Salt Lake City April 22/82 [Salt Lake City, Utah Saturday 22 Apr 1882]
Dear Elisabeth [Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby Snow, b. 1831] It seems a long time since I have received a letter from you or written to you. I have been on a rush all the time and suppose you also have had your hands full of work and your mind of cares of home and waiting upon company. Today I go to attend Ogden Conference [Ogden, Utah Stake Quarterly Conference] with Prest Taylor [President John Taylor] and others. Yesterday I dined at Sister Rachel Grants with Heber & Lucy [Heber J. Grant, b. 1856 and Lucy Stringham Grant, b. 1858] and Sister Ivins [Elizabeth Ashby Snow Ivins, b. 1854] and Georgianna [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862], who is boarding there while she works with Mrs. Hall on the State road just South of the City Hall Corner. She seems well pleased with the prospect of learning to cut & fit. Her health is pretty good, as also Lucy [Lucy Stringham Grant, b. 1858] & Sisters Ivins [Elizabeth Ashby Snow Ivins, b. 1854] & Grant [Rachel Grant] and Heber [Heber J. Grant, b. 1856] .
On my return from Milford [Milford, Utah] I tarried over Sunday [16 Apr 1882] with the children at Provo [P:rovo, Utah]. Ashby [Ashby Snow, b. 1867] was just beginning to feel interested in his studies and getting over his homesickness which he felt while in this city [Salt Lake City, Utah]. George Albert [George Albert Snow, b. 1863] missed Jeddie Gotes who is learning Dentistry in this city [Salt Lake City, Utah] with Young [?] Clamson. Martha [Martha Ellen Snow, b. 1865] seemed to get along quite well with housekeeping. Made me a nice corn cake and set a very good table. She has no help but George Albert [George Albert Snow, b. 1863] who is general mating [?] boy.
I wanted them to take Annes [Anna Beckstrom ?] cow while she stayed in Provo [Provo, Utah], as Anne [Anna Beckstrom ?] wanted to be free from its care, but Georgia [Georgiana Snow, b. 1862] thought the feed and care would be more that the good of the cow to them, as they get milk handy and cheap and what butter milk they want for nothing, and their butter cheaply from the Provo Tithing office. So as Annies [Anna Beckstom ?] cow had a very valuable heifer calf which I desired to raise, I concluded to avail myself of David Cannons [David H. Cannon] offer to take her home with his bull and a like heifer calf he was getting of Angus - I told him I wished you [Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby Snow, b, 1831] or Artimesia [Artimesia Beman (Snow) 1819-1882] to have her to milk whichever needed her most, but the calf must be well cared for and half of the milk and be fed Lucerne. It is 5 weeks old yesterday [Friday 21 Apr 1882] - of course when it is ten or twelve weeks old and will eat hearty its milk be taken away. If Bro Nathaniels [Nathaniel Ashby ?] family want this cow, you will of course need Annies [Anna Beckstrom ?]. By the way I don’t relish the Idea & story of Joe McDonald about Marthas [Martha Ellen Snow, b. 1865] heifer being so wild that they can’t drive her in. She must have had a calf last year and is likely to have another one now. Don’t be mealy mouthed about it and let Joe gett [get] away with her calves and then bring in a herd bill enough to take the cow to pay it. Tell Frank [Franklin Richards Snow, b. 1854] to bring her in and if she is wild get Orson [Orson Pratt Snow, b. 1860] to milk her until she gets over it. She was a pet calf and will remember her early training and soon tame down. Lucy [Lucy Simmons Snow, b. 1855] said you wished her to remind me of the piece of laes [lace] you need and I so much wish you had written about it before Minerva [Minerva White Snow, b. 1822] & Julia [Julia Josephine Spencer Snow, b. 1837]
started, for I was on such a rush that I thought of nothing only what was hourly forced upon me. Bro Gates & Emma had also just got started same day when Lucy [Lucy Simmons Snow, b. 1855] told me, so now I will have to send it by next Coop goods and will add in some codfish and a few other things. Would you like to start up the middle of May [May 1882] and return last of June [Jun 1882] or wait till first July [Saturday 1 Jul 1882]? Love to all the children & lots to yourself. E. Snow [Erastus Snow]
When will Bro. A. W. Ivins [Anthony Woodward Ivins, b. 1852] start and Libbie [Elizabeth Ashby Snow Ivins, b. 1854] get done crying? Tell him you know exactly how to sympathise [sympathize] with her. Has Dee got home? Where can I strike him with a letter? E.S. [Erastus Snow, b. 1818]