Helaman Pratt Correspondence 1908-1909
————————————
The Juarez Stake
of
the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
A.W. Ivins, President
Helaman Pratt, 1st Counselor
Guy C. Wilson, 2nd Counselor
Jos. C. Bentley, Stake Clerk
Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico
March 27, 1908
My Dear son Leon
I have arranged with Brother Travis Tucker to buy a return ticket he will meet you on Sunday the 5 ½ or immediately after the morning mail at the drinking fountain in front of the bureau of information near the south gate Temple Block. And if by any chance you should not see him there he will be stoping at No. 729 North 2nd West St., Salt Lake and you can hunt him up, have him go to the R. J. Office the day you wish to start and sign the ticket and after it is singed and away from the office he can give you the ticket. It might be well for you to practice imitating his hand so that if you had to sign on the train (which is possible but not probible) you could write his name like him, this will be quite a saving in you R.J. fare. Enclosed please find New York Draft No. 1210 from Union Mercantile for Fifty four dollars ($54.00) gold which added to the $21 R.J. fare makes the $15.00 which you ___. I also send you a _____ ______ which if you use it (and I hope you will) will _____ indorsed by Junius Romney.
We hope to see you about the 15, of April, but write to let us know when ________.
Love to Miss C.
Your loving father, Helaman Pratt
**********
Colonia Dublan
Aug 29, 1908
My dear Son Rey & family,
We rec’d you letter so long ago that I shall not try to answer it in detail, we were very much pleased with all the little details of your life and ministry. I presume your conferences are over and I trust you had a good time. I had it in my mind to say to you, “moove very caushisly in the Hall question I would advise your reporting the case to Prest. Romney and he can refer it to the Presidency and the twelve who may think best to send someone down before final action is taken. I was glad that the work was spreading on every hand. We are having prity plenty of rain here now. The grass is fine, stock fat, water abundant although the river has not been out of its banks yet.
The bridge is completed and if greatly operated, work on the canal is still moving slowly forward, but will not be finished for some time to come. There is some sickness in the Colonies. Bro. Lewis P. Cardon and some of his family are very sick with feavers and now Bro. J.S. Cardon is down. We have got a part of our hay crop in the barn some is out in the rain, yet and some more to cut. We are now plowing for wheat. Leon expects to work your land this year. He helping me to plow and when his land is ready I will return the work. I shall turn over to him your mares. I think they are both with fold again. Orgies colt died the day it was born. Mollys leg is causing her some trouble and her colt bucks bad, but your colts are all O.K. Our corn looks very promising. My potato crop brot me a little over $400.00 cash. The cows are doing well. The folks are selling their morning cream to Boya who come to the house for it. They get about $2.50 per day and have the nights milk for butter. Our garden is good. Ma just called me in to help digest a fine watermellon. Paimer has not come to time on the seventh payment for the ranch. I may have to take it back. We sold all the land west of the pasture gate and south of Dublan Town back to bro Ivins it cost us 50 cent per acre gold and he took it back at $5.00 gold, there was a little more than 13 acres, this payed the bal due on pasture except about $1,200.00 which I expected to had payment with the money from the ranch. Bro. Ivins sold this land to A.P. Brown and he now has it fenced. School begins tomorrow I took Verde over to Juarez yesterday, Amy will teach the 2nd grade here in Dublan at $58.00 per month. Money is very scarce and I am greatly put to it to get enough for taxes and Mexicano. With kind regards to all the Elders and native saints. I remain you loving father. H. Pratt
The missionaries expect to start for Mexico on the ninth of next month. H. P.
**********
Colonia Dublan
July 11, 1909
My Dear Son Rey and family,
It has been some time since I wrote to you, not because I have no thot of you but because I have been very busy and tired, so much so that I have not felt like working, I have read with intrest your letters to Ma, and have just read your letter to the news. I rejoice in the mesure of success you and your fellow missionaries are having in that land. And trust that it may continue, and increase as fast as we can take of the native converts. Bro. Morales expects to return to the interior soon he claims that the climate here does not agree with him. He has raised a farly good crop and his boys have been employed all the time. The Lara girls are also talking of going back. Our wheat crops fairly good. I thrashed 86 het. and Leon has thrashed from your land 56 and there is still about 20 A to thrash from your field, our first cutting of Lucerne was very light but we have had some rain and plenty of water in the river now. We got the main part of our Lucerne watered about the first of July and it is now growing nicley. Our corn looks well, our home cows are doing very well but have lost one jersey from bloating on dry hay, our horses are doing ferly well. The colts although not fat are growing nicely.