Saturday, Dec. 22, 1888 - We rose about half past 5 o'clock. Brother [H. M.]Tanner, Brother Watterson, and myself, 3 of us, we started for the station. We got there and got our luggage on the train and got our tickets and started for Alexander Dock. We were soon on our way. We arrived there alright and we had to [p .60] to [SIC] walk quite a way, but we got to the pier with all safe and soon went on board the Arizona and were showed to our berth. My was berth after which I waited very patient for Brother Lowe [James G. Low]. The young sister by the name of [L.]Chapman, they came at last, and Brother Mackcallester [POSSIBLY, McAlister] sometime after President Teasdel [Teasdale] came and went down into the ship and had a look at our berths and saw we had got a splendid place. He asked all the 3 brethren if they was willing that Brother Kirkham should preside. Each said yes and so he said, "Well Brother Kirkham, you will take charge." And he gave me a bundle of Stars [Millennial Star] to give away and he gave me a book to take to the president's office, Salt Lake City. He said I was to go with him to the cabin and we went and I saw a beautiful [p. 61] place like a palace richly adorned and he introduced to me a very fine gentle one of the gentleman in the ship employ who introduced me to the person by the name of [-] and he said if there was anything I wished while crossing the ocean I was to let him know and he would get it for me. I thanked him very kindly and we, Brother Teasdel [Teasdale] and myself, sat down and I had a very pleasing talk with him and he told me he wanted me to look after that young sister and see that no one imposed on her. I promised to do so and he said he wanted me to write up a statement of my short mission in England. I promised to do so. He spoke very kind to me and encouraged me very much and I felt very much lighter heart. He wish me goodbye and God blessed me and said, "Write to me from Queenstown and from New York." I said I would. He left the ship and [p. 62] at about 10 minutes to 12 o'clock. We were piloted out of the docks by a small steam. It was a grand sight to see how they managed such an immense vessel. It was 465 feet long with a beam 46 feet, 6 inches. 1200 horse power engine and a crew of about 170 men carrying. Registered tonnage 2639, [-]5000. Depth of the ship 37 feet. We eat our dinner and then watched our ship move out into the Irish Channel. As we moved out I offered up a few words of prayer to my Heavenly Father that he would spare our ship and crew and that we might arrive over safe. I passed all our brethren by the ship officer and gave up our tickets and then wrote in my journal for a while and then went on deck. We soon got out of sight of land. We saw 2 or 3 ships at a distance after which I went and had a little sleep and was woke up by Brother Lowe who came in. He had been very [p. 63] sick nigh unto death and it was by the power of God he had been healed and he told me when he heard I was going home, it sort of revived him and he felt he was alright for company. I felt bowed down with sorry for him. Well, my humble prayer was that he would bless me with health to wait upon the other ones and he shall be praised for I know that his hand has been over me for good. Brother Tanner has not feeling well now having throwed up his supper and has gone to bed. At 6 o'clock we had prayers and then I went to bed. I sat and wrote in my journal, also wrote a card to President Teasdel [Teasdale], that is I started it but will finish it in the morning just in time to go back to Liverpool by the return of mail so he can find out how we are getting along. The brethren all being in bed I read the "Second Coming of the [p. 64] Messiah" to the brethren who was in bed after which I retired to bed about 8 o'clock after traveling 240.

Sunday Dec. 23. We traveled 326 miles. We were now in Queenstown. The water was now steady and the wind which had blowed pretty hard had gone down a little. After breakfast I finished my card to Brother Teasdale. We would not leave until 12 o'clock. We were waiting for the mail after which we left and for an hour or two we had pleasant sailing, but at 7 or 8 o'clock we commenced to pitch about and we had a rough time of it. The sea were like mountains high. The vessel would raise with the waves and run down. All we could do was to lay in our berth and reflect of the past and hope for the future. After a dreary night of it we saw the light again for which we felt thankful. [p. 65]

Monday, Dec. 24. We traveled 275 miles. Rose and dressed myself and at the ring of the breakfast bell I was seated at the table to eat my breakfast. Thank the Lord my brethren did not come out much all day. I could not study or read, the ship was on such a move all day. I never went on deck all day. I sung from our hymnbook to the brethren who lay in bed and they helped a little, but they lay all day not getting out all day. I waited on them all I could with anything they wanted. At night after supper I had to do the praying for they could not sit up long enough to say our family prayers. The hours passed away very slow and dreary. I lay awake most of the night only falling to sleep to wake again and it was the worst Christmas Eve ever spent in my life. [p. 66]

