G. S. L. City, Nov. 5, 1863.
Elder J. W. Crosby
St George, Washington County. U. T.
Dear Brother:
In reply to your questions of the 25 ult., I have to inform you that our Cotton market machinery is not yet in operation, and I cannot now state precisely when it will be; however we are crowding the work on it, and expect to start it as soon as possible. In return I will ask you are you or any of the brethren going to send cotton out of this Territory to sell? If so, and rather than have it sent out of the country, I will buy and pay the money for all the brethren are proposing so to dispose of, and thus prevent a course so injurious to our self preservation. Please inform the brethren on this point and let them send the money away instead of the cotton.
If any have proposed sending their cotton out of the Territory for sale, it is realy astonishing, and would indicate a determination at once, either ignorantly or wilfully, to put beyond my reach so far as they can, every facility by which I might be enabled to benefit the community. I hope the brethren will see their true interests in regard to their cotton, and govern themselves accordingly by keeping it inside our borders for supplying our own pressing wants. When we have more cotton than we should Manufacture and use here, will be time enough to think of sending it abroad to market. Aside from the machinery brought here by myself and br. H. S. Eldredge, and br. Hank's factory in Parowan, br. A. O. Smoot is about starting some cotton machinery and br's Houtz and Bringhurst are preparing to put in operation some good machinery that has been here for sometime, and br. Croft has brought on 6 or 7 Cotton jinnies that will each gin, card and spin 5 pounds or more of yarn a day. The machinery now in the country can manufacture all the cotton on hand, before another crop can be raised, and all who may persist in so ruinous A polocy as sending away their Cotton under present circumstances, will soon learn that they cannot prosper in so doing. Coal oil is good for leather, but I do not know of any for sale in this market. Nails and glass are so fluctuating that I do not send their prices. So far as I now know, trains will be sent to Florence next Spring.
When you have read this letter please hand it to br's O. Pratt and E Snow and oblige,
Your Brother in the Gospel
Brigham Young
P. S.
Elders Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow
Dear Brethren:-- I wish you to at once take this letter and write all the cotton raising settlements, and prevent the brethren's selling their Cotton to go out of this Territory, and by so doing accomplish A good work and oblige
Your Brother in the Gospel,
B. Y.