Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-09
THE CALIFORNIA MISSION.
Historical Sketch from AugaSI, 1892
10 February 1894.
OpsniuG OF the Mislon-Orenni1a t"''
OF branches ami sunday schou's-
Cases OF Heating

PocATELLo, Idaho, January 4th, 1897.
To the Editor
wish to present TO the readers OF the
News, with your kind indulgence
few facts concerning the opening OF the
California Mission. In your issue oil
December 25th, 1896, saw letter
from Elder q. i, Harding, wherein the
idea is conveyed that the mission has
been opened only three years. In
previous letter from one Of the Elders
he states that there are four branchCs
organized in the stale.
In the spring of 1891, received let
ter rom Box b, calling me on a mission
to open up and take charge OF the Cali
fornia and Western States mission, blu
owing 10 circumstances, ! did not star
| on my mission till August iSe2, ar
| rived in San Francisco at 10 O'Clock
Monday morning August 22nd, 1899.
| had the names and addresses OF few
Saints. Tuesday August 20 | crossed
the bay to Oakland; | readily found the
house oil Brother J. 7. Joreensen, at
l'ruitvsle; Brother )orgensen accom-.
panied me and we visited Sister S. p.
King, in Alameda, and Brother N. iB.
Phillips in Oakland. Brother Jorgensen,
kindly consented for us to hold meetings
in his house, which we accepted with
thanks.
Sunday August 2Sth, held meeting
with a congregation OF five all told viz:
myself, Brother Iorgensen, wife and
daughter, (aged nine years. Elder N B
Phillips and Sister Mcdonald; admin
istered the Sacrament and spoke to
them, and then called on the Saints to
express their feelings, which they did;
the spirit OF God was with us and we
had good time. | held meetings in
Brother Iorgensens house three Sun
days, when the Saints decided we
would rent hall, which | did, Fraternal
hall, on Washington street, between Il
and I4th streets, Oakland, Tor $40 per
month, Sunday afternoons for one
month; lew strangers attended our
meetings. also heard OF and found
quite number Of people, who claimed
standing in the Church.
In October 1892. | baptized one in
Oakland and two in San Francisco
Ordained Joseph Mattress an Elder, and
organized branch, with Joseph Mat
tress president, and with Elder John
Peter Phillip Van Den Berg. as first
counselor, Elder John Peter Jorgensen
as second counselor and Elder N B.
Phillips as clerk. Also in October |
baptized five persons in Sacramento.
November 27th. 1899, organized a
branch in Sacramento. Elder Aaron
Garlic President, L. Garlic, clerk. The
same day | organized Sunday School,
James I. Garlic, superintendent; A.
Garlic first and Edward Garlic second
assistants. So you see that in little
over three months from the time OF our
arrival had baptized eight persons, or
dained one Elder and organized two
branches and one Sunday school.
Through the kindness and good will
OF Elder Doctor !. +. =. VanDenBerg
in giving us the use of hail free OF rent
on Sixth street, San Francisco. we were
able to hold meetings in the metropolis;
SO on January 18th, 1893, We commenced
holding meetings on Sunday evenings
in San Francisco, but still continued
holding them IN the day time, Sunday
, in Castle Hall, East Oakland. In April
1896, Elder VanDenBerg gave us the
use ol furnished rooms TO live in. Ur
till this time, April 1893, | had labored
} alone, when in this month Elder Mel.
Johnson, OF Ovid, Bear Lake county,
came, In May the same year Elders
Alva S. Keller and Henry b. Williams,
} OF Mil Creek Ward, Salt Lake County
, and George H. Maycock OF Fairview
Weber County, arrived. June I2th
1888; Elders Williams and Maycock LEFT
by steamer for Los Angeles, to labor in
the Southern part OF the state, and or
the l4th, Elders A. S. Keller and N. B,
Philips went 10 Sacramento,
In the early spring Elder Mattress, oui
branch president returned to Utah, and
on July and, 1895, Elder Frank Green
well was set apart as President OF the
Oakland branch, with NJ. f. Mortensen,
as assistant. Owing to the serious iii
ness of the wife of Elder Niels Johnson
| released him and he returned home
July 10th, 1898. On August and 1898
Elder ]. D.. Cummings OF Mill Creei
Ward, salt Lake County, arrived.
; appointed him to labor with Elder A
5. Keller, in Sacramento. On Novem
!. Der 18th, Elder Ezekiel l.. Blodgett, o
North Ogden, Weber County, arrived
In December 1895, we concluded thai
we had a branch about twenty-five