New York, Sept. 22, 1870.President Horace S. Eldredge.

Dear Brother--I take great pleasure in informing you that we all arrived here safely last night. We had one of the roughest voyages possible to make, but all have kept in the best of spirits. I never saw any company feel better, and we all realized that the Lord was with us. There was but very little seasickness in the company.

The captain treated us well, and is a good man; but there was a minister on board, who tried to persuade some of our girls to leave the company, but after hearing a short piece of my mind on the subject, he thought we were quite competent to manage our own affairs. [The parsons will be after the girls. It seems to be a special weakness that the reverend gentlemen have. The "Family Herald"complained pointedly of it a few weeks ago, and in several instances in New York and New England lately these amorous gentlemen have been summoned upon the carpet and called to account for their erotic manifestations, even with other men's wives. The parsons will bear considerable watching when there are any feminines around. Piety is a curious thing.]

Our company numbers one more than when we started, as a birth occurred on the passage.

The brethren are all well and join in wishing to be remembered to all at the office.

Your brother in the gospel,

F. [Frank] H. Hyde. [p.650]

BIB: Hyde, F. H. [Letter], Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star
32:41 (October 11, 1870) p. 650. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)