| 290 petition largely signed is on its way to Washington, asking for a change of the name of the post-office from Sedgwick to Lamoni. The location of the new one will be about one and a half miles north and west of the present one, 4 and Bro. Samuel H. Gurley will most probably be the postmaster. Bro. Volentine White, carpenter and builder, formerly of Sandwich, Illinois, has the honor of erecting the first house in the new town, though others are expecting to follow him at once.
About this time the people in Utah became greatly agitated over the publication of the last testimony of Emma Smith. (See volume 3, pages 353-8.)
Joseph F. Smith, son of Hyrum Smith, seems to have been put forward to collect testimony to rebut the testimony of the prophet's wife. He appeared in the Deseret Evening News of October 18 with quite an array of statements and affidavits from different parties all given with a view to implicate Joseph Smith with polygamy, or spiritual wifery. Some of them if true certainly ought to have been published long before.
President Joseph Smith replied at some length to this effort of his cousin in the Herald for November 15, 1879.
In Herald for November 15 the following notice was published regarding the presidency of the Pacific Slope Mission:
The semiannual General Conference accepted the resignation of Bro. D. S. Mills, as president of the Pacific Slope Mission, leaving the matter in the hands of the Presidency. Until further action is had by the Presidency, or the General Conference, the work in California will be left in the charge of the local district presidents; with the instruction that those districts send their presidents, or others chosen by them as delegates, to the next April conference to be held for the mission to confer together as to what should be done for the best interests of the work.
Our reason for this action is, there is no one in the East at our disposal who is suitable to send in the present emergency. Added to this, so much has been expended by the California Saints for eastern interference that we deem it prudent to avoid further draft upon them.
Should there be a necessity for further continuation of mission organization in California, a president, or presiding elder may be chosen at the spring session with a full concurrence of all the branches, ascertained by vote at their respective district conferences to be held prior to the said
4 The old office of Sedgwick was near the present residence of Elder John Hatcher.
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