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Col. A. [Almon] W. Babbitt.

AS no doubt the acquaintances, friends and relatives of the Secretary of Utah, or late Secretary as we fear it is, will look to us for information respecting the recent reports from the plains, we publish the following items which leave but little or no room for hope of the Colonel's safety. The N. Y. Herald's Omaha correspondent in his letter dated 9th ult., writing of a German that he had conversed with who was one of a party of Californians that had been attacked by the same Indians, about the same time that Colonel Babbitt is supposed to have been murdered, says:

"He brings news, not only of the confirmation of the report of the attack and almost total massacre of a train bound for Salt Lake, in charge of Col. Babbitt, Secretary of Utah, but later, of the massacre of the next train, in which Col. B. himself travelled, and of the murder of Col. B."

President Erastus Snow, writes us from St. Louis, Oct. 26th from which we make the following extract:

"I have just seen Mr. Jno. M. Hockaday on his return from Washington—who informs me that the contract for carrying the Mail between Independence and Salt Lake City is given Hiram Kimball Esq., of Utah for $23,000. It is uncertain whether any mail will leave Independence the first of December. Mr. H. also informs me that news have been received in Washington from the Commander at Fort Kearney that some Treasury warrants and other papers, belonging to Col A. W. Babbitt, have been found on the North side of the Platte and brought to the Fort by Mr. Ashumbeaux from Green River, which confirms the previous supposition of the murder of himself and party.

"Elder Geo. A. Smith, and myself expect to start to day up the Mississippi to visit the Saints at Alton and Keokuk. Col Smith is in fine health and spirits."

We have expected to learn something reliable from the plains through the Council Bluffs Bugle, touching the murder of Mr. Babbitt as it is conducted by his relative Mr. Johnston, but have not seen the slightest allusion even to the report, perhaps we have not received a full file of that paper. The above extracts is all we have learned additional to what we have already published.

Respecting the contract for the Utah Mail named in the above extract we consider it by far too small a sum for the work to be done. Magraw's contract was only $6,000 less in the begining but it had to be doubled and then the contract was not half executed. If Mr. Kimball can do the work at the above sum we shall be satisfied and considerably relieved from the obligation of stiring up the Utah mail contractor to diligence. We know Mr. K. to be an energetic man and in what he engages will do his utmost, and while this inspires us with hope that he will fulfil his contract we trust he may be no loser by it.