President's Office
Great Salt Lake City
March 6, 1867
Hon. Wm. H. Hooper
House of Representatives
Washington City, D.C.
Dear Brother:
Your telegram of the 5th instant came to hand last evening, and we were pleased to learn from it of the passage of the town site bill, and hope soon to receive a copy of the bill and the instructions promised. Your certificate we learn from Mr. Reed (who got a telegram from you) has been received by you. McGrorty's pretensions to a seat in Congress are a subject of considerable mirth to our Secretary, and to every man of sense in the Community. The Secretary ridicules him every time he meets him, but he is very little better than an insane man, and mirth and ridicule are alike expended on him in vain; he is oblivious to both, so fully is he possessed with his own ideas.
The rejection of Lewis S. Hills as postmaster, is scarcely any more than we could expect under the circumstances, though we looked for better things. It would be something very wonderful for the wishes of the people of Utah to be gratified in regard to appointments, however unanimously expressed. It seems that for the people of this Territory to unanimously join in recommending a man for office is all that is needed to insure his rejection and the appointment of another who is known to be thoroughly obnoxious to them.
I shall telegraph you when I have finished this letter that I wish you to attend to some business for me in New York. The following telegram was received by me to-day from O.H. Palmer, Secretary and Treasurer of the Western Union Telegraph Co. "I have paid draft of two thousand (2,000) dollars to the order of Hooper but am compelled to advise you to draw no more until the account is settled and balance agreed upon I have advised you many times that this company had nothing to do with payment of Stock that must be settled with Barney, Morgan and Company I will send you account showing that our part has been substantially paid & I can not accept further drafts until adjusted
O.H. Palmer"
Enclosed I forward you a copy of the contract made between Messrs. Barney, Morgan & Co. (per Jos. Street, their Agent) and myself for the furnishing of Telegraph poles, for the Line By Telegram from Barney, Morgan & Co. I was informed that they had transferred their contract east of the City, to the Western Union Telegraph Company. The latter company also advised me that they had assumed that portion of the contract.
Herewith you will find a copy of the account tendered by me to the Western Union Telegraph Company Also my letter to them. Besides sending you a copy of my letter and account to Mr. Palmer I send you two greater accounts. To have you understand them I will explain. When the transfer was made by Barney Morgan & Co. to the Western Union Telegraph company, it was supposed that the entire contract made with me for the poles east of this City was transferred to them. Telegrams from B.M. & Co. and from Mr. Wade, President of W.U.T. Co. confirmed this idea. But there were telegrams sent me by Barney, Morgan & Co. which states that the Western Union Tel. Co. would pay the "money consideration". This point was not noticed at the time of their receipt, as we were possessed with the idea that the transfer was complete and without reservation of any kind. Bro. Clawson also states that though in New York at the time of the transfer, and in frequent conversation with the parties he
Received the idea that the entire interest was turned over to the Western Union Co. and that they would settle up every part of it. I learn this evening for the first time that Mr. Creighton stated when here that the Western Union Tel. Co. were only to pay the cash, which was 80 per cent as the accompanying contract will show; how the stock was to be paid he did not state. Of course I expected that portion of stock due me on the Line west of this city would be paid by Barney, Morgan & Co., but as I have said, I looked to the W.U.T. Co. to pay the stock due me on Line east of this city. What Mr. Creighton said gives me the clue to Mr. Palmer's meaning when he said in the telegram of which I send you a copy: "I have advised you many times that this company had nothing to do with payment of Stock; that must be settled by Barney Morgan & Co." He has not advised me many times on this point in distinct language. If I had had the clue in the first place, I could have understood his telegrams, and drawn that inference.
But it was only an inference, it was not so stated. He understood it, and supposed that because he understood it I must understand it too. You may find it prudent to move cautiously in this matter. When Mr Palmer says that "our part has been substantially paid", I cannot understand him, as you will see by my account there is a considerable amount yet due me. By cautious enquiries you may find how the matter stands, and what the arrangement really was between B.M. & Co. and the W.U. Tel. Co. before you make a move. The contract, of which I send you a copy, is explicit, and B.M. & Co. must be held to it. Another reason for my thinking that the whole business was turned over to the Western Union Telegraph Co. is that my letters directed to Barney, Morgan & co., New York were all returned to me through the Dead Letter Office with the statement that no such firm could be found in New York; and all my last drafts on them were returned to me protested. Mr. Creighton or others may have written to the Company that I am making considerable out of this contract; but I have not yet received what I have paid out for building this Line, and when I am fully paid up I will have nothing left as profit but the Stock. Mr Street and myself thought that with the changed prices out here the contract was taken by me at reasonable rates. I have put up good poles and they will bear scrutiny. When the Line was built in 1861 Mr. Street was in an extremity to get the poles. I stepped forward and helped him out at a loss of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00). At that time gold was the currency and men could be obtained for $18 per month; this season they have received $60.00. The changed times caused him to conclude that the price which I offered to furnish for the new line was not unreasonable.
With love, in which Presdts. Kimball and Wells & Bro Geo. Q. join and praying the Lord to bless you and to crown with success every effort you make for the building up of His kingdom,
I remain your Bro.
Brigham Young