President's Office,
Gt Salt Lake City,
May 4th, 1866.
Elder Thomas Taylor,
Box 3957 Post Office,
New York City.
Dear Brother:-
Your favor of the 6th of April came to hand a few days ago, and was perused with interest.
Before receiving the letter I had telegraphed to Bro. Hiram, under date of April 27th, that Bro. Staines would not leave here for New York this season. We have thought that with the help that you have, or will have there, that you would be able to get along without him and Bro. Schettler, and have therefore, concluded to keep them here. I am satisfied of the correctness of what you say respecting his aptitude for the business of travelling on the Railroad with the people; but from among all of those who will be with you this season of the Elders you will be able, doubtless, to select some one who, if not quite as business-like as Bro. Staines can still do very well in that capacity. I expect Bro. C. M. Gillet would make a very good agent for that purpose.
It is probable that Bro. Hooper will forward a quantity of weights to the frontiers to Bro. Bullock to be forwarded to this place. Should they be sent there, you will please see that they are brought through in one of our teams. Bishop John Rowberry of Tooele City wishes a few articles for the new meeting house at Tooele City which will be sent to the frontiers brought through on one of the Tooele teams, if the teams can bring them: They are: 1 stove, 1 Case Kerosene Oil, and 1 Box containing Chandeliers.
There will have to be a separate account kept with the teams which go down for the Telegraph wire. They must not be mixed up with the teams which are sent down for the poor, as their purposes are quite distinct, and the business should be kept equally so. All of the articles for our home telegraph will be sent to Wyoming; these things should be brought on. Great care should be taken in packing and loading the acids.
The teams have all started for the river to bring up the poor. The rains which we have had for the last few days make traveling rather difficult, and the teams have not made very good headway as yet. They carry down twelve hundred sacks of flour: 300 to be left at Three Crossings or the Bridge on Sweetwater; 300 at Bissonett's, Deer Creek; 300 at Mud Springs and 300 at Pyper & Robinson's, Kearney City. This will give you an idea of the flour you will need, if any. We expect to send flour out from this end to meet the companies. There will be many of the Saints here who will probably go out to meet their friends on the road and carry out provisions, &c., to them.
What we have done in sending down the teams and flour we feel is all that we can do. The people who come on should be prepared to purchase their own groceries, or use a very small supply. I can see no necessity for such an amount being expended in supplying and fitting out the trains that has been used in the past. The brethren have drawn heavily on me in past years, and I have been considerably embarrassed in consequence of having to meet their engagements. I do not want to be subjected to such things this year; or be run into debt. There will be some means come into your hands on railway commission that you will be able to use, and you may be able to borrow some means of some of the Saints who come through; and get along with just as little means, and especially in using my credit as possible. Bring all the debts that you can with you, that is: borrow of the people who are coming here.
I have written to Bro. Bullock that in loading the teams he must use good calculations. The first teams should be the heaviest loaded, and the passengers and freight so apportioned that your last teams will not have the disadvantage of being heavily loaded added to a late start. If there are too many people to be brought by the teams we have sent, it will not be policy to run in debt for teams to bring them out; but situate them as well as they can be, on the best locations that can be obtained, and leave some good, thorough-going Yankee with can get work for them and help them sustain themselves until another Spring, and we can then send down and get them. There may be a good many young men who will come on this year who, if they were to try, would obtain employment as teamsters in freight trains and get pay for such service, and be thus able to help the rest.
There will be some freight come to Wyoming for myself I wish brought on. Bro. Amasa M. Lyman has sent east by Bro. Godbe or Mitchell for a Portable Grist Mill, which he has spoken to me about having brought on for him. This I should be pleased to have you receive, and, if convenient have it loaded on the Fillmore teams.
With love to you, Bro. John T and all the Elders who may be with you and praying the Lord to bless you, and give you all wisdom and power and every qualification necessary to enable you to discharge every duty and labor that may devolve upon you in a manner that will be acceptable to the Lord and satisfactory to your brethren is the prayer of your Bro in the Lord
Brigham Young