Comments on: Dear Brigham: “As Deep in the Mud as I Am in the Mire” http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/ Where our past is never very long ago Thu, 23 May 2013 21:42:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Paul http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80410 Paul Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:27:01 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80410 One wonders how the writer could not get caught, even if Brigham didn’t turn him in. I assume he also sent similar letters to others beside Brother Brigham.

]]> By: Ardis E. Parshall http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80407 Ardis E. Parshall Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:06:04 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80407 I don’t recall all the details either, kevinf, but I do know that BY’s investments in the railroad were not in the way of contributing money to buy general stock in the usual way of stock speculation. He negotiated with the railroads to furnish workers and material for building the part of the railroad that ran through Utah — Mormon men needed the cash-producing work, and the Utah economy needed a sale for their raw materials that couldn’t be profitably freighted and sold elsewhere. BY paid the laborers and hired the cutting of timber and its freighting to the railroad site, largely through credits in the book-economy of Utah (meaning that laborers got credit on the books of the Tithing Office and were furnished with produce and other supplies that were also credited on the books to those who provided them), in exchange for promised cash payments and rolling stock for the proposed railroad that would run south through Utah and be locally owned and operated. The national railroads largely reneged on their contract, leaving BY and the church having already paid for men and materials for which they were never reimbursed.

]]> By: kevinf http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80404 kevinf Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:39:46 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80404 At least this guy is a bit more honest, in his crooked little way, than those Nigerian emails I still get.

One wonders if there was a chance that this was a setup? Trying to snare Brigham into a criminal enterprise and then expose him?

Your reference to the coming of the railroad caused me to think that really, how different was this scheme than the selling of stock in the railroads of the day. If I recall, BY was an early investor in the UPRR, but lost most of his investment when the railroad declared bankruptcy and reorganized, with only a handful of the original founders making any money, and the rest, including many Mormon laborers and suppliers to the railroad, left with only a portion of what they were owed. I just can’t recall all the details from Arrington here at work.

]]> By: Researcher http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80390 Researcher Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:52:34 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80390 This letter as well as the previous one does bring up the question of how Brigham Young was being treated in the national media. Does anyone know if the question has been treated at any length (dissertations, etc.)?

]]> By: Grant http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80386 Grant Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:23:30 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80386 I hope BY called (er, telegraphed) the Feds.

]]> By: Ben Park http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80385 Ben Park Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:19:46 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80385 Yeah, this really reminds me of the spam emails that float around now.

I do wonder: if BY had taken up the offer, what would have kept him from making future payments to this writer with the forged money itself?

]]> By: Coffinberry http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/08/03/dear-brigham-%e2%80%9cas-deep-in-the-mud-as-i-am-in-the-mire%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-80367 Coffinberry Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:11:36 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=13153#comment-80367 Wow. Sound like an e-mail I got the other day. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.

It would be interesting to know if this scammer ever got busted.

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