Great Salt Lake City Elder A O Smoot Dear Sir The Eastern Mail arived last night & to day Sunday Sister Smoot showed me your letter which I Read with pleasure, & she is going immediatly Home to write you an answer your family are all well though she will write all family matters to you. As to news with us I will say that all things are going on right in this Territoy as far as I know it is a general time of Health the Harvest is coming in quite good though the Territory though we shall loose a good Deal of wheat in the big field for the want of water nearly all the labouring men of this city & south as far as cotton wood have had out in Mass to work on the canal or Rather to make a fitch [ditch] to Bring the Big Cottonwoodwood to this city they have laboured say 400 men for two weeks & got it as far as Big Canyon Creek which will help the 5 acres lots but the Embankments have broake out several times & I do not think that we shall get it into the city this City season