San Francisco, . 188[9]
Pres. Wilfred Woodruff,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dear Sir:—
We have your favor of the 19th and entend our thanks
for your reply, and in return will present you with facts in the
case of Mr. Nelson.
About two years ago, Mr. Nelson began canvassing for us,
on our work entitled "Maidenhood & Motherhood", agreeing to pay
cash for all books as he needed them. When the time came for
some of his delivery, he was short of funds and requested us to
entrust him with some books, promising to remit us immediately
as they were delivered. He sent us in money from time to time,
and we shipped him other shipments of goods, as he always stated
his deliveries were not completed, and that he had goods left on
hand, to the amount of his indebtedness. While he may not have
used exactly these words, that is the impression which we always
received. Before leaving Salt Lake he gave us no intimation
of his intentions, but it seems delivered all the books we had
sent him, and not only used the profits, which of course rightly
belonged to him, but appropriated our part of the money, collected
on these goods. Now, we did not intend to sell him these goods
ourtright, and trust him to pay for them, but consigned the goods
to him, so that when he made a collection on a book, a certain
portion of the money was ours, and he had no right whatever, to
use it for any purpose excepting to pay us for the book delivered.
We had no idea he was doing anything of the kind, but it seems he
did, and there is still due us the sum of $51.27. This it seems
to us places him in an uneviable light, if, as we believe, he
is a preacher, for in all denominations we lokok to these men as
setting an example in all their conduct. It may be possible that
Mr. Nelson does not realize tjust what step he was taken, and con-
sidered we loaned him the goods, and that he will pay the bill at
some future time; but such is not the case. He was acting as our
representative; the goods entrusted to him was ours, and a certain
percentage of the money was ours, and he had no more right to use
it, than a man who was working in a store would ^have to^ take some of the
money from the till, and appropriate it to his use. These are
the facts and we think it exceedingly strange that Mr. Nelson
should have left Salt Lake without notifying us of his intention,
or without first settling with us, either by returning us our goods
or sending us the money. We have been lenient enough to think
that he did not understand just what position he was placing him-
self in, and there was no intention of dishonesty, but we certainly
have allowed the matter ^to^ run until patience has ceased to be a virutue,
and we have good reason to change our opinion.
