The Brigham Young Center

Nephi, Utah Ter.
19 Sept. 1868.

My dear General:

Your favor of the 5th instant came to hand just as I was on the point of leaving Salt Lake City on a trip to San Pete County and the intermediate Settlements. I am thus far on my journey south, and expect to be absent from the city about twelve or thirteen days. I am gratified to learn from your letter that you have met with Mrs Chetlain, and that her health is so good. The meeting after your somewhat lengthy separation was, I doubt not, a very joyful one. I trust your journey to Salt Lake City will be as speedy and pleasant, as yours seems to have been in going down. Six days to Chicago! Salt Lake City is not such a remote place after all. The railroad is effecting a great revolution in travel. How different it is to the old mode of traveling, which under favorable circumstances occupied from twenty to thirty days to the Missouri.

The grading of the Railroad is the chief topic of interest at present in the Territory, it occupies mens minds, and gives employment to all our surplus help. Both companies are making herculean exertions to push the grading and track-laying a head. Our opinion here is that the U.P.R.R. Co. has the lead and is likely to keep it. You doubtless heard before you left that the Central Pacific people were anxious to have me take the contract of grading one hundred miles west from the northern point of the Lake. I declined as I hoped the U.P.R.R. might chose to push their line south of the Lake, and I wished to be ready' to take the contract for grading if they should thus decide. They seem however to prefer the northern route, and I have taken a contract for grading to Monument Point, the North point of the Lake on their line.

The trip thus far has bene very agreable. You can judge how agreable by your recollections of our visit to Bear Lake valley last fall. This visit has been quite as pleasant thus far as that was. The crops have been much damaged by the grasshoppers; but the people in expectation of their presence, sowed a much greater breadth of grain than usual in many places; the result is they have enough to supply themselves where, if they had not done so, they would have been destitute. There is a general feeling of thankfulness every where apparent among the people for the crops they have raised; for at one time, as you probably recollect, the prospect was most gloomy, the grasshoppers were in such myriads.

I am pleased to learn from your letter of your meeting with your dear friend and townsman, General Grant. The position which he occupies before the country causes every American to feel an interest in his movements, and their eyes centre upon him. From all that we can learn he is sure to be elected.

Mrs Amelia Young and others of my family who are acquainted with Mrs. Chetlain send their warm regards to her. Accept my regards to yourself.

I remain,
Your Friend.

Brigham Young
Gen. A.L. Chetlain.