Tuesday, Dec. 25. Traveled 325 miles Christmas Day and the sea still mountains high and it was not a merry Christmas to me or anyone on our ship. The purser came around to see how all the passengers were and to wish us a merry Christmas, but he saw it was not very merry but he would give us the compliments of the day and hope we would have a better New Year. We all said we hope so. I had not been on deck. I eat my breakfast and lay down to pass the Christmas the best I can. At dinner I seated myself at the table, I worked all across the large looking glass. There was holly and around the lamps it was a thorny green leaf with a red berry in honor of the day. For dinner we had roast goose and plum pudding but all seemed to be very nice, but although I was blessed to be [p. 67] able to eat, I did not taste so good as it would if I had been on land. I spent the most of the day laying down in my bed. At night after [-] supper and prayers I laid down again and we returned ourselves to the Lord for the night. I would fall to sleep and wake as I have said before the whole night but it was a little calmer. Brother Lowe was very weak. I had administered two different times imploring the blessings of the Lord upon him for he was a very sick man yet I did what I could for him and trusting to the Lord for the balance. My constant prayer was to the Lord, he would preserve our ship and all on board that we should have the pleasure of standing on land again. The night wore away and again we beheld the daylight again.

Wednesday, Dec 26. We traveled 315 miles. The sea was still very rough but my brethren were told they would have to got up for [p. 68] the captain was coming around to inspect the ship and all would have to be in order. So after breakfast the brethren got up and went on deck for a while but they were very weak and did not stay long. I sat in the quarry room at one of the tables and wrote in my journal while the ship heaved and rocked about there were but a very few that came out to eat only 7 or 8 of us all the rest was sick in their births. At about 10 o'clock Captain Brook and some of the other officers came around to see how all things was looking, the sea still heaved our ship about. It was stormy raining and was not safe to go on deck having been shut in there had been a very large rope stretched along the deck for passengers to hold on to for those who would venture on deck but for my part I stayed below I could see all I wanted of the wild waves I wish to see through the port holes the waves dashed [p. 69] right over on to the deck these were the longest hours of my life. At about 7 o'clock we had our prayers and all stayed down and it was a long night, but God in his mercy took care of us and all.

Thursday Dec. 27. Light poured on us and we felt tankful for it. After our prayers I went to breakfast while our brethren went on deck for a short time, but they were very weak they could not get anything to stay down in their stomachs. The sea still rough until after dinner. I wish to state that my prayer was, as I lay in my berth, that the Lord would cause that the waters might be more calm and the wind more mild that we might sail with more speed, and to my joy it was so for we had traveled different speeds ever since we left from Liverpool. We had a more pleasant afternoon and evening and our ship sailed on [p. 70] soundly. I was up until after 9 o'clock when after prayer, I retired to bed. All 3 of my brethren had been there for hours and we had a pleasant night considering the season of the year and what we had just passed through.

Friday Dec. 28. Our vessel still sailing on lovely through rather a rough sea, but she being so large and heavy it took a very rough sea to toss her. Often prayers never forgetting to pray for our ship. I went to breakfast and eat some fish for my breakfast. I felt to thank God for his kindness towards me that I had been able to stand the storm and rough sailing thus far, with health having been able to eat my meals all the way. During the day I passed the day as best I could. My brethren was very sick and getting very weak. Could not eat but a very little and almost as soon was eaten would throw it up again. At night we had a rough sea. [p. 71] After prayers I retired to bed about 9 o'clock.

Saturday Dec. 29. Just before daylight we passed a steam vessel who belong to the American line who showed her signs. She throwed up some red fire rockets and burned some green fire. Our vessel answered her by burning some green lights. She was traveling the same way but we pass her and soon left her behind. We had a very good day considering the season of the year as it was now after Christmas and winter coming on. We spent our time very speaking to each other up on the principles of the gospel. At about 9 o'clock at night we had our prayers and retired to bed. Brother Lowe [James G. Low] who had been so very sick was feeling much better for which we all felt thankful for it. We all put our trust in the Lord and he was taking care of us [p. 72]

