An Early Letter About the Transcontinental Railroad: <i> "Get Him to Recommend the Construction of the Road Promptly, and to Say That as It Forms the <u> Stem</u> of the Great Pacific Road from Washington to the Intermediate Western

Book Description

ALS. 2pg. 8" x 10". Novr 24, 1863. New York. An autograph letter signed <I>"<B>A.W. Thompson</B>"</I> to the Honorable A.D. Russell about the transcontinental railroad: <I>"In answer to your inquiry, I would suggest the following to guard against refusal because of the near session of Congress. 1st. To sustain the proposed contract. It is clearly within the power of the Secy of War to provide the most expeditions and cheapest modes of transportation & to do this he may contract in advance & give a consideration for the rapid construction of the work needed. If he contracts then in the manner we wish, he can report it to Congress as an accomplished fact. If this is altogether declined & he is immovable on that discussion then urge that the same form of contract be made, but conditioned upon the approval of Congress. The Secretary in that case reporting it as a necessity & asking the earliest approval possible in order to secure the prompt construction of the road. If he declines to make a contract in any form, then get him to recommend the construction of the road promptly, and to say that as it forms the <U>stem</U> of the great Pacific road from Washington to the intermediate Western connections, it should receive the same aid that has been provided by the Congress for the Pacific road, that is, the issue of the bonds by the government, and the grant of sections of land, to the same amount and extent, as govern in the act incorporating the Pacific Railway & upon the same terms. If he declines to do this, then get him to report the necessity of the road, and to ask Congress to guarantee the bonds of the Metropolitan RR Co to the amount of six million dollars. The Company mortgaging their road to Trustees to secure the prompt payment of principle & interest of said bonds. I think without doubt, one or the other of these may be accomplished. Either plan will answer, but the first would be preferred."</I> This letter concerns the Pacific Railway Act of 1862; it authorized the government to use land grants and bonds to construct a transcontinental railroad, and the author of the letter mentions both in his text. The railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah. Ironically, Theodore Judah, the engineer who first dreamed of such a railroad, had died just a couple of weeks before this communication. The letter is in very fine condition with white paper and dark ink. This letter came from the papers of Edwards Pierrepont, an Attorney General and a man heavily involved in the early railroad business

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