Uncommercial. You are not going with these emigrants?
Mormon Agent. No, sir. I remain.
Uncommercial. But you have been in the Mormon Territory?
Mormon Agent. Yes; I left Utah about three years ago.
Uncommercial. It is surprising to me that these people are all so cheery, and make so little of the immense distance before them.
Mormon Agent. Well, you see; many of ’em have friends out at Utah, and many of ’em look forward to meeting friends on the way.
Uncommercial. On the way?
Mormon Agent. This way ’tis. This ship lands ’em in New York City. Then they go on by rail right away beyond St. Louis, to that part of the Banks of the Missouri where they strike the Plains. There, waggons from the settlement meet ’em to bear ’em company on their journey ’cross-twelve hundred miles about. Industrious people who come out to the settlement soon get waggons of their own, and so the friends of some of these will come down in their own waggons to meet ’em. They look forward to that, greatly.
Uncommercial. On their long journey across the Desert, do you arm them?
Mormon Agent. Mostly you would find they have arms of some kind or another already with them. Such as had not arms we should arm across the Plains, for the general protection and defence.