Lorenzo's gigantic movement.--In accordance with President Young's
suggestion.--A social monument.--To be perpetuated.--Letter to
Bishop Lunt.--Mercantile and Manufacturing Association.--Effort
requisite.--First, Merchandise.--Second, Tannery.--Third,
Woolen Factory.--Fourth, Dairy.--Fifth, a Horn Stock
Herd.--Agricultural Department.--Hat Factory.--Between thirty and
forty industrial branches.--Furnish employment for all.--Form of
checks.--Labor received for capital stock.--Organization of the
Association.--Directors.--Council.
The great work, designed to bring into exercise the gigantic powers,
and exhibit Lorenzo in a higher sphere of practical engineering as an
organizer, statesman and financier, was yet to come.
Prompt to the suggestion of President Brigham Young, in an order
designed to firmly cement the bonds of union among the Latter-day
Saints, thereby laying a foundation for mutual self support and
independence, through a combination of temporal and spiritual
interests, founded on a co-operative basis, Hercules-like, Lorenzo
put his shoulder to the wheel, and, although he saw at a glance the
magnitude of the undertaking, that it required almost superhuman skill
and the labor of years, with him duty was the watchword, and success
the ultimatum. Results have shown that no difficulties were too great
for him to encounter, and no achievement too ponderous for his grasp.
Generations hence, when its illustrious founder shall be sleeping
with the fathers, Brigham City will be an unique, interesting subject
for the study of the sociologist, and the review of the historian. It
will stand as an example of a city that grew up on a pure co-operative
plan; it will prove that social commonwealths are possible; and it will
historically perpetuate to the Latter-day Saints themselves the order
that the Prophet Joseph revealed as the basis of a millennial society.
Truly is Brigham City a great social monument of the age. Its venerable
founder is worthy of immortality for the social problems he has solved
for our latter day Zion; and the people who have so nobly wrought with
him are worthy of remembrance in the pages of history.
In the following letters the reader will find a condensed history
of the United Order of Brigham City, which shows the work of great
inventive skill, the power and strength of union and concert, combined
with unabated perseverance and unwavering faith in God.
Notwithstanding a series of calamities have, for a time, partly
suspended the combined operations of this model system of co-operation,
the very satisfactory point to which it has attained, and the
beneficial results of the workings of the combination, are proof of the
practicability of its success.
Brigham City, October, 1876.
_Bishop Lunt, Cedar City_:
In accordance with your request, I send you the following brief account
of the rise, progress and present condition of "Brigham City Mercantile
and Manufacturing Association."
We commenced over twelve years ago by organizing a mercantile
department, which consisted of four stockholders, myself included, with
a capital of about three thousand dollars. The dividends were paid in
store goods, amounting, usually, to about twenty-five per cent per
annum.
As this enterprise prospered, we continued to receive capital stock,
also adding new names to the list of stockholders, until we had a
surplus of capital, or means, and succeeded in uniting the interests of
the people and securing their patronage. We resolved, then, to commence
home industries and receive our dividends, if any, in the articles
produced.
Similar fears and notions were entertained by the stockholders when
this was proposed as you stated agitated the minds of your capitalists,
viz: a possible diminution of dividends. It required some effort on the
part of our stockholders to reconcile their feelings with a knowledge
of their duty and obligations as Elders of Israel and servants of
God. A good spirit, however, prevailed, and a desire to build up the
Kingdom of God, and work for the interests of the people, outweighed
all selfish considerations; hence, consent was granted by all the
stockholders to establish home industries and draw dividends in the
kinds produced.
We erected a tannery building, two stories, 45x80, with modern
improvements and conveniences, at a cost of $10,000 (ten thousand).
Most of the materials, mason and carpenter work were furnished as
capital stock by such persons as were able and desired an interest in
our institution.
The larger portion of this work was done in the winter season, when no
other employment could be had, one-fourth being paid in merchandise
to such as needed. We gained, by this measure, additional capital, as
well as twenty or thirty new stockholders, without encroaching much on
any one's property or business. This tannery has been operated during
the past nine years with success and reasonable profits, producing an
excellent quality of leather, from $8,000 to $10,000 (eight thousand
to ten thousand) annually. We connected with this branch of industry
a boot and shoe shop; also, a saddle and harness shop, drawing our
dividends in the articles manufactured in those departments.
