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MGRRd Shops, Greensboro
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| 29 Mar 1864 |
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Col. F. W. Sims
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RR Bureau, Richmond |
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Dear Colonel, |
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I am so anxious to get all my Cars & Engines at Work.
I have accepted your offer to lease 2 Locomotives to the Navy yard
Charlotte. They will go on service as your order for the work arrives. |
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I am exceedingly anxious to turn out 70 more cars. I have
the wheels & axles and lumber ready, and axles for 40 more, but
not the wheels. I have the springs &c for them -- all I
want is the Rolled Iron for the Trucks & Bodies & some soft
Pig Iron, to work with ??? to make the wheels. I will want 160 to
have enough for the axles I have. |
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??? you get me this Iron -- I can turn out one car a day
with the facilities & labor I now have. The Iron I want is from
Newmans furnace in Shenandoah Co, Va it is better adapted to wheel
& Tyres than any other I have seen -- if you cant get me some of
it get me an order for some of a similar sort at the Deep River
Furnace in NC Mondack & Co Furnace. But to commence with I would
like to get 10 Tons of Newmans Iron. The Deep River Iron is so far off
-- 70 miles to be hauled over bad roads -- will cause a great
delay -- which could be avoided by ??ing a start with Newmans to begin
with. My Expenses have been so heavy and my Earnings so little so far
-- and for some time to come -- my expenses must increase from the
efforts I am making to turn out {p?}lank
for 700 I would like to build 20 cars for the Nitre & Mining
Bureau -- the cost of ??? would all be due the government for material
& I would like to pay that way -- as all I have now is obligated
by the new Foundry past -- and in July past. I will have to use
$60,000/-- Interest to pay on our Bonds. But other building of these
cars -- in order to pay the Government my indebtedness to them will
leave me comp?? ?? with the ???. I have made ????? an offer for them
-- can you see him & have it ratified for me --? ??? the Iron for
he ???? I will deliver these here in 30 days after I get the Iron. Do
use the ??? to see about you can do on the ????? will be down at
Richmond in 8 days -- and will take home the Iron from Andersons &
Co. For the cars for ??? or ??? I will want the ????? of Iron -- all
that will be wanted is not ??? I have some here that will work in --
For the ??? new cars -- I will want the other Bill I enclose. Now that
Anderson is at it -- he might get out all for me. |
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I enclose you copies of a correspondence between Mr.
Talcott & myself -- I cannot see that the policy of that Compy ???
I ??? the telegram ??? but ????? of it. He has not come near ????? I
told him try Contracts with the Roads my Cars & Engines were on
????? -- if they do at ???. I will resent as best I can -- I have done
& shipped -- I think all I could -- if they are dissapointed the
fault is not mine -- however -- if you send me the Iron for the new
cars -- I will in ????? to let the Piedmont Co have 100 new cars
including those now in my hands and 8 Engines. This will not in ???
the cars on the NCRR which they can retain if they desire -- with the
100 cars & 8 Engines I will be able to run 2 passenger Trains each
way and ??? Freight Trains each way per day and have 2 Engines always
to use for accidents. This will be far more than the Danville Road can
take away -- ????? the R. C. RRd can deliver here -- I think the
better way for them to provide is for it to repair the Road within own
hands -- make their own Rules ????? and let me do ????? have for 2 or
3 Engines & some ????? cars -- th?? -- I think should be ???? as
General Engines & ????? Road in Repairs -- ????? will r?? 3
????? to keep it up -- of ??? -- I had not mentioned this matter
to my ??? and mainly do so to you for your opinion ????? -- if they
express one to ???? crippled with their ideas ????? wont last long. I
would not ????? sent them anyhow. ????? control of my Engines &
cars ????? on them -- to track ????? it ????? |
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Very Truly yours |
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H. Rice {Superintendent, Manassas Gap RR} |
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??? |
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{This document has many smeared letters and
works and two sections that have been wet. This is the main reason for
so many untranscribable works.} |