The Brigham Young Center

Salt Lake City, U.T.
May 16. 1871.

C.W. Weer, Esqr.
Prest. National Gas Works Building Co.

Dear Sir:

Yours of the 10th. inst. has been received. The person you allude to called at my office last October and represented that he was in extremely straitened circumstances. I loaned him $100.00 for which he gave me his note payable at Thirty days, and which he has not paid. I received a letter from him, dated at St. Louis, Mo. Feb. 9. 1871. stating his intention of returning to this City early in May, and asserting that he had not forgotten his obligation and would discharge it. I have heard nothing of him since. Mr. Enos is an old man, well educated, and apparently very well brought up; he was a stranger, and I felt charitably disposed towards him, and would like to do so now but circumstances are rather against him. As to the letter you allude to, I have no recollection of giving him any letter whatever, and I am certain I never authorized him to act as my agent. The gentleman who was my Secretary at that time has gone to England, but I cannot find such a letter in the Letter Book.

The establishment of Gas Works here as yet, has never been deemed advisable. Salt Lake City covers a large area. Our streets are so wide, and the houses so scattering that the enterprise would not be profitable. Agents of Gas Companies have been here and such, I believe, is the general opinion.

The population of S.L. City is estimated at from 20 to 25.000. the Streets are laid out at right angles and are 132 feet wide. The "blocks" contain ten acres each, and were originally laid out to contain eight lots with one house on each lot, but, in the business part of town the houses are erected closer together. The width of the streets and the scattered situation of the houses would necessarily involve a great length of piping. We have a large supply of bituminous coal, said to be of an excellent quality for gas, and we have some hopes of using it as such but not at present; as, in the judgment of experienced men, the principal houses are too few and scattering, to warrant the great outlay of laying down the pipes.

Yours with respect