Salt Lake City July 13th 1883 [Salt Lake City, Utah Friday 13 Jul 1883]
Mrs. Elisabeth R. Snow [Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby Snow, b. 1831]
Saint George [St. George, Utah].
My Dearly Beloved companion
Your very welcome letter of the 3rd inst. [instant - Tuesday 3 Jul 1883] was duly received [received] and eagerly read but as I had just written you a L [?] letter which you would soon after receive I defered [deferred] replying untill [until] now in order that I might be able to say something more deffinate [definite] about our future Programme [program] and the movements of the girls.
Since Georgianna [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] went to Provo [Provo, Utah], our boys Levi [Levi Mason White Snow, b. 1861] & George Albert [George Albert Snow, b. 1863] have escorted Josephine [Josephine Snow, b. 1859] around considerable to the Lake [Panguitch Lake, Utah ?] and elsewhere, so she has passed time pleasantly and is sometimes with Susan [Susan Snow, b. 1856] & Lucy [Lucy Simmons Snow, b. 1855] & sometimes with Mary Lund & Cheer Gardner Parry, and she and Mary and probably Eliza Lund think of starting to Milford [Milford, Utah] Thursday next [19 Jul 1883] enroute to Panguitch Lake [Panguitch Lake, Utah] and Upper Kanab [Kanab, Utah] hoping to meet Earnest & other St George [St. George, Utah] youths at Parrogona [Paragonah, Utah], where they think of spending Sunday 22nd [22 Jul 1883] at Father Lunds.
I have written to Arthur [Arthur Eugene Snow, b. 1870] & Orson [Orson Pratt Snow, b. 1860] at Upper Kanab [Kanab, Utah] to come with the Black carriage to meet them at Milford [Milford, Utah] and take them back to the Lake [Panguitch Lake, Utah ?]. It is possible Georgianna [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] may not start untill [until] they do, although I learn that she expects to join F. B. Woolley [Franklin Benjamin Woolley, b. 1834] at Milford [Milford, Utah] Wednesday [18 Jul 1883] or Thursday [19 Jul 1883] to take passage home on his load of freight, but as she has learned since making this arrangement, that her expected companion (Ida Reat) has started home, It will not be quite so pleasant traveling with a freight team. Possibly some of our folks at Upper Kanab [Kanab, Utah] may conclude to come to the Lake [Panguitch Lake, Utah ?] with the Boys. I proposed it in my letter if any of them could leave and choose to do so. I suppose however that most of them will be confined to their cows & cheese. Now for yourself I suppose from reading Marties [Martha Ellen Snow, b. 1865] letter to Josephine [Josephine Snow, b. 1859] that you are so well contented with your solitude & quiet [line cut off on the xerox copy] … home since the folks started to the Ranch and have so much work laid out (sewing, mending & making quilts & carpets) that all ideas of cooling off and rusticating in the mountains is driven out of your head. But if not and you could get Earnest or anyone else who are [is] coming to the Lake [Panguitch Lake, Utah ?] to hitch a team onto my Buggy & with my horses and bring you to Parragona [Paragonah, Utah] by Sunday 22nd [22 Jul 1883] or to Johnsons Springs [Johnsons Springs, Utah] by the 21st [Saturday 21 Jul 1883]. We could exchange teams if necessary and let Arthur [Arthur Eugene Snow, b. 1870] return home with Georgianna [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] and Buggy and the rest of us, including myself go on with big carriage to Kanab [Kanab, Utah]. or if you prefer waiting till Frank [Franklin Richards Snow, b. 1854] & Lucy [Lucy Simmons Snow, b. 1855] starts [start] after the election Aug 6th [Monday 6 Aug 1883] and then come to meet me & visit Manti conference [Manti, Utah] and travel up the severe [Sevier River, Utah] to Upper Kanab [Kanab, Utah] as I suggested in a recent letter to Frank [Franklin Richards Snow, b. 1854]. In that event Arthur [Arthur Eugene Snow, b. 1870] could return home with Georgianna [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] & Buggy- or if [the] Buggy cannot come, She can go on with F. B. Wooley [Franklin Benjamin Woolley, b. 1834] as proposed, and Arthur [Arthur Eugene Snow, b. 1870] ride his horse home, or in any event plan to be home in time to start with you in August. We would return home forepart of September [Sep 1883]. When you get this; Telegraph me your conclusions, for if you do not come up now to meet the girls, I shall not likely come down till I come to meet you in August [Aug 1883] at a point to be agreed upon. Tell Annie [Ann Stafford ?] that Erastus W. [Erastus White Snow, b. 1849] & Maggie [Margaret Alice McBride Snow, b. 1853] are now visiting her Mother [Margaret Howard McBride] & kindred at Eden [Eden, Utah] but expect to start tomorrow for Lada Springs [Lava Hot Springs, Idaho ?] and Levi [Levi Mason White Snow, b. 1861] is [to] join them at Ogden [Ogden, Utah] & go with them. Willard [Willard Snow, b. 1853] & Dora [Dora Crooks Pratt Snow, b. 1860] & Josephine [Josephine Snow, b. 1859] are all expected to visit us this afternoon at Annies [Anna Beckstrom ?] place on the Hill [Salt Lake City, Utah] & Willard [Willard Snow, b. 1853] thinks of going to Provo [Provo, Utah] in a day or two to whitewash a house and prepare for Dora [Dora Crooks Pratt Snow, b. 1860] while she visits her sister in Ogden [Ogden, Utah]. Jacob F. Gates [Jacob F. Gates, b. 1811] is here & says Susie is still about house but looking soon for accauchment [confinement]. Her Mother as well as sister Johnson is there. My own health is better since warm weather set in. Your folks all well. Unless I go south soon Minerva [Minerva White Snow, b. 1822] will not go to Susans [Susan Snow Young, b. 1856] untill [until] first of August [Wednesday 1 Aug 1883]. with love to yourself and children, Annie [Ann Stafford ?] and all inquiring friends. I remain forever your effectionate [affectionate] husband. Erastus Snow [Erastus Snow, b. 1818]
[Written across side of letter] Tell Marta [Martha Ellen Snow, b. 1865] I will enquire [inquire] after & try to get her Saddle soon as possible.