Great Salt Lake City, Feby 28th 1854.
Dear Brother Horace,
Yours of Dec. 21st arrived on the 26th inst. as the mail was hindered by snow, and of [course] by scarcity of feed on the route.
I had anticipated that bro Kesler would have left for St. Louis by the first of March, but snow, and the scarcity of feed on the route, prevent reaching Laramie in season for the Mail, hence the time of starting has been deferred to on or about the 1st of April, when he will start in company with Bro. George Halliday and others, prepared to go through with speed.
Bro. Kesler goes down to assist you in purchasing, Packing &c. & Bro. Halliday to see to the selling the woolen Machinery, as he is acquainted with the articles, and I have no Invoices of them, and to assist according to circumstances.
If you have purchased the roofing paper, and materials to go with it, you will sell them all off, for I shall not need them, and if you have not, strike out all those articles.
Upon the receipt of this, you will advertise all the woolen Machinery for sale, and in case you find a bidder before Bro Halliday arrives, I will inform you that the whole Machinery, with duties, & expenses to St. Louis cost $15,000. I think it should sell at 20 per cent advance on cost, but it will probably be better to sell at cose or even a trifle below than to continue to keep it in Store, paying storage, and Insurance, however you had better not sell before Bro Halliday arrives, unless you get a very good offer.
If means run short bring only 500 each of the books of Mormon and Covenants and 1000 Hymn Books, and store the balance in St. Louis; also store there the Box of Bibles that Bro Pratt forwards from the American Bible Society; get whatever you leave in St. Lo. insured.
Bro. Kesler will take a draft of $10,000 with him, and I presume the business matters at Washington alluded to by the Doctor, will be satisfactorily arranged, and the Machinery can probably be sold to advantage, which taken together with former funds, will probably furnish amply supply for all requirements.
As the funds at the Liverpool Office are needed for the Emigration, I have notified the Doctor to draw on that office as lightly as possible. If loping off the roofing [?] and materials leaving some of the books & leaving all the Wo[missing]en Machinery,, and on the other hand the means that may be derived from its sale, the $10,000 taken to you by Bro Kesler &c. you will restrict your operations to the amount of funds, and not leave any debts behind you in St. Louis.
In packing, you will avoid as much as possible the use of heavy casks and boxes, such as the very heavy and useless casks glue is put up in.
You were right in your conclusion under the circumstances to order the Rifles and save the expense of going to New York for them.
Your wife has deposited $100. with me for you, which I will send by Bro. Kesler.
I enclose a letter to Captn. James Brown, please put the proper direction on and mail it.
Please inform Messrs. Todd that Bro Kesler will call on them to purchase Five run of French Run Mill gloves, and ask them to have the best of blocks on hand, or Bro Kesler will g on to Cincinnati for them.
Bro. Kesler will have full instructions as to the order of your purchases, in case funds are short from any cause, hence it will be well for you to omit any heavy purchases until Bro Kesler arrives.
General news remains as at our last date to you. The health of the Community, my own, and that of your family, is good and Dr Richard's health is improving.
Praying for your success and prosperity in the way of all truth, and in the fulfillment of all duties.
I remain as ever
Your Brother in the Covenant
Brigham Young
Gen[l]. H. S. Eldredge
St. Louis
Mo.