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1866 November 5 Letter to G. M. Doge

Title

1866 November 5 Letter to G. M. Doge

Description

It would be difficult to run the telegraph lines through the desert in the winter.

Type

Correspondence

Sender

Brigham Young

Recipient

G. M. Doge

Date

1866 November 5

Location

Great Salt Lake City
Omaha, N. T.

Subject

Building and Construction
Telegraph

 

Gt. Salt Lake City,
November 5th, 1866.

Major General G. M. Doge,
Chief Engineer U. P. R. R. Omaha, N. T.

Dear Sir:

Your Telegram of the 3rd instant reached me on the afternoon of that day (Saturday) and I immediately replied: "I think it impracticable to run a Line across the desert in the Winter. There are no camels here. Will write you."

Should this Winter prove a light one, it might be practicable to run a line thro' the desert; but even then it would be difficult. There are a great many saleratus beds through the desert, and the soil generally is so thoroughly impregnated with alkaline and saline substances that whenever snow commences to fall, it soon melts and the ground becomes so wet and miry as to be impassable. This it the case in the most favorable Winters.

Very Respectfully, Yours &c.,

Brigham Young