North New Salem
Franklin Co Mass
Postmarked: Salt Lake Cal.
July 16 [in manuscript]
Great Salt Lake City July 6th 1849
Dear Sister, we received your letter dated Jan 1 and Ophelias dated February by the mail that came in, July 1, glad indeed to hear that you were all alive and well. I was afraid that mother and Waldo had been taken from your society as one was old and the other feeble. The last letter we had was Oct 1847, the mail will now be more regular, but it is impossible to pass through the rocky mountains in winter without people and animals both perishing. We are all well, Irene has a beautiful son born January 10th. Bright black eyes, white skin looks like the Hascalls especially Green and Thales. Francelle is a very interesting child, her face and head very round, fat and chuby looks as Phebe did at her age, except her head is exactly the shape of Ophelias. She is very handsome and can talk as fast as her great grandmother and her daughters. The City is divided into blocks and lots, Every lot has one acre and quarter, Francis and Thales have each a lot joining and as much land out of the city as they please. We have moved our cabin from the fort to the lots, shall live in that until we can build as we like, Francis has a carrage and a span of the largest and best horses in the city. We ride to meeting every sabbath. Do you think we are getting up in the world. Well we are. Thales had two cows. A few days ago he sold a cow and calf for thirtyfive dollars cash and his Mexican colt that he exchanged his pony for that he gave eighteen dollars for, for a yoke of cattle and thirty dollars, he is going to buy another [horse] of the indians. I kept one yoke of oxen at my own disposal that we came into [the] valley with. I gave forty dollars for them, sold one for beef (the fattest ox I ever saw) for forty dollars in gold dust. I am going to have spectacle bows and thimble made of some of it. if I can find a goldsmith. The Woodburys are doing well. Brother Pond has married Abigail Thorn [is] doing first rate. Elizabeth is married. Loenza has a daughter. Sister Akins sends her love to you and family to mother Andrews in particular and her family.--arrived here rather poor, she braids hats, gets two to three dollars a piece. They are getting along well. Calvin has a son. Catherine has no more children, [she] lived with us eight weeks until Thomas could build his house on his city lot, Sister Murdock is here--she that was Sally Stacy, is neighbor to us as strong a mormon as I ever saw, when Lucy Harris has a letter from her she will have the whole of her mind for she is not afraid to speak it or write it, brother Patricks family have not yet arrived.
Now for the gold mine the topic of conversation through out the world. It is a fact the Mormons found a gold mine not in the rocky mountains, but in the California mountains eight hundred miles from this city, and two hundred from the bay of Francisco, the brethren were on their way home from the Mexican war. They went back to Francisco and s[h]owed the ore to Elder Branan. He found it to be pure gold. They dug each a thousand or so and came to enjoy the way of the saints rather than dig gold when they could dig a hundred dollars a day with ease, and already there and small expense for living. It has made Brannan incalcubally rich. The best time is now over as it requires double the labor now that it did then. There is gold, enough no mistake. It is to be found for five hundred miles is not doubted. Fifteen thousand have started from the States for the mines. Hundreds and hundreds came through this city worn down with fatigue, cattle and horses failing on the way with their burden of clothing and provisions. They have been obliged to throw out hundred of dollars worth to be wasted by the way side. When they get here they sell some of their waggons clothing provisions &c pack their mules and horses and proceed on with light loads and heavy hearts.13 I do not say that all are heavy hearted to say, two thirds is no exaggeration, the thousands that have gone by water has not been ascertained, think of the desperation of society in such a place with waves of men and very few women. Already has small bands of robbers concealed themselves in and about the mountains to rob and murder the gold diggers, this we hear from newspaper authority. Now dear brother and sister you have heard the gospel preached by our elders time after time and have not obeyed. (remember that no other elder but those of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints preach the gospel) I call upon you to repent of your sins and flee to this City and be baptized for the remission of the same, by those who have authority from Jesus Christ, and I call upon all relatives and acquaintances and every one that ever knew Ursulia B Hascall was and is a Mormon to do the same, I call upon you thus that you may [not] rise up and say Ursulia you knew all this why did you not tell your only sister and her family before it was too late. Ophelia did I not show the prophecy spoken by Joseph Smith by the authority of Jesus Christ concerning the overthrow of the United States. The destruction of the states as a nation is just as sure as the sun will ever rise and set. It is near at hand. It is all ready to burst upon it. May the God of Israiel bless and protect you and bring you into his kingdom is the prayer of your sister.
Ursulia B. Hascall
*Irene Hascall Pomeroy (1825-61), Ursulia B. Hascall (1791-1875). [These] letters are taken from the Hascall-Pomeroy correspondence. The mother (Ursulia) and daughter (Irene) were baptized in 1842. Irene and her husband arrived in Nauvoo in 1845 and were followed the next year by Ursulia and her son Thales. Ursulia's husband, Ashbel Green Hascall, went with Samuel Brannan on the ship Brooklyn. He died before reaching Salt Lake City. Irene, the mother of eight children, suffered a burned hand and subsequent amputation. She died at thirty-six at the home of her friend, Emeline B. Wells. Ursulia reared the children until Francis, Irene's husband, became well located in Paris, Idaho. Ursulia remained in Paris until her death in 1875. The letters represented in this book were selected from the twenty-four written between 1845-1850 and published in the Utah Historical Quarterly, 25 (1957). Footnotes are those supplied in that publication.
13. The disposal of merchandise by the gold rushers at cut-rate prices brought the first substantial amounts of goods into the Salt Lake Valley. The influx of people also provided a market for locally produced goods and agricultural products.
Return to Mormon Sampler main menu