Isaac, Benjamin Letters

Pittston Ferry

Luzerne County, P.A. N.A.

29th October 1856

Dear Mother and Father,

I received your letter of the llth September and was very glad to hear that you are both well, and to hear you are still at work. I was sorry to hear that Ann had been ill but is better and I trust by now she has recovered completely. Here we are both working regularly and earning good money; John is working every day under the Company. I've been on plaster work all the time and have worked harder here than ever before because I was not so familiar with plastering work but am more experienced now as time goes on. At present I'm plastering a room in the town, its size being 90' long by 43' wide by 15' high; there are to be three large centerpieces in it.

John is doing well under the Company, and if it were possible for you to be here you would see John moving about from one place to another in an old dram of mortar; the only thing that troubles ham is 6 o'clock. He earns 7/-per day. The drams run themselves by means of an engine for a distance of 50 miles up to the tap of a hill. John is quite well now although he-wasn't himself when he first came here. He has paid all his debts and has now saved up a sum of 15 pounds; so you see this is a much better place to lived. Make haste to come from the prison to us here, if William and Enoch were here they would earn good money, as much as 8/- per day. I can imagine father saying that he is too old now to come out here, if he were here I would pay him 5/- per day only carrying mortar for me. I should say that Enoch would save about £60 to £100 here annually. We are not sending you any money this time because I don't think you are in need of any, if we thought otherwise there would be money enclosed in this letter for you.

We are not going to Salt Lake this year nor I don't anticipate in the spring. If you should come here next spring I would go with you to Salt Lake Valley; if William feels like coming here John and I could house the family between us in the spring. If Elizabeth sees this letter she must understand that it would be impossible to have her and the family here; if it was possible for William to come out we could send money for his passage as well as Rees, or we would. be prepared to send for Bess and Jane, they could live here easily; let us know your views about this. If William comes here we could send for his wife, and family soon after, he must consider the matter seriously because once he comes here to live he must bid farewell to Wales for ever, otherwise homesickness would follow.

You have had instances of this in my previous letter on this matter and I am not going to write any more on the subject now. We shall be able to work for another two months, then we will be idle for three months due to the winter, when I shall have plenty of time to write. John would like to have the address of David Merriman. News of the saints here is that there is a flourishing branch of about 80 saints, consisting of Welsh, English and Scotch. We have a splendid meeting room, doubtless you know the leader, namely Benjamin Isaac, formerly of Llanddowror. The saints are all happy here but will be moving to Salt Lake as soon as possible.

I don't know anything about the money owing to David (the Blacksmith). I shall let you know in my next letter what you will require to bring with you to make the journey comfortable. Remember me to my sisters and brothers all the saints and my friends, I wish you all happiness. My family are all quite well and wish to be remembered to you. Phoebe has another girl and we have named her Emma. Theopilus and his wife, Thomas Williams and his wife, please let the saints know how they are getting on.

Pittston,

Luzerne Co.,P.A.,

29thJanuary 1859

Dear Mom and Dad, Brothers and Sister,

I am taking this opportunity of writing to you to let you know how we are faring in this far-off country. The reason why I did not reply promptly to your last letter was because I had sent it to my brother John, and in expecting a reply from you I thought that your letter previous to the last had gotten lost. I did not receive your letter until three months after it was written because you had not indicated the State of Pennsylvania in your address.

I received a letter from John this week and he and his wife Rachel are quite well. John is working underground since the beginning of the winter. He earns more money working underground than he would outside because of the hard winter. John has now moved from here since last you wrote me; his address now is:

John Isaac, Carbon Cliff, Rock Island, Co. Illinois, N. America.

He has many friends there and is therefore happy to be in that place. He left here because of the lack of work and I would have gone too but for the fact that I have a large family. The outlook has now improved and I'm working on the Railroad, although we've been unable to work for a month because the ground is frozen up cannot cut foundations, but expect to make a start very soon. It is a much better climate for working than Wales, the only fault is that we cannot do much work in the winter because of the frost; there is very little rain here in the summer, we can go for six months with no rain but when it starts to rain it is best to be indoors because it is torrential.

I just give you news of my family one by one. Phebe and myself are quite well, Margaret the eldest is in service and is quite well. Mary the second eldest is well and is at school. Ann the third girl is quite well and is also at school. Sarah the fourth child is in the best of health and attending school. Emma, the youngest, is two years old. We are expecting another child any time now. My wife and the children wish to be remembered to you. Thomas, the Wern, his mother and family have recently moved from here to the State of Ohio, not far from my brother John. Ester 's mother and father, wife of Thomas of Llanelly, came out here after us. Although Thomas and his family have game to Ohio.

