Letter from A.J. Breed
Elder O.A. Olsen
Dear Brother:
Elder A.T. Jones and myself are at this place waiting for the train to take us to
As soon as the
It may be Bro. Greer will be sufficient for the work. He seems to have the confidence of the brethren, but with such a question and so many things to look after in connection with it, will call for earnest careful labor. The hard times affect them in the south as well as in the north, and unless there is a letup in money matters I fear they will have to stop the work until they can get more means to go on with it. You know something of their situation and ability to do, and with all these things to contend with, and a ten thousand dollar building on their hands, with the other necessary work to be done before they will be able to start their school, it will be necessary for them to have much more than they have laid plans for.
They have about $4,000 pledged toward the enterprise, and hope to sell the land already purchased to the brethren who will go there to educate their children, for enough to make up what they will need, but the hard times make it difficult for many, who intended, to sell their homes where they lived in order that they might purchase where the school is to be built, so if they do not sell, it will make it more difficult it seems to me as they will pick out their lots, and no doubt begin to improve them by cutting off the timber, and doing what they can to make it into a home, expected to sell soon, and in this way I can see they will be placed in a difficulty to raise the means as fast as they will want it in order to go on with the work of building.
Had they not already made the purchase of the land, we should have advised them to move slow, and not involve themselves, and also to be careful where they located, so as not to have it all come out of our brethren. In purchasing the land where they have without any gift from any place, places it all upon our people to raise the necessary means. Had they located in some place where the people would have given them the land, and perhaps money as well, it would have been very different, but as it is, they will have to pull through alone. It may be they have written you about it, but as long as I was writing I thought I would mention it again, for I must confess it give me some worry about how they will manage the matter in these hard times now so general over the country.
We could do scarcely nothing about any other branch of the work on account of the work of their school, yet we did get about 100 dollars for first day offerings which is small but yet will be better than nothing. We shall try hard at
I shall write Prof. Prescott as soon as he has time to hear from them and write them again, as to the advice he gives that I may know what to do what I hear or fall, and I want to know what to do and act upon the advice of those who have the matter of the educational part of the work to look after. If you have anything to say, which I know you will, when you understand how things are, I hope you will write freely, and fully, that we may all have a good understanding of how to advise, and counsel in so great a work as this is to them.
I hope you are enjoying your work in
Very truly yours,
A.J. Breed