The Genteel Gentile, Letters of Elizabeth Cumming, 1857 - 1858

Genteel Gentile, page 022

hence, the present necessity for economy. The traders of whom I spoke as going~to the States, were going to Salt Lake with annual supplies of goods for that mar- ket-but as Brigham Young has threatened Gentiles with severe penalties if they enter Salt Lake this winier, they all stopped at this place to be under the protection of our troops. They are selling off their goods (among which is a very small portion of edibles) at an enormous profit-averaging 400 per cent on original cost-in some cases more. For instance, a pound of a very common kind of light cracker which in St. Louis I often bought for 5 cents a pound, they ask here, one- dollar a pound. In one day, one of the traders sold two barrels of these crackers, at that price, to the soldiers. He told me this hImself 1 gave $2 50 for a pax of undressed leather, pegged shoes for a httle servant I have with me &other thmgs accord- mgly The praht IS seemmg however They have all ther teamsters & `hands" (hIred only far the ,ourney) to feed all wmter, m the mmdst of scarcey of prov~mns They have lost nearly all ther annnals by the storms & extreme cold wh,ch qured & k&d so many of ours, &c But what xv111 you say to the pnie of salt' The salt of our comm~sariat 1s all destroyed & otherwise gone-but a few days since some of these traders bought salt of the Utahs (Indians) who, had made thcr way through snow & pen1 to bnng it The traders pad flve dollars a quart+& letad ,t at 5'~ & not much to be had at that price' A fortmght or so smce, (before the Indians brought this salt to us) Brigham Young sent some mules laden w,th 800 Ibi of salt, as a present to the commandmg officer here They