Salt Lake City U.T.
November 21. 1868.
President Geo. Nebeker
Laie, Oahu. Sandwich Islands.
Dear Brother.
Your welcome favor of the 20 ult reached me a few days ago. I wrote you on Sep. 3. and Oct 8 giving you the general items of news which I hope you have received safely long before this.
I was pleased to read that your manufactory and machinery were so near completion, and that the Lord had blessed you with so heavy a crop of cane. I hope you will have success in boiling the cane and preparing it for market. In so doing I am exceedingly desirous that you should use very great care to produce a superior article, that your manufactory may become known for the excellence of the sugar it produces. Especially I hope you will be careful to manufacture a fine, clean quality of goods should you intend any for this market. The business of co-operation that we are now entering into, which I referred to in my last, may enable us, at no very distant date, to import our sugar, rice &c direct from the Islands to a better advantage and at cheaper rates than we can from any other point.
Since conference we have held a number of meetings at which the business of organizing our Cooperative Institution, framing its constitution and bye laws, and appointing the executive and committees to carry on the business has been attended to. We expect to commence our opperations about the first of January, that being considered by our merchants as the best time to buy goods in the east at cheap rates as also most convenient to commence a new business on as large a scale as we hope to do. Until then our merchants have agreed to put their goods down to the lowest price, and all unite in selling the same goods at the same prices, that buyers may have no necessity of hunting round from store to store in search of bargains. All of our brethren trading under these conditions, (all of whom will probably be share-holders in the wholesale co-operative store) will be permitted to place in front of their stores the sign of the Association "Holiness to the Lord. Zions Cooperative mercantile Institution" which some have already done, while others are busy preparing. By these means the people will know whom the friends of God and of Israel and will have no excuse for saying that they do not know "Mormon" from "Gentile" stores.
The weather continues beautiful gradually getting cooler as the the season advances, still most favorable for pushing forward our heavy work on the Railroad. The track is now not far east of Bear River City -- a new Railroad town built in the neighborhood of Bear River, which is supposed will be the winter terminus of the eastern line. The ties are laid considerably further west and some of the brethren have contracts to get out many thousand more. Nearly all the grading is finished in Echo, whilst but little remains except the tunnels and some heavy work in Weber Canon, all of which we fully expect will be ready for the track early next year. Both companies are grading between Ogden and Humbolt Wells, on which the brethren are doing by far the greater portion of the work. The Western Company express a determination to come as far as Ogden and make that your terminus, no matter where the Eastern Co. may meet them. Their track is now, as far as I can judge about 70 or 80 miles west of Humbolt Wells.
At our late conference about 150 brethren were called on missions to "our Dixie" Among them are many of our best known citizens from this city and surrounding settlements. Besides strengthening the settlements on the Muddy already existing we expect to build a city at the point the Rio Virgin empties into the Colorado. This is a very eligable site for a city and the true head of Navigation. Elders Erastus Snow and Jno. W. Young will accompany the brethren and lay out the City this fall.
The health of the people generally is good. Peace prevails within our borders notwithstanding the rapid approach of civilization and the expressed determination of some of its worst representatives to winter in Salt Lake. We calculate however to be equal to the emergency, and have them understand that the Lord rules in Zion and Israel is in charge.
Praying the Lord to sustain you in all your labors, to grant you the wisdom of His spirit to guide you in all you set your hands to do, with love to yourself and the brethren associated with you.
I remain Your brother in the Gospel
Brigham Young
P.S. I learn from Bro. Hosea Stout who holds the note give by br W. Wright to br. Brown that br. Wright has paid about enough to liquidate the interest to the present time; which amounts have been paid over to br. P. Pugsley, br Brown's agent. Br Wright is not at present in a position to pay very much, as he has sustained heavy losses since he returned from his mission, but I believe he would pay were he able, and that he will do so as soon as his circumstances admit of it.