Presidents Office
G. S. L. City May 6th 1866.
Elder Isaac Bullock and Wm W Riter
Wyoming, near Nebraska City,
Nebraska Territory.
Dear Brethren:--
The five hundred teams which have been called for to assist in carrying the poor from the frontiers, have all started. The rains which we have just had have had the effect to retard their progress, as the roads are now very bad. We have sent 1200 sacks of flour <to be> left at the following <stations:> 300 at the Three Crossings <or at> the Bridge at Sweetwater; 300 at Bissonette's, at Deer Creek; 300 at Mud Springs, and 300 at Pyper & Robinson's, Kearney City. We expect to send flour from this end to meet the companies when they need it; and many of the emigrating Saints' friends in the Territory, when they hear they are on the road will, doubtless, go out to meet them with flour and such other things as they may need.
It is probable that Bro. Hooper will forward a quantity of weights for the use of the Territory to you at the frontiers to be brought on in one of our teams. Should he do so, please see that they are carefully loaded and brought through, as they are valuable.
Bishop John Rowberry of Tooele City wishes a few articles brought on for their new meeting house at Tooele City; they will be forwarded to Wyoming, and if they could be loaded on one of the Tooele teams, it would be more convenient for him. They are: 1 Stove, 1 Case Kerosene oil, and 1 Box containing 2 (two) Chandeliers.
There will be some freight come to Wyoming for myself that I wish brought on. Also a portable grist Mill for Bro. Amasa M. Lyman that Bro's Godbe or Mitchell will purchase and forward to Wyoming for him. If convenient, you can load that on the Fillmore teams.
There will have to be a separate account kept with the teams which go down for the Telegraph wire. They must not be mixed up with the teams which are sent down for the poor, as their purposes are quite distinct, and the business should be kept equally so. All of the articles for our home Telegraph will be sent to Wyoming; these should be brought on, and great care should be taken in packing and loading the acids.
In loading the teams you must use good calculation. The first teams should be loaded heavier than those which start later, and the passengers and freight so apportioned that your last teams will not have the disadvantage of being heavily loaded added to a late start. If there are too many people to be brought by teams we have sent, it will not be policy to run in debt for teams to bring them out; but situate them as well as they can be, on the best locations that can be found obtained, and leave some good, thorough-going Yankee with them, one who knows how to scheme and get along in the western Country and can get work for them and help them sustain themselves until another Spring, and we can then send down and get them. There may be a good many young men who will come on this year from Europe, who, if they were to try, could obtain employment as teamsters in freight trains and get pay for their services, and thus be able to help the rest.
Care should be taken in cautioning the Saints about drinking unhealthy water. The Saints from Europe have had no experience in such matters, and have no judgement about selecting their water to drink. Though the river water will be apt to give them the diarrhea, until they become accustomed to it, yet it is much healthier than the wells and Springs usually found in the neighborhood of the river, and it will be better to direct the people to use it.
Care must be taken by Bros. Taylor, Caine and yourselves not to run me heavily into debt, as has been too much the case in some instances in the past-- drawing heavily on me, and I never receiving anything in return to show for the money I had advanced. I can see no necessity for a heavy amount being expended in supplying and fitting out trains to bring up the Saints. The people who come on should be prepared to furnish their own groceries, or use a very small supply. It is a heavy drain upon us to send down teams and flour; but when, in addition to that, we have large sums of money to pay, the burden becomes a heavy one. Whatever debts may be contracted I would like to have them brought on here-- that is, have the money borrowed from persons who are coming on here, if such can be found, to be paid after they get here.
Praying the Lord to bless you and give you the necessary wisdom and power to accomplish the labors devolving upon you, I remain, with love to yourselves and the Elders who may be with you
Your Brother in the Lord,
Brigham Young