[William Clayton Journal] This morning, President Young and Kimball have gone to the adobie yard to commence building some houses in that region. They have already got many good logs on the ground. Col. [Stephen] Markham reports that in addition to the plowing done week before last they have plowed about 30 acres which is mostly planted, making a total of about 80 acres. The plowing ceased last week and the brethren are now making adobies, hawling logs &c. Elder [Henry] Sherwood continues surveying the City. [Thomas] Tanner and [Burr] Frost are setting wagon tire and have set 52 today. The brethren who went to the Lake on Monday to boil down salt have returned this evening and report that they have found a bed of beautiful salt ready to load onto wagons. It lays between two Sand bars and is about 6 inches thick. They suppose they can easily load ten wagons without boiling. I have received from Elder Kimball a pair of buckskin pants, as a present I suppose, but as I have on similar occasions been branded with the idea of receiving a great many kindnesses without consideration, I will for this once state a little particular on the other side of the question. I acknowledge that I have had the privilege of riding in a wagon and sleeping in it, of having my victual cooked, and some meat and milk, and occasionally a little tea or coffee furnished. My flour I furnished myself. I have had no team to take care of. Howard Egan has done most of my washing untill a month ago in consideration of the privilege of copying from my journal, using my desk ink &c. The balance of my washing I have hired. Now what have I done for Brother Kimball? Am I justly indebted on this journey? Answer I have wrote in his journal 124 pages of close matter, on an average 600 words in a page, which if paid at the price of recording deeds in Illinois would amount to over $110. I have collected the matter myself, besides writing letters &c. This has been for his especial benefit. I have kept an account of the distance we have travelled for over 800 miles of the journey, attended to the measurement of the road, kept the distances from creek to creek and from one encampment to another. Put up a guide board every 10 miles from Fort John to this place with the assistance of Philo Johnson. I have mapped some for Dr. Richards and keeping my own journal forms the whole benifit to be derived by my family by this mission. I have yet considerable to write in Elder Kimballs journal before I return. I am expected to keep a table of distances of the whole route returning from here to Winter Quarters, and make a map when I get through and this for public benefit. Now how much am I considered to be in debt, and how often will it be said that I was furnished by others with victuals clothing &c. that I might enjoy this journey as a mission of pleasure. I have spent most of this day calculating the height of this spot above the level of the sea for Elder Pratt.
[source: George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton]
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