President's Office
Salt Lake City, U.T.
Oct. 29. 1868.
President Albert Carrington,
Liverpool, England.
Dear Brother,
I wrote you a letter of considerable length, on the 21st inst: containing a few notices of passing events, which I hope you received safely.
Since your departure, Brother Asmussen has returned from his tour in New Zealand and Denmark, and is desirous of obtaining the deeds of his property; he says he left them in my office, neither Brother Cannon, nor any of the Clerks seem to know anything about them, we have searched for them very carefully but in vain; we suppose from the fact of Brother Asmussen having left his business with you, that you can inform us where they are to be found, or in whose hands they were placed; please write me as soon as you can, whatever you may know about them.
The weather, up to last night, continued fine and warm; the present being one of the pleasantest falls we have enjoyed in these valleys; but last night it began to rain, this morning changed to snow, while a very sensible difference is to be felt in the temperature. This is the first snow storm we have had this season.
The past pleasant weather has enabled the railroad engineers, to push their work forward with great vigor; the track has already reached Bridger, and in consequence of Messrs. Miller & Patterson, not being able to complete their tunnel at the head of Echo, in time, Dr. Durant, the Vice President of the Company, decided to run a temporary track around it; I have now fifty wagons and teams engaged in grading this temporary road. The Western Company are also very steadily working Eastward, they are a considerable distance this side of Reese River. I am told they have given a very large contract to get out ties to Gen. E.P. Connor, who is engaging all the men he can get to work for him, to cut them in the West Mountains, and deliver them to him at Black Rock, at the South end of the Great Salt Lake from whence, it is said, he intends to transport them across the lake, on a steam boat; the machinery for which is already on its way here: I imagine he will have a happy time with a steamboat on the lake this winter, no one need envy him, his job.
Our co-operative movement is progressing most encouragingly; a constitution has already been framed and adopted by the shareholders. The nominal capital is to be three million ($3.000.000) Dollars with power to increase it to five million, the shares to be one hundred dollars each. Most of our merchants seeing the wisdom of the movement have entered largely into the concern, and we only await Legislative enactment to have the "Institution" fully in operation. Even our outside friends are compelled to acknowledge the advantages to Israel of the steps we have taken, and whilst they are chagrined at
viewing their stores empty for want of customers; their shelves crowded with goods and none to buy; they are bound to confess that we have made a wise move, and that the Latter-day Saints will hearken to the words of their leaders although some of them in their ignorance may foolishly fancy that they may perhaps lose a few dollars by so doing. We intend, however to reduce the price of goods to the lowest possible figure, and all our merchants who enter into the Association, will have to sell the same goods at the same price, for this reason a committee of three (Mess. H.B. Clawson, H.W. Naisbett & W.T. Godbe). have been appointed by the directors to introduce a uniformity in price in all the retail stores of the Institution, so that people will have no need to hunt from store to store bargains, as every merchant will sell for just the same figures as his neighbor. Over the sign of each of these there will be lettered. "HOLINESS TO THE LORD." "Zions' Co-operative Mercantile Institution" and all stores, not bearing this mark of their adherence to the rules we have established for the good of the people, will be left out in the cold, just the same as we have left our outside friends to take care of themselves. The health of your family and that of the people remains good, I am happy to say I am enjoying the best of health myself, and am rejoicing in seeing the people take hold, so willingly, of the things that are for their Salvation.
Remember me most kindly to all the Elders and Saints laboring with you, in which Brothers Smith and Wells join.
Ever praying for the Salvation of the honest in heart, and the good of Israel, I remain,
Your Brother,
Brigham Young
124 - 125 faded away