[Whoever transcribed this letter must have misread 1887 and written 1884 since Minerva didn't go to Mexico with Erastus until 1887 and Orson Pratt Snow and Sarah Elizabeth Blacner weren't married until 29 Oct 1885 and their first son Orson Arnold Snow was born 26 Jun 1887. I don't have a xerox copy of the original letter to check. DRS]
St George [St. George, Utah] Dec 4 th 1887 [Sunday 4 Dec 1887]
My Dear Son Orson P. [Orson Pratt Snow, b. 1860] & Your Beloved wife Sarah [Sarah Elizabeth Blackner Snow, b. 1865],
I have not received a line from either of you since your marriage [29 Oct 1885] nor do I remember to have written you myself and consequently cannot very much complain of you, although with my numerous arrest [arrests] and and my failing eyesight I might claim Pardon for suffering neglect.
I suppose you learned that I returned with Minerva [Minerva White Snow, b. 1822]
from Mexico in August [Aug 1887] since which I visited Susie in Gentile Valley and Willard [Willard Snow, b. 1853] & family [wife Dora Crooks Pratt Snow, b. 1860] who now lives in Ogden [Ogden, Utah] works for Boyle & Co. As also E.W. [Erastus White Snow, b. 1849] & family [wife Margaret Alice McBride, b. 1853] & Levi [Levi Mason White Snow, b. 1869 ?] in Provo [Provo, Utah] and numerous other friends. I left Salt Lake City [Salt Lake City, Utah] October 31st [Monday 31 Oct 1887] in company with E. D. Woolley [Edwin Dilworth Woolley, b. 1845] and others for the San Juan [?] county --- [?] of the way with team through Sanpete [Sanpete, Utah], Sever [Sevier, Utah], Garfield and Kane counties [Garfield County and Kane County, Utah]. Visited your sister Artimesia [Artimesia Snow Woolley Seegmiller, b. 1849] and other friends at Upper Ranch [Kanab, Utah] and the Saints at Long Valley Ranch and For a [?] & Georgiana [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] at Pipe Springs [Pipe Springs, Utah] and the children finding all well and enjoyed to meet in peace. I had intended to visit you on my way South, but when I was about to leave Richfield [Richfield, Utah] for Beaver [Beaven, Utah], the telegraph anounced [announced] that the Deputy Marshals had just returned from a raid in the South and we deemed it not prudent for us to venture that way. So we continued our course up the Severe [Sevier River]. Now whether I shall be able to visit you I cannot say, but would very much like to do so as well as to visit Moroni [Moroni Snow, b. 1858]. I have been gratified with your good luck and business prospects as well as in your first born child [Orson Arnold Snow, b. 1887] which I should like to see and bless. I hear you have got a lot in Beaver [Beaver, Utah] with little or no improvement thereon and that you rent a house and work at your carpenter trade. If the money you receive for your St. George property [St. George, Utah] could be invested in a good well managed Sheep herd and left to ---- [?], you might perhaps build and improve on your lot with your labor, and material that it will bring you or with the wood and increase of sheep without consuming your capital in the Herd and it will be source of yearly income toward a living and raising your children. Of course you should keep a cow and a pig and chickens.
Frank [Franklin Richards Snow, b. 1854] is still in Salt Lake City [Salt Lake City, Utah] helping George Albert [George Albert Snow, b. 1863] & [?] Holbrook organize and get started in their new business of Wagons and Agricultural implements. We look for him home next week. Mahonri [Mahonri Moriancumr Snow, b. 1847] & family and E. B.’s [Erastus Beman Snow, b. 1853] folks as well as rest of my own immediate household are in usual health. Georgiana [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] has just come in from Pipe Springs [Pipe Springs, Utah] & Florence [Florence Snow Woolley, b. 1856] is expected to be in to spend the Holy Days and We should be pleased to see yourself & family with us at that time, if convenient and consistent with your circumstances.
Your sister Missia [Artimesia Snow Woolley Seegmiller, b. 1849] is also here and will probably remain till after Christmas [Sunday 25 Dec 1887]. She came in with Maggie Segmiller who was married last Friday [2 Dec 1887] to John McQuary and they will keep house in part of his Mothers House. I desire to remain till after New Years if Deputy Marshalls do not crowd me to hard. They seem to be raiding the settlements north of us considerably and we hear they are again en route from Beaver [Beaver, Utah ?] South and they are liable to drop in upon us most anytime though we trust in God and our friends to keep us posted in their movement. So that we
[missing the rest of the letter]