Our next enterprise was the establishing of a woolen factory, following
the same course as in putting up the tannery--procuring the building
materials, doing the mason and carpenter work in the season when
laborers would otherwise have been unemployed. This, also, added to our
capital--increasing the number of our stockholders without interrupting
any man's business. The profits of the mercantile department, with some
additional capital, purchased the machinery. During the past seven
years this factory has done a satisfactory business, and we have not
been necessitated to close for lack of wool, winter or summer, and have
manufactured about $40,000 (forty thousand) worth of goods annually.
This establishment, with its appurtenances, cost about $35,000
(thirty-five thousand).
With the view of probable difficulty in obtaining wool, we now started
a sheep herd, commencing with fifteen hundred head, supplied by various
individuals who could spare them, as capital stock. They now number
five thousand, and prove a great help to our factory in times like
these, when money is scarce, and cash demanded for wool.
Our next business was the establishment of a dairy; and, having
selected a suitable ranch, we commenced with sixty cows; erected some
temporary buildings, making a small investment in vats, hoops, presses,
etc., all of which have been gradually improved till, perhaps, now it
is the finest, best and most commodious of any dairy in this Territory.
The past two years we have had five hundred milch cows, producing,
each season, in the neighborhood of $8,000 (eight thousand) in butter,
cheese and pork.
Next we started a horn stock herd, numbering, at present, one thousand,
which supplies, in connection with the sheep herd, a meat market, owned
by our association.
We have a horticultural and agricultural department, the latter divided
into several branches, each provided with an experienced overseer.
Also, we have a hat factory, in which are produced all our fur and wool
hats. We make our tinware--have a pottery, broom, brush, and molasses,
factory, a shingle mill and two saw mills, operated by water power,
and one steam saw mill; and also blacksmith, tailor and furniture
departments, and one for putting up and repairing wagons and carriages.
We have a large two-story adobie building, occupied by machinery for
wood turning, planing, and working mouldings, operated by water power.
We have established a cotton farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres,
in the southern part of the Territory, for the purpose of supplying
warps to our woolen factory, where we maintain a colony of about
twenty young men. This enterprise was started about two years ago,
and has succeeded beyond our expectations. The first year, besides
making improvements in building, making dams, constructing water sects,
setting out trees, planting vineyards, plowing, scraping, leveling
and preparing the ground, they raised a large crop of cotton, which
produced in the neighborhood of seventy thousand yards of warp. More
than double that amount has been raised this season.
We have a department for manufacturing straw hats, in which we employ
from fifteen to twenty girls. Last year we employed twenty-five girls
in our dairy, and have them in constant employ in our millinery and
tailoring departments, also in making artificial flowers--as hat
and shoe binders--as weavers in our woolen mills, and clerks in our
mercantile department.
Many of our young men and boys are now learning trades, their parents
being highly pleased that they are being furnished employment at home,
rather than going abroad, subject to contract bad habits and morals.
We have erected a very elegant building, two stories, 32x63 feet; the
upper part devoted to a seminary, and the lower occupied as a dancing
hall. I have considered it of the highest importance to the interest
of our community, to provide for and encourage suitable diversions and
amusements.
We have a department of carpenters and one of masons, embracing all in
the city of that class of workmen.
Our association now comprises between thirty and forty industrial
branches--a superintendent over each, who is responsible to the
general superintendent for its proper and judicious management. The
accounts of each department are kept separate and distinct--stock taken
annually--separate statements and balance sheets made out and kept by
the secretary of the association, so that the gain or loss of each
may be ascertained and known at the end of the year, or oftener if
required. At the close of each year a balance sheet is made from the
several statements, giving a perfect exhibit of the business. From this
exhibit a dividend on the investments or capital stock is declared. The
profit or loss of each department, of course, is shared equally by the
stockholders.
