| Office of the Eastern Texas Rail Road Co. |
| Nacogdoches, {Texas,}
November 20th, 1861 |
| |
| Hon. W. S. Oldham |
| Brenham{, Texas} |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| The Eastern Texas Railroad Company
Contracted with Mrss Moran Bros. of New York on August 1860 for the
delivery of 1300 tons of Iron Rails at Galveston or Sabine Pass. 2500
Tons were delivered at the farther place at 60$ per ton. The balance
of said Iron Rails if delivered at Sabine Pass was to cost said
Company $52.50 per Ton, and if along side the Vessel in Galveston at
50$ per Ton. The balance of the Iron Rails about 2500 Tons were to be
purchased in England which Mrss Moran Bros. did and shipped two cargos
of about 500 or 550 tons each, Consigned to Mrss. R. & D. G. Mills
of Galveston, with instructions not to deliver the same to our Company
until we paid them for the Iron Rails ??? or would be laid down on our
Road, which payment they were to receive on W. S. Bonds
Composing the School Fund loaned to Railroads in our State. Our
Mortgage bond to the State was executed and filed in accordance with
our Contract with Mrss Moran Bros to enable them to draw the States
Aid. The School Commissioners of our State refused to pay them the
States Aid, in as much as they were Citizens of New York at war with
this State and on which account they refused to deliver our Company
the Iron at Galveston. The 2500 tons of Iron Rails already laid down
here completes our Road a distance of 27 7/10 miles and wants about
two miles of Iron rail to connect our Road with the Texas and New
Orleans Railroad at Beaumont. The Citizens of Sabine Pass as well as
the Military Authorities desire that this Connection should be made as
speedily as possible as in the event of an invasion of that place, the
Road could be employed on transporting the families and effects beyond
the reach of the enemy as well as in transporting Troops and Munitions
of War to repel and invasion. The later Day Sequestration Act of
Congress will probably sequestrate the Said Rails at Galveston as the
property of alien enemies (although the same was purchased and
shipped for our Road) and will be Condemned and sold for cash. |
| Our Company at this time, not being in a
condition to pay cash for the same on account of the existing
war, it will pass into the hands of Speculators at a low price greatly
to the injury of all parties interested in the Construction of our
Road. This Iron was bonded by Mrss Moran Bros in warehousing in
Galveston for the duty due to the Confederate States. We would
respectfully ask of Congress to allow our Company to assume the duty
on said Iron Rails and execute a Bond with good security for the
payment, and allow our said Company to take said Iron Rails at the
price for which the same was Contracted for with Mrss Moran Bros and
place the payment of the same by our Company to the Confederate States
on the same footing as the debt we owe Mrss Moran Bros for the 2500
Tons already laid down on our Road which has been duly reported to the
Receiver of our District. |
| In the event that Congress does appropriate
said Iron Rails for the use of our Company there should be deducted
from the price of the same that we were to pay for the delivery at
Sabine Pass say $52.50 per Ton, the duty on the same which was to have
been paid by Mrss Moran Bros and also the freight from Galveston to
Beaumont, which will greater than 2.50 per Ton on account of the Blockade
as well as all charges, that have occurred upon the same on account of
sundry bonding and warehousing the same in Galveston. I have no means
of ascertaining the exact amount of duty on the same and the freight
to Beaumont, but suppose that it will cost at least 12$ per ton, which
amount with the amount of duty should be deducted from the cost of the
Iron Rails, say $32.50 for its delivery at Sabine Pass. In allowing
our Company to take this Iron as proposed, the Confederate States will
realize a much larger amount than if the same is Condemned and sold
under a Judgment of our ??? for Cash. |
| I hope therefore that you will give the
matter your attention and procure the passage of a Bill for our
benefit upon the terms proposed. In so doing you will confer a benefit
upon a large portion of the people of Eastern Texas, who are vitally interests
on the completion of our Road, I have given a like memorandum to our
Congressman F. R. Saxton and requested him to consult with you in the
subject. |
| As the Hon. Mr. Wigfall is regarded as our
immediate Representative, you may think that I ought to apply to him
on this instance but having no personal acquaintance with him and I
regarding you as the representative of our whole people and then in
??? you must excuse me for troubling you with this matter. |
| I Remain very Truly |
| Yr Friend & obt Servant |
| James R. Arnold |
| Pres Eastern Texas R. R. Co. |
|