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[CA. 1893] To the excellent Head of The Evange lical Mormon Church of the Latter Days Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah,
My most excellent sir,
At the midnight of March 3, 1893, it is 40 years I say forty, that I belong to the Sacred Religion of the Latter Day Saints, cristian mormon church.
I was Baptized by the Rev. Sir Thomas Margets, passing by Genova in that time in the year 1853, that I was 19 years old, being born in fact in the year 1833, and where I find myself now with 59 years, it is the 28th of October.
In truth my lord I had a stormy life; I married in the year 1855, February 13th, and she died in Buenos Aires on November 5, 1888, of heart sickness. We loved each other very much, we raised 10 children, 8 boys, 2 girls, 2 are dead, 8 are still alive, all are fine, and [make some money].
I live with my first born Cesare Giovanni, married.
I have always loved my co-religionist, helping them with their needs, when they would let me know speaking together, and for such
I had to suffer many vicissitudes due to my children
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who live in Buenos Aires, 4 boys and two married girls, one with one Baggiano Jose Fabbrica of [Fideasi] and the other with one Domingo Quadrio, head of the railway station in Bernal, that for helping them I almost lost all my money.
After the death of my poor wife, good and virtuous mother, the adverse fortune continues persecuting me until today, such that I had to abandon Italy again, ungrateful homeland, to the men that live in Sestri Levante, where I had been called by a son of mine, who, when I arrived there, robbed me, betraying and ruining me, a real heartless son, who cost me double all my other children, and he even denied the food from my little [nieces and] nephew 4 girls and one boy, children of my first born Cesare: he called us from America after 5 years, and when we arrived he denied us the reimbursement of the Colombo Hotel, to him with my wife we had come with the agreement that he would have reimbursed us in case of returning or call, returning the paid capital, and so he left us in the street!! The heartless person had written to us again, saying that he would have helped us; we came, we saw, and we found everything the opposite, everything to the contrary, such a traitor.
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We found ourselves in a dire situation, and having used all the little money we took to America from Italy, in various quarrels against that rascal to obtain a justice never found, we thought of migrating again to America to New York, where we are since a year ago, abandoning so our ungrateful homeland with all that live there…
My children in Buenos aires wrote [asking] that we visit them, all together with my brother, his wife and family: we replied no, preferring to stay away from everybody, that if they wanted to help their Beloved Parents thay could send something, that we would accept very gratefully . . . . they did not reply ever again, God forgive them!
Now, in name of God and Jesus Christ and of the Saint Church of the Latter Days Saints, I pray the kindness of you sir, most excellent, if you could give me an aid, I ask this as a gift and charity after 40 years on the next 3 of March, that I belong to the Mormon Religion.
I ask this, my most excellent sir, because I find myself without any job, reduced to be a cook, a good profession, but because I do not understand the English language, I am not accepted in any place this is such a sad situation for me with my 59 years!
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My son, then, is paid very little, always because of the little knowledge of the language – he speaks good spanish – and his wage just covers the expenses!
I will be then very happy to know where Salt Lake City is, the main city of our religion, and that from there I receive an aid, a small sum of money to alleviate my misery, that terrifies my soul so much.
I have always prayed, I pray and will pray for the triumph of the Saint Evangelic Mormon Church of the Latter Day Saints.
I put forward my thanks to you most excellent sir and everybody I greet, including all brothers in Christ, and many greetings to Mr. Thomas Margets, my godfather, who baptized me, asking all benedictions from the Heaven for your life, from God Almighty, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Who gives us life and health. With peace and I say
Your always affectionate and at your orders Your servant Paganini Giovanni Battista di Angelo Resident in MacDougal Street, 73, 3rd floor, New York