Sunday Dec. 30. I rose about 5 o'clock it was not daylight yet. Well we, my brethren, lay in bed and I sat in my berth and we talked of our experience in the work of our Father and how kind he had been towards us until nearly breakfast. It was somewhat remarkable we were all polygamy and in danger of the law but we knew in whom we trust and that we were in his hands. After breakfast he had a pleasant walk on deck as the sea was calm. At half past 10 I in company with others went to the first cabin to chop. [UNCLEAR] They had a form of godliness but denied the power there of. Well, I sung with them. The cabin was like a palace. It was grand. The captain read from 59 chapter of Isaiah and [p. 73] from the [-] and from their prayer book. After which there was a collection of money took up and then sung and all left and I returned to the intermediate department and I had quite a pocket of 2 men. [UNCLEAR] One was a Methodist and the other was a trader did not believe in any religion. He had crossed the sea 102 times trading and trafficking. I had quite a time. We soon had all in the room listening to us but we held our own. They argued that plural marriage was not of God [-] but but [SIC] I proved it was by the Bible. They said that the old scriptures was all done away with. At the same time he quoted Abraham and I said who was Abraham? A polygamous and a friend of God. That rather knocked him. The dinner bell rang after speaking of baptisms for the dead and [p. 74] and [SIC] so forth. Well we eat dinner and the subject dropped after dinner. I wrote a part of a letter to Brother Page who lives in London and a part of a letter to President Teasdel [Teasdale] and during the day I read some in the Bible. After supper I was up until 9 o'clock when we had our prayer and retired to bed.

Monday Dec. 31. The sea had been nice and smooth. We had a pleasant night of it. Our ship had been sailing well. During the morning I wrote some in my journal and after walking on deck for exercise we had dinner. Every day at 12 o'clock they would send us word what distance our ship had made since the day before at 12 o'clock. [It] was 382 miles leaving only 132 to our destination. Now after dinner our young sister came and asked me to count her money for [p. 75] she had lost some. She believed I counted what she had and we found she had lost 60 cents. So she said she would let me have what she had to take care of it [-]. She said 2 ladies wished me to give them some of our trades which I did and they also sent word they wanted to have an hour with me after supper to talk about our religion. I said certainly with pleasure. During the afternoon the weather changed and it rained very hard and the waves commenced to dash pretty bad but at about 9 o'clock the weather was much calmer and we arrived at Sandy Hook. We had the pilot come on board and we could see lights all about us we anchored for the night. Our vessel gave its signs of lights and all was still and quiet. I did not have the chance to talk to those ladies as I expected after which we all went to bed. [p. 76]

Tuesday Jan. 1st, 1889. The weather was fine so to speak. There had not been any wind to trouble us all night. We had laid at anchor all night most of our company was feeling well and our little company of 5 was rejoicing that the Lord had preserved us from a watery grave and that in course of a few hours we would be landed at New York. My brethren was feeling much better and we went to the first cabin and got our baggage signed and all was well. We left our old ship that had landed us so well after traveling and I found Mr. Gipson the agent for the Guion Line and after we had had the custom house officers examine our baggage we was then ready to move again. Mr. Gipson took me to their office [p. 77] some distance by the elevated cars and we left the rest of the brethren to go to the Old Dominion Docks with the luggage while I got the tickets which was soon done and I was showed to one of the street cars where I took a ride to the Old Dominion Docks and there I found the brethren and Sister Chapman. We got our luggage checked and and [SIC] got our berths and I sat down and wrote in my journal. The boat was to leave at 3 o'clock. I was a grand boat, beautifully adorned carpeted and looked like a palace. At 3 o'clock we set sail and soon left New York on our left and New Jersey on our right. We had a beautiful sight of the two cities and the ship shipping [UNCLEAR]. We also saw the parts of a ship sticking up out of the water. It was a ship that had sunk having been struck by another ship and stove it in which caused it to leak [p. 78] and fill with water and sunk. Did not learn any more of its history. Well we had a most pleasant trip. The weather was clear and beautiful. There were ships to be seen in every direction for miles. We was showed to our berth. We had 3 rooms. Miss Chapman was No. 4 Brother Lowe [Low] and myself had No. 6 and Tanner and Watterson had No. 7. Our beds was beautiful and the style at the dining table was something extra. We had everything we wanted to eat such as apples, oranges, nuts, bananas, grapes, pies, cookies, jellies, and the greatest attention. We went to bed at about 9 o'clock. I slept 5 hours before I woke and we had such a pleasant ride.