Mormonism is still very strong amongst us, and preparation for the spring time is being carried out by families. I cannot buy any land in preparation for the future because I have no money to spare. I must have about 60 pounds to 80 pounds before I can move my family in comfort to the Valley, but am endeavoring to achieve this, and I hope to see you all of honest hearts in Salt Lake City. I need not tell you the price of things here, they are the same as I mentioned to you before. Land in the West i.e. Virginia, is 1000 miles from here, the best land you ever saw, being sold for 5d. to 6. per acre. Isn't it a pity that hundreds of people are in want and land is so cheap out here.

My fondest love to you both and to William and family. I should very much like to know how is Elyn Elizabeth, William's wife. My kindest regards to Thomas and his family, Enoch and his wife, Ann and family, and I wish her every success and peace in her endeavors. This is the wish of John and myself and our families. I also wish to be remembered to Mary John, Llandowror and George and Theodosha John family. Mary Griffiths, Sarah Morgan and Ann Morgan. I wish to be remembered to them all. I do not know whether Evan Williams (the Boot Repairer) ever received my letter to him. I should like to know if he did. Please remember me to him and his family and to everyone I know.

I forgot to reply to your query concerning the cost of a single-bore rifle, this would cost about 2 pounds. A good double barrel would cost 15 pounds down to 2 pounds. I t would cost too much to send a rile from here unless someone was leaving the country to take it with him.

In this country there is one of the wonders of the world, namely, a mountain of iron ore, this was discovered about eight years ago in Missouri not far from the place where my brother John is. This hill is 581 feet high and has an area of 300 acres, and the hill is one mass of pure iron ore, the greatest that has been discovered so far. A great quantity of the ore lies in the earth. They have tunneled down to a depth of 80 feet and they failed to drill farther because of the hardest of the ore. It is said that there is sufficient ore for 5,000 years. What a wealth of money lies there.

Margaret, my eldest daughter is asking her grandmother to send this letter to my brother John so that he may see the above tune ('Sail Colombia') which is one of the most popular songs of this country. Enoch can copy it so that Thomas can play it on his Clarinet. I would very much like to have the song, if Enoch can remember it, in an old book in John's house (the Blacksmith). I think Enoch has an old song book of which I was very fond and I had started to play some of the tunes, and perhaps the tune I want is in that book and I would be very glad if Enoch could sent it on to me.

From your loving sons

John and Benjamin Isaac

P.S. I should like to know were Ann and my brothers are now living. How many pheasants has Enoch ought this season.

Spanish Fork Utah, Utah County, T.Y.

27 August 1863

Dear Mother and Father, Brothers and Sister,

I received your loving letter dated 16th February, 1863, which was written
by Ann my sister, and great was joy on receiving your letter, and especially to

read you were all well and comfortable. I was grieved to hear of Thomas's trouble,
and I sincerely trust he will have strength to bear up, and overcome his present troubles. I hope that he will consider emigrating here, not because we are in this country but because God has chosen that His saints be in this place of refuge. You will no doubt remember our testimony when we were among you and the testimony of the saints present that God in this age was making the earth empty as was prophesied by Joseph Smith, that the war was to start in South America. If you are following the news of the war you will notice that this prophecy is being fulfilled. The country is stained with its people's blood, hundreds and thousands are being killed in one day, and the spirit of war still persists.

I gather from the contents of your letter that Thomas is talking about coming to America; my advice to him is that he does not stay one day longer than is necessary in the States, if he values his life, but ravel through to the saints here. At present, no one is safe in the sates for a moment. I shall not enlarge on the war new because you've probably ready all there is to know about it in the newspapers.

Now for the news of the family; Phebe and myself are enjoying good health and living comfortably; Margaret is married now to a man named Joseph Tucket and having moved and are living about 300 miles from us in the south, where the saints are growing cotton; they are well and living happily. Mary, Ann, and Sarah are well, Emma is a big girl now and awaiting a letter from you. I sent you news before of the boy born in Florence, he died, and we are planning to have another boy in a little while after we had settled down, his name was John but he died a fortnight after he was born. We now have a boy six months old, his name is Benjamin, although he is not very well at the moment. We shall do our best to see that we don't lose him. That's all the news I can give you of the family, and as I am passing this letter to John, I must be short this time.

We love to have news here from home and all your workds are so treasured by us all. If you decide to come out here next year, John and I will try to make you as comfortable as possible. John and I are working at our trade daily and we do well when working day-working. We are earning about 15/- per day, we earn more when we take on a job. There is not a lot of money passing amongst the people here, who are the salt of the earth.

My fondest love to you, William and family, Thomas and family, Enoch and family, Ann and family. Thanks very much for the new violin string.

