Salt Lake City
Dec. 8th 1870.
Prest. B. Young,
Dear Bro:-
Oliver L. Robinson lives at St. Thomas on the Muddy; neither his wife, his brother, father, nor Bishop could tell me what he asks for his premises, at Farmington, neither the kind of pay he will take. They say he has been offer'd $2500. in trade for them, but they could not
inform me why he did not take it. He wants to sell and then move the remainder of his family to the Muddy. One end of the house is stone, and the other end adobie; one story high, and has six rooms and cellar. The barn is built of stone, and is capacious; its walls are
dry, but well laid up. The lot is full 150 sq. rods, and 1/3 is covered with -- they say -- good fruit trees. There is a well of good water near the house. There are 7 acres of rich, but pretty wet, farm land, and some 23 acres of good meadow.
I was sorry I could not make the purchase and thus consummate your wishes respecting the matter; but as it now stands, he has authorized no one to make the sale for him. I was told that he intends coming north in the spring. If he come I will see him, or, if you wish will
write to him; at any rate, he would not want to surrender the whole of the premises till spring.
Yesterday, I started the widow Ross towards Logan. We propose furnishing her a log, oneroomed house, which, no doubt can be built on labor tithing, and a lot, 2 cows, 6 sheep, 12 chickens, 1 pig, some wood, vegetables, and clothing, in lieu of the place she has gutted.
Mrs Baskin is yet undecided about purchasing the place; her husband thinks it is too small, and she so far agrees with him, that she is now trying to negotiate the purchase of a few rods of Bro. Colebrook's lot, so as to give her ample room, I presume for moulting her greenbacks, as she talks of making a cozy place of it. Her liege lord, (in whom I don't think she has unlimited confidence) she tells me is investing largely in mining stocks, an enterprize she regards as speculative and very uncertain.
The "ring", at present, are very docile. Madams Vaughan, Marshall and Reed conduct a Soiree at the Salt Lake House on Christmas eve, in behalf of the Catholic Mission.
Bro. Budge is in from the North, and reports all O.K. in his, and the Cache Co: diocese; snow some 2 feet deep on the divide between Logan and St Charles.
Our Tithing produce is coming in pretty well. The quantity of peas from Sanpete, and other
places, is great. Temple rock keeps rolling in, and the roads continue good.
So far as I can learn the cedar posts have been put by the side of most of the telegraph poles between here and St. George. I have asked all the Bishops to do their best to keep the line in the best possible condition during your sojourn South, and to assist me in
making the night service as efficient as possible. I trust trust we shall have no great difficulty to keep the line in good working order.
In a few days I expect to visit Cache, and the immediate counties, on Tithing Office, P.E. Fund, Telegraph, and other business; Your brother, Joseph desires to accompany me. I am pleased to know that you have had pleasant travelling weather, and that yourself and
company have arrived (to-day) at St George in good health.
Respectfully &c.
A. Milton Musser