Salt Lake City,
18 November 1868
President A. Carrington
42 Islington,
Liverpool, England
Dear Brother,
The day after I mailed my letter of the 29 ult. yours of October 10th came to hand. It was read with pleasure, and the business items duly noted, as you are no doubt aware from the receipt of mine of the 14 inst relating thereto.
I am gratified to read of your welfare and progress in becoming acquainted with your co-laborers and the saints in the British mission. Your visits to the conferences, and teachings to the people will no doubt prove highly beneficial to the interests of the work. There is no reason why you should lack in the least degree the necessary spirit, revelation and knowledge, which you require to fill with honor the highly responsible calling now assigned to you. It is ever your privilege to receive the whisperings of the spirit of the Lord, that in all your counseling, teaching, warning or reproving the people, or in regulating the various fields or conferences, you may forward the interests of the cause of truth, and increase the love and understanding of its principles in the hearts of the people.
Everything has been peaceable in the city since you left. The weather has been beautiful gradually getting cooler as the season advances, yet fine and dry, excellent for pushing forward our heavy railroad work. It would seem as though we should have two lines from Ogden to Humbolt Wells, as both companies have let out their grading contracts between these points. A number of my hands are now busily employed grading on the Eastern Company's lines from Weber Canon to the Lake, while the Western Company have let out contracts in which the brethren are also engaged, as far as Ogden, to which point they express a determination to carry their line no matter where the Eastern company may meet them, and by this means, with the help of a branch to this city, secure for California the benefits and profits of the Utah trade. How far the Eastern company will carry their road west, will be for the future to determine.
The subject of co-operation is still attracting our earnest attention. Bro. Jesse C. Little left by stage on the 16 inst. as the representative of the Utah Manufacturing Co. for the purpose of entering into such arrangements with merchants in the Eastern States, necessary for carrying on the business of the company, and to purchase such material and machinery as they may need to successfully prosecute their manufacturing in this city. We fully expect by the aid of this company to build wagons, carriages and agricultural machinery of much superior quality, and at cheaper rates than we can now import from the States
Bro. Geo. D. Watt is laboring with much zeal in the interests of the manufacture of silk in this territory. He is traveling amongst the wards and settlements preaching to the people the advantages of planting the mulberry tree and developing the silk worm in our midst, and demonstrating what a vast benefit it will be to the people here, in advantageously employing a great amount of the labor of women, children and weakly persons who could not be profitably used at heavier work. Brother Edwin Rushton and Manley Barrows have been appointed to assist br. Watt in his labors.
As you are aware I have for a long time endeavored to impress upon the saints the advantages possessed by Utah for silk culture. Elder T.B.H. Stenhouse who was lately returned from California informs me, that when in the country he visited the cocooneries of M. Louis Prevost, who has written considerably to the Newspapers of the State on its adaptability to raising silk. He tells me from what he saw there that he feels confident California is no nearer profitably manufacturing silk, than is Utah; nor
does he think the climate and surroundings of the State equal to these valleys for the production of this valuable article of commerce. I have now completed my cocoonery at Forest Farm, it is 100 feet by 20 feet in the clear, and I expect to enter largely into the business the coming year.
By letter from Elder Geo. Nebeker, President of the Sandwich Islands Mission, I learn that the saints on those Islands, held their usual conference on the 6th October, which was very well attended considering the bad state of the weather. At these meetings much good teaching was given and the authorities were unanimously sustained by the saints present. He informs me that they have had a very heavy crop of sugar cane this season, and in a few days from the date of his letter (Oct 20th) they expected to begin making the sugar, as their manufactory and machinery would then be ready for work and their cane ripe. Their operations had attracted the attention of a number of leading merchants in Honolulu, the capital of the Islands, who expressed themselves anxious to open up a direct trade with Utah in Sugar, Molasses, Rice &c., believing they could supply us with these articles cheaper than from any other source.
Our efforts to regulate the trade of this city has had the effect of emptying the stores of the brethren of nearly all their staple articles. The people having bought them up. A vast amount of our goods is laying at Omaha and other places, the railroad company being unwilling to bring them on, as it interrupts the forwarding of material to construct the line. Some little has however been forwarded at my earnest request to supply the men working on the railroad with blankets, boots, &c.
Your remarks regarding next seasons emigration, coincide with what I believe was determined upon before you left here. It is evidently the wisest and best course to forward small companies as they present themselves, and not be encumbered with the difficulties, expense and hindrances attending crowding the emigration of a year into three or four weeks. The construction of the Railroad has, in this respect, opened up a new era in our emigration business.
Sis Agnes Taylor (mother of Eld. John Taylor) died last Sunday evening at the advanced age of eighty one years. Until her last sickness she has been well known for her buoyancey of spirits and business habits. She was burried in our cemetery yesterday.
With love to yourself and all the Elders who are with you, in which the brethren join, and praying the Lord to bless, uphold and preserve you
I remain, as ever, Your Brother in the Gospel
Brigham Young