B. Isaac.

Great Salt Lake City

September 1st 1863

Dear Mother and Father, Sister and Brothers,

I am taking this opportunity to twrite you to let you know how we are faring as a family, and are quite well since we heard from you some time ago. We were very happy to hear from you, and we are sorry to be so long in answering your letter. Very glad to know you are both keeping well and that you are comfortable and happy. We trust it will continue to be like this for you to live your faith so that the blessing of God be upon you. We wish to be remembered to William, his wife and family and wish them all happiness in the future.

We were grieved to hear of Thomas's trouble in that he has buried his wife, we sympathise very much with him in his great loss, and only wish we were nearer to help him bring up his children. We wish him every success for the future but hope that he does not come to America now because every man between the ages of 18 and 25 is conscripted to the army, although we are safe here from the war.

Our love to Enoch and his wife, Ann and enoch was saying that they were playing various kinds of music and I'm glad of that, but the best music to me would be to speak face to face. Please remember us to Ann and family, and trust that they are in the best of health. I have heard that Ann has lost interest in the Mormon religion, I hope this is not true but will continue to be your greatest ideal in life.

Benjamin has given you news of the war. We are earning more money now but the cost of living is higher in consequence. I am getting on well here. I now have a house and garden (paid for), I also possess two cows, 10 heifers, 10 sheep and 2 pigs. We have everything for our comfort and Benjamin is likewise fortunate. It's been a dry summer, in fact we've had no rain since last May but the signs are we expect some any time now.

We would like to know in you next letter if you received Benjamin and my letters when we were in the States, we don't seem to have had any news of them. Rachel's parents wife to be remembered to you and send their fondest love.

With lots of love from,

Rachel and John Isaac.

Salt Lake City

5th February, 1869

Dear Mother (Margaret Isaac),

We received your loving letter dated the 13th December, 1868 in which you say you received our letter to you dated August 1868. You will recollect that we asked you in that letter to come out to us here, and if you did not feel disposed to come on your own, John or myself would be willing to come home so as to accompany you back here. We wrote you again after we had received a letter written by Sarah Phillips (our best respects to her and all her folks, if she will come here she will be greatly welcomed). We do not know if you received our letter in this respect.

The best news we've had of course is that you intend coming out here and we will do everything to make you feel comfortable and happy. It was good to hear that Rees (William's son) thinks of coming here, let us know when he expects to start his journey. Should you mother finally decide to come out here to us it will only take four weeks for you to reach Salt Lake and we will make you very comfortable. Theophilus and Mary Williams say that you must come to live with them, and John and Rachel say the same. My son Benjamin is now six years old and he is saying that "Grandmother must live with me when she comes." We will make you as comfortable as possible, you willl be wanting in nothing and you will live like a lady. I shall arrange for Elias Morris to look after you on the journey (he is a good man) as if he were- your own son.

Don't bring a lot of clothes with you only such as you will require for the journey- 4 or 5 shirts, the same number of stockings, one light dress for warm weather, don't bring old fashioned clothes with you, brother Morris can tell you what kind of clothes to bring along. Bring a small feather bed with you for use on the journey of about 30 lbs. weight. So you can sell all your belongings in order to travel in comfort.

Theophilus and his wife send their kindest regards to you and to all of our friends at home, likewise John and Rachel, Phebe and myself. You were asking of new of Benjamin's children. Well, Margaret and Mary are married, and they and their families are quite well. Ann, Sarah and Emma are at home, Ann and Emma have been trained as telegraph operators. Emma is now 13 year old and as capable as any man on the telepgraph machine. Benjamin's son is now six years old, and wishes to be remembered to you and especially their grandmother, and are looking forward to seeing her here.

Our warmest regards to William and Elizabeth and family and wish they had the courage to come out here. I should like to know if Betsy is well. Our very best wishes to brother Thomas and family, Enoch and family, Ann and family.

We wish to testify that the Church of the Latter Day Saints is the only church of God on earth, we would be happy to hear of your faithfulness to this Church. Our fondest love to Thomas son of Moses Isaac who wrote the letter and our best wishes to his father and family.

From Ben and John Isaac

Salt Lake City

21st November, 1869

Dear Brother Thomas,

I received your letter some time ago saying that you are all quite well, we also are in the best of health here at the time of writing, for which, thanks be to God. I received a letter from Enoch about two months ago giving news of the death of our dear mother; I received a letter from Ann some time previous to your letter. Neither of you seem to see eye to eye in the matter, but I trust that you will let this pass for th time being and continue to love one another as brother and sister.

You were asking my opinion on th matter, I feel that you've done Enoch an injustice, you said that Enoch was to be paid for looking after mother during the time she was ill, and I think it is fair for him to receive for that anyone else. May he have God's blessing for looking after our mother. I trust that in your nest letter I shall hear that you fell better and amicable as brothers and sister. You were asking news of me in material things; I have 12 acres of fertile land, 2 horses and a wagon, 4 cows, plenty of butter and milk and everything to make us feel comfortable.