Wednesday Jan. 2. The water was nice and still. We eat breakfast and went out seek where the sun was shining warm and clear. We had a nice pleasant [p. 79] voyage. I got in conversation with a gentleman of New York, a merchant by the name of Walter Corn. He subject was on the affair of the notion. He said the man who had the most money could get any kind of a bill through Congress and he said if the air could be measured off the government would sell that. We had a pleasant time. I also had a nice time with an old lady of New York State on the subject of religion and we made some good impressions. She wished us goodbye when we left. At about 2 o'clock we arrived at Portsmouth and all got into a bus and was drove down onto the ferry and ferried over to Northfork and to the railroad station where we waited until 9 o'clock. We rested during the time and went and bought some food to eat and some baskets. [p. 80] At 5 o'clock we left and commenced our journey by rail. We traveled all night. We was now in the State of Virginia and of all the sights I ever saw of Negroes was now. We could see the Negro in the old Virginia style. The homely lot of people I ever saw all looked dirty and ragged. We and the city of Norfolk was dirty itself. We could see the old plantations and cornfields and timber forests. We traveled over a very rough road. I felt as though we were in greater danger than on the sea for we was taken at lighten speed.

Thursday Jan. 3. Weather was fine and we was still going at full speed. We traveled down through. . . . [SENTENCES FOLLOW, TOO LIGHT TO READ] [p. 81]

. . . Friday Jan. 4. We was still on the go. Weather was fine and during the day we. . . . [SENTENCES FOLLOW, TOO LIGHT TO READ] . . . and crossed the Mississippi on the ferry. Our train was run on the the [SIC] ferry and we was ferried over in about 18 minutes from there for 40 miles through what is called the Mississippi Bellows nothing but swamp and forest of timber and for about 18 miles of it was on a trussel bridge just spikes drove down in to the ground beneath the water. We was drove over very slow and I could see the water shake around the post and the old timber [p. 82] [-] creaked as we went along. I was very thankful when we crossed. During the day we passed hundreds of cotton fields and could see the people gathering the cotton. We crossed the Black River on an iron bridge also saw the Mammoth Springs just over the line into Missouri. During the night we traveled along and [-].

Saturday Jan. 5. The weather was clear, but much colder. We arrived at Kansas City about 6 o'clock, changed our cars and purchased some food to eat and bid our Brother Tanner, one of our company, goodbye and at 10 o'clock we left for Denver City over 600 miles. We had a pleasant ride then we saw snow on the ground at this place [-]. We soon left it behind. Traveling all day passing many [p. 83] fine city and one of the finest farming counties I had seen since I left home.

Sunday Jan. 6. After traveling all night we arrived at the city of Denver at about 7:15. We had to stop until 20 minutes past 12. We went to the station house and there left our things with Sister Chapman and Brother Lowe [Low]. Brother Watterson and myself went for a walk. We had a look at the stores. It was a grand city noted for it [its] wealth and merchandise. We strolled back again and at about 12 o'clock we got into the cars and at 12:20 we moved out. The weather was fine. We traveled north about 100 miles to Cheyenne then our car was changed and hitched to another train and we started west and [p. 84] traveled all night. The ground was white with snow. I had but a very little sleep. I made a bed of my overcoat for our sister and she slept pretty well. I would sit and sleep a little then get up and go to the stove and warm and so wear away the time.

Monday Jan. 7. The weather looked very stormy it looked like snowing, the ground was white with snow. We passed many stations and during the night we passed 2 passenger trains, one freight train. At about 9:15 we arrived at Green River where we changed our car again for Ogden and stopped about 20 minutes and then went on our way. We passed through two or [-] snow beds which was [p. 85] as dark a pitch and arrived at Evanston where we stopped about 20 minutes. From there we traveled down Echo Canyon when we saw a train wreck which had happened on the first of the month. From there we traveled down Weber Canyon and at about 45 minutes past 5 we arrived at Ogden. I had already wished the 2 brethren goodbye in the cars as we thought we were spotted by a man who got on the train at Evanston. We, Miss Chapman and myself, got off and we had to wait a little while for the train to come to take us south to Salt Lake City. We was soon on our way and when the conductor came along I asked him if I could get off at Farmington and stay all night and he said I could so we stayed all night. [p. 86] We had quite a time. I meet Sister Cottrell, wife to Brother Cottrell, I had left in England. I had fetched a present from him to his wife. I had now found her at her father's there was her mother and 4 sisters there they made me welcome and we had supper and spent a pleasant evening.

Tuesday Jan. 8. I rose about 8 o'clock we had a most pleasant day. They had an organ and one of the young sisters played and we sung and at about 5 o'clock we bid them goodbye and made for the station where we landed in time and soon got on and after a ride of about 3/4 of an hour we was landed in Salt Lake after a long lurch. I found Brother [p. 87] Goodfellow husband to the sister of Sister Chapman I had fetched from Liverpool but we was welcome and I stayed with them all. . . . [p. 88]

BIB: Kirkham, George. Journal (Ms 1173), reel 2, vol. 37, pp. 60-88 (CHL)
(source abbreviations)