[President Wilford Woodruff Journal] 29 The last day of winter I received 4 Letters. I had an interview with Franklin S Richards who had Just returned from Washington. He gave me a History of Affairs out there.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Why did WW refer to leap day as the last day of winter instead of the obvious Mar.21-22 ??
ReplyDeleteMarch 1st was his birthday (as well as his daughter Emily). He referred to March 1st as the 1st day of spring, and Feb 28/29 as the last day of winter throughout his life.
ReplyDelete-- Feb 28, 1846
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] Feb 28th 1846 Saturday This is the last day of feb & of winter And here we are riding still upon the mountain billows of the great deep. The wind is still dead ahead. The sea is not quite so rough this morning & the gale is lade in some degree yet some sudden gusts & squalls are striking us. It is quite cold this morning. We are running North. We are now 36 days out from Liverpool And no outward prospect of its being better. We do not gain any at all.
I dreamed last night that there was a great Storm that killed thousands of Birds that were floating upon the water. I saw many that were not quite dead. I waided in 2 or three feet of water & picked out many of them & put them under a goose that was sitting & they were warmed brought to life & run about lively & well.
It was quite rough through the day. We have lost near 100 miles in two days but the wind Changed during the night to the North East which was A fair wind. How long it will hold the Lord knoweth. The wind blew so hard before it Changed that it tore there Gib top sail to ribbons & carried most of it away.
-- Mar 1, 1846
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] March 1st 1846 {39} Sunday This is the commencement of spring in the year AD 1846 And Also my birth day. I am thirty Nine years of Age this day And Am Still rolling upon the Atlantic on board the Ashburton.....
-- Mar 1, 1848
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] March 1st 1848 This is my birth day And the first day of Spring. I Am 41 years of Age this day. I rode with Br Petty to his house And spent the night. It commenced snowing in the evening. We had A tedious stormy night. 25 m.
-- Mar 1, 1849
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] {March 1st 1849} This is my Birth Day Also the first day of the Spring of 1849. I am 42 years old this day. How such figures look to A man while Counting up his years...
-- Feb 29, 1884
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 29 Feb the Last day of winter. I spent the day Choreing.
-- Feb 29, 1892
[President Wilford Woodruff Journal] 29 The last day of winter I received 4 Letters. I had an interview with Franklin S Richards who had Just returned from Washington. He gave me a History of Affairs out there.
-- Feb 28, 1894
[President Wilford Woodruff Journal] 28 This is the Last day of winter for 1893 & 4. We met with Wm. W Cluff on the Coal Beds of Coleville. Also with Brother Scearse on Legislative Business.
Our Church business is becoming formidable. God ownly Can Carry us through.
[March 1] {Wilford Woodruff Born March 1, 1807 Aged 87 Years old this Day} {Emma Woodruff Born March 1, 1838 Aged 56 Years Old this day}
We Celebrated this our birth day in the Annex of the Temple by meeting 230 of our friends including the Presidency of the Church, the Twelve Apostles, the workers in the Temple our families, & other friends. We had speeches singing and Prayer. We also had a feast. At the Close we shook Hands with the whole Company with the salutation of God Bless You.....
Correction: Emma (not Emily) Smoot Smith Woodruff Born Mar.1, 1838 was a plural wife of WW, not his daughter. They married in 1853. She died Mar.4, 1912.
ReplyDelete