Twelve Mormon Homes : Twelve Mormon homes visited in succession on a journey through Utah to Arizona.

Twelve Mormon Homes, introduction xiii

woman of great sensitivity and a talent for writing. Her descrip- tions of raising a family under frontier conditions in McKean County, Pennsylvania, where Thomas had chosen to make his home after his return from the Civil War, are fascinating. She served as secretary and nurse for her husband, supervisor of a household that catered to mill hands and various craftsmen, and was mother to four active but at times sick children. Through it all, Elizabeth Kane's letters remain cheerful and informative on the events surrounding the Kanes's efforts to establish a home and a lumber business at Kane, McKean County. Unfortunately, not all the letters are dated, and problems of determining when certain events occurred are raised. Then, too, names familiar only to family members are used, and the identification of visi- tors and business associates is obscured. Even the children are referred to by pet names or nicknames, thereby posing problems of identification. Harriett becomes Harry, Evan Evy, Elisha Willie, and young Thomas Leiper Lyly. The Kanes remained in contact with the Mormons over the years. Thomas came to Utah in 1857-58, incognito as Dr. Osborne, to help mediate the difficulties between the Mormons and the federal government. He was subsequently called upon to intercede with government officials to obtain favorable rulings and opinions for the Mormons. Especially in 1869, a renewed effort by the Mormon leaders to make use of Kane's services is noticeable. George Q. Cannon and the sons of Brigham Young became personal couriers and transported communications be- tween Brigham Young and Thomas Kane. Transmittal letters are found in the Thomas L. Kane papers and the Brigham Young letters in the Church Archives, Historical Department of . . . x111