Transcript

LETTER FROM PREST. E. SNOW.
G. S. L. CITY, U. T., Oct. 1st, 1855.
PRSIDENT ORSON SPENCER:

Beloved brother—I seize my pen to greet you from our mountain home—the lovely city of the Saints—and through the Luminary, the Saints and my friends in the East.

I have had no opportunity of hearing aught from you, since I parted with you at Mormon Grove, August 3d.

Uncle Sam's express mail, which left Independance on 1st, bore me company as far as Laramie and there fell in the rear, and reached this city a week behind me. The mail for September, but here some days since, has not yet arrived, and this is the last day of grace for the Eastern mail from this place, and I can wait no longer, so that if ever so important communications arrive a day after, requiring immediate answer, they must lay by over another month; and our friends in the East must console themselves with the reflection, that our "Uncle Sam" is too poor to allow us a mail oftener than once a month, and that Mr. Magraw or his mules, are too poor to put that through in time to anticipate the news by our usual "ox telegraph." Under existing mail regulations if the Mississippi gets to running up stream, Uncle Sam swallows Cuba, or the allies drink up the black sea, we may expect to hear of it from three to six months after; and if the Mormon boys rise in the mountains and conquer the world, the fathers at Washington will know nothing of it until it is all over with.

I arrived here in 28 days after I left you, including 8 days travel with Elder [Richard] Ballantyne and Thurstin's [Moses Thurstun's] train, and stoppages with all the other companies of our emigration. They were all prospering finely and in general good health.

The 1st company arrived here on the 3d Sept. and the 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th companies have since come in safely, besides some merchant trains. The church train and 2 companies of " P. E. [Perpetual Emigrating] Fund" Saints, besides several merchant trains, one yet behind, which are all expected within three weeks. . . .
ERASTUS SNOW.