The Brigham Young Center

Great Salt Lake City
February 27, 1867

E.B. Crocker, Esq.,
Gen. Agent Central pacific Rail Road Co.
Sacramento, Cal.

Dear Sir:

Your favor of the 8th instant came duly to hand, and would have been answered earlier but it was mislaid.

We have an abundance of Brown coal, or Lignite, on the Weber River, about fifty miles east of this City; but no coal has yet been found in that region that will coke. Red oxide of iron exists in the same vicinity as the Lignite, and is supposed to be in sufficient abundance to warrant the erection of iron works. It is not a rich ore; it is like the Black Band ore of Scotland, and probably on an average with the iron ores of England and Wales. We have ores of various qualities in other parts of the Territory, generally richer however, than those of Weber. We have good Bituminous coal in San Pete Co., 130 miles from this City, and in Iron Co. 250 miles distant; at the latter place also there is plenty of pinon pine and cedar. Red oxide of iron ore is plentiful at San Pete; and in Iron Co., black oxide ormagnetic ores abound. These ores are in close proximity to the coal in those places. About sixty miles from this city north, in Box Elder Co., there is a good quality of specular iron ore; it is rich, and lies in large masses at the bases of the foothills; but there is no fuel, or rather it is very scarce, within a long distance of the ore.

The lignite on Weber is said, by professed judges, to be suitable for the manufacture of iron from the ore, and it is free from sulphur.

Hoping this information will prove satisfactory I remain

Respectfully
Brigham Young