Letter, Caleb Atwater to Nauvoo Postmaster, 16 November 1842
Source Note
, Letter, Circleville, Pickaway Co., OH, to Postmaster [], , Hancock Co., IL, 16 Nov. 1842; handwriting presumably of ; docket in handwriting of ; three pages; private possession.
Page [2]
countries, they moved in a north eastern direction to Western . Perhaps, your prophet has found the words which they left buried in the earth, which inform us of all the migrations of that ancient people— the names of the plans they occupied as they moved onward— their military stations, their temples, their roads &c. The first cost of three thousand copies, would be $4000 or a dollar and twenty five cents a copy, to which must be added my personal expenses, boarding, travelling expenses, &c. say, in all, about $1.50 a copy for 3000 copies. If stereotyped, that expense must be added, and then, you could print as many editions as should be called for in Europe and . My work might stand by itself and the explanation of it, if the prophet should be able to explain from his old records, all the migrations of that wonderful people, might be bound with my work or separately, as he should choose.
I have no money to spare, otherwise I would get out a new and improved edition myself. I should need, about 300 British sovereigns to begin with, and the remainder might be paid as the work progressed. I would get it out, in six months after I began and have it well executed and a beautiful book, full of copper plates, worth 3 or 4 dollars a copy. [p. [2]]