I have received a mission to
the States this spring the object of which is to get a font
of type east in the letter of the Deseret Alphabet & then to get
some school books printed in the same. President Young wishes
me to get this work accomplished so that some of the Books
can be brought to this city next fall. I hardly think it
can be accomplished in time to get Books through this season
but I do not know. I will start out with the missionaries
that go east this spring but I do not think that we can get any before
the first of May the mountains are so full of snow we cannot
travel. I wish you would do me the favor to make Enquiry
whare you think we can get this job done to the best advantage ie to get the type made, the printing will of course be an after consideration
I have thought we could get the type cast in Cincinnati or New York as well as any place. when it comes to printing we ought
to have one or two of the Bretheren engaged in it who are printers that
would be interested in it as it will be in a New Letter & will require
considerable time & attention in the type setting & proof Reading &c
After getting what information you can upon these matters from
the type fonderies in New York Cincinnati &c you will do me a
favor by forwarding a letter to me Directed at CinSt LouisMo
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And any information you can give me upon this subject that
will facilitate the work will be Kindly Received, we have got out
two primmers one a pictorial primmer & a first Reader & wish
to get manuscrip Ready for 2-3 & 4th Readers if we can but as is
generally the cast case their is so many matters on hand that we
may not have time to accomplish all that we wish in this thing
I think you have been ^some^ acquainted with the Deseret Alphabet
there has been some changes from the origional, the following is
our present Letter which we expect to get cast
{Deseret Alphabet}
Page 3
The past year has been a severe time with the people
in this Territory the crops being nearly all cut all last sumer by
the grasshoppers and the winter has been so cold that I would
judge that 3/4 of all the stock in the whole Territory are Dead, & nearly
all the Sheep, almost every thing in the Northern part of the Territory is dead,
but vary few of the people in the Territory have bread to eat, & their does not
appear to be animals Enogh left in the Territory to plough the
ground. snow is still lying on the ground North of Davis County 18 inchs
deep. we had a few heards of cattle & sheep in ceder valley & on south alive
& the Indians came & stole them & drove them onto the Desert &
killed some 8 or 9 men a few of the cattle were retaken but it
is said they have drove away some 200 & 300 Head of cattle & Horses
we have been informed that their was but few Indians ingaged
in it, most of ^the Indians^ them are friendly but they as well as the whites
have to dig Roots this spring in order to live. We have not Received any
Eastern Mail since last fall yet the Mormon has visited us via Calafornia
and it is truly a welcome visiter. You will learn of the Different
missions by the News of Deseret if you get it I will forway
forward a copy of this via Calafornie & on the eastern Route Hopeing you
may get one of them your family are all well as far as I know
Sister Taylor called upon us a few days since & was well