We aim to furnish every person employment, wishing to work; and pay
as high wages as possible--mostly in home products. The past two or
three years we have paid our employees five-sixths in home products and
one-sixth in imported merchandise, amounting in aggregate, at trade
rates, to about $160,000 (one hundred and sixty thousand). In the year
1875 the value of products, in trade rates, from all our industries,
reached about $260,000 (two hundred and sixty thousand). All these
figures which I give you indicate our trade prices, which are less
subject to change than when arranged on a cash basis.
The employees in the various departments are paid weekly, at the
secretary's office, in two kinds of scrip; one of which is redeemed
at our mercantile department, the other is good and redeemed at our
various manufacturing departments. These checks are printed on good,
strong paper, in the form of bills, from five cents up to twenty
dollars, and constitute the principal currency in circulation.
Through this medium of exchange our employees procure their
breadstuffs, pork, mutton, beef, vegetables, clothing, boots and shoes,
building materials, such as lumber, shingles, lath, lime, adobies,
brick, etc., and pay their masons and carpenters, school bills,
admission to concerts, theatres, lectures; also pay for _Deseret News_,
_Salt Lake Herald_ and _Juvenile Instructor_, etc., besides many other
things that are unnecessary to mention. The following is the form of
our checks: First class--
No. ---- $----
Brigham City Mercantile And Manufacturing Association.
Good for ---- In Merchandise. ---- Secretary.
Second class----
No. ----- $----
Brigham City Mercantile And Manufacturing Association.
Good for ----
Payable at our retail trade prices, in an assortment of Home
Manufactures.
N. B.--Good only to stockholders and employees of Brigham City.
---- Secretary.
Last year it cost $30,000 (thirty thousand) cash to carry on our
business; half of this was paid to employees, in imported merchandise,
one-sixth of their wages, the other for imported material, such as
iron, horse shoes, nails, furniture, boot and shoe trimmings, paints,
dye-stuffs, warps, etc., necessary in our business.
Labor is received from employees for capital stock, and dividends paid
in home products, averaging about twelve per cent per annum, since
starting our home industries.
Trusting this brief review will satisfy your inquiries, I close with
the most sincere and heartfelt wish that you may prosper and succeed in
establishing principles of union and brotherhood in the hearts of your
people.
Respectfully,
Lorenzo Snow.
The following shows the elaborate organization of the grand systematic
co-operative order which combines the faith, wisdom, intelligence,
means, skill, labor, effort and enterprise of many in one general
interest. Names of the officers: Original directors--Lorenzo Snow,
president; Samuel Smith, Abraham Hunsaker, Alvin Nichols, James Pett,
H. P. Jensen, G. W. Ward, J. D. Reese, W. L. Watkins, secretary. United
Order Council--Lorenzo Snow, Samuel Smith, Alvin Nichols, H. P. Jensen,
William Box, John Welch, James Bywater, N. C. Mortensen, A. Hillam, I.
Jeppason, L. Mortensen, W. Wrighton, John Christensen, J. M. Jensen, G.
W. Ward, M. L. Ensign, J. C. Wright, Mads C. Jensen, S. N. Lee, J. C.
Nielson, David Boothe, Ephraim Wight, Paul Stork, Jacob Jensen, Carlos
Loveland, John Johnson, B. Morris Young, R. L. Fishburn, O. N. Stohl,
Alexander Baird, Abraham Hunsaker, Oliver G. Snow, J. D. Burt, Charles
Kelley, James Pett, Henry Tingey, Adolph Madsen, L. C. Christensen,
William Horsley, T. H. Wilde, George Reader, A. Christensen, P. F.
Madsen, H. E. Bowring, Elijah A. Box, William L. Watkins, N. H. Nelson,
P. A. Forsgren, A. A. Jansen, Willard Hansen, Neils Madsen, Jr., P.
C. Jensen, Lucius A. Snow, Lars A. Larsen, Jonah Evans, Neils Madsen,
J. D. Reese, J. C. Wixom, C. Hansen, Charles Wight, George Facer, F.
Hansen.