I have a good house built of first class material, 30 apple trees bearing fruit and many other varieties. Unfortunalty, I have no children, some people think that children are the best treasures to have, but everything is good in its proper place. Benjamin is very well off, and he has recently put up a sawmill for making lumber, he has saved about three to four hundred pounds, he has many cattle and horses as well. You can see, then, that this is a prosperous country to live in. Benjamin has six children, the youngest is a boy of six years old. Two of his daughters are married; Margaret the eldest, has three children, Mary the nest has two children, Anne and Sarah are in service and the youngest daughter, Emma, is a telegraph operator. The telegraph office is in Benjamin's house and the lines run for 500 miles north and south. You've probably read about the Railway that runs from the States of California, it passes within 40 miles of this place. They are building a branch line to Salt Lake City and it will be finish very soon. You can travel to this place in three weeks.

You did not give any news of your family in you last letter and I should like to hear about your children; if you've married again. If you haven't a then you had better come out here to have 2 or 3 at once. I've sent your letter to Benjamin, he lives about 60 miles from here, so you'll probably hear promptly from him, and hence my short letter.

No more news for the present,

From you loving brother and sister,

John and Rachel Isaac.

Spanish Fork, Utah

14th April, 1873

Dear Brother (Thomas Isaac),

After a long laps of time I've decided to make time to write to you again and hoping it will reach you in the best of health. I'm glad to say that I and the family are quite well and comfortable, and it is likewise with John and his wife. Although John lives about 60 miles away I hear from him almost every week. I saw your letter to him some time ago but I can't bring to mind the contents of you letter, so I am unable to answer any of your queries as I would like to do. I trust you will have pleasure in hearing from me again; I will only give you brief news of myself because I would like you to answer this letter as soon as possible so that I may write again to you promptly with more news. I can only say that we are living quite comfortable here and much better than would be the case in Wales, although that is not the chief reason for my being here. We are living much happier here from the point of view of material things but we came here because God has disclosed his gospel these latter days through ?..? He teaches his children to congregate in the West of this place, and many of his prophets have indicated this is their prophesies, similar to the prophets of old. We are thankful to God for the opportunity of being among his people and hence the reason we are here.

We are happy to be here and enjoying life to the full although this would not be sufficient reason for us to turn our backs on Wales, leaving good parents and loving brothers and sisters. I do not think that all the gold of California can compensate us for that loss. But when we had the message of the eternal Gospel preached to us by the Latterday Saints, it gave us sufficient courage to leave our old country.

Dear Brother Thomas, we were deeply sorry to hear of your family troubles due to bereavement, but I trust to you are able to face up all your difficulties by strength from above, although I can appreciate how hard it must be to lose loved ones but it is better for you to stoop to Providence in these matters.

I should like to hear of your circumstances and feelings at present, because I have had something in my mind which is to write to all my relations to draw up a family tree. I intend to finish this for the benefit of my children, so that in the future, they can name their relatives one by one. I was careless in not seeing to this when I was in Wales, and it seems that none of our relatives have bothered about this before. Fore example, do you know the name of our Grandmother (father's side), do you know when she died, her age and where she was buried?

I wrote Enoch recently asking him the details of our relatives as accurately as possible, I would be glad if you could let me have similar details; age of birth details of all your family one by one, also your wife, her maiden name, date of marriage and date of her death, age and place and burial. If you are married again, similar details of your present wife.

I should by very glad if you could give me the address of our relatives in Aberdare so that I can write to them. Please don't forget to try to send me the above information; also send me Ann's address. Should you meet any of our relations give them our kindest regards and ask them to write to me.

Should you have any of the names of the saints in your neighourhood please remember me to them, and if they would like to write to be I shall be pleased to answer them. I am sending this letter to John so tat he may add a few words, so I shall finish by stating that we all send you our kind regards. Mary, my eldest is married now, Anne, Sarah, Emma and Benjamin are at home. Benjamin is now 10 years old. I've buried four boys. Emma is a telegrapher and is 13 years old.

We all send our best wishes and fondest love to you all.

From your Brother,

Benjamin

Salt Lake City Utah

Dear Brother (Thomas Isaac),

It has been a long time since I sent you a letter and having no reply up to the present. I hope you will answer this letter without delay with some news of your family. I should like to know whether you are married again, and news as to the children. Rees and John Isaac are in the States, I received a letter from Rees a little while ago. I hear only seldom from Enoch and his wife.

Our love to you all as a family,

From,

John F. Isaac.

None

Immigrants:

Isaac, Benjamin

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