From: "Larry Mullaly" lmullaly@jeffnet.org
This past week at the National Archives in College Park, I came across a set
of three letters that I believe are not found in the CP Huntington
microfilmed correspondence.
The documents are in the Western Pacific "railroad packages" and deal with
the question as to whether or not rail was removed from the WP between San
Jose and Niles to expedite the building of the Central Pacific. My
transcription of the three items sent by Huntington in New York to Jacob D.
Cox, Secretary of the Interior, follows. It is difficult to determine from
the letters whether the issue of discrediting Jacob Blickensderfer, a US
Railroad Commissioner, or defending the presence of original iron on the
Western Pacific is of greater importance. I am also struck by how rapidly
this collection of documents was put together and forwarded to Secretary Cox
(the Stanford testimonial seems to be a hand-written copy of the original,
and bears no seal nor actual signature in Stanford's hand).
—Larry Mullaly
New York, June 4, 1869
Hon. Jacob D. Cox
Secretary of the Interior
Washington DC
Sir,
I have the honor to send you herewith Mark Hopkins letter of the 24th ult.
To me, also affidavit of Leland Stanford, Prest. Western Pacific Rail Road,
as further evidence in the matter of non-removal of iron from said road and
have to ask as a personal favor that you read these carefully as the matters
referred to in them are of a personal nature between Mr. Blickensderfer and
myself.
I have the honor to be Very Respectfully Your obedient servant,
C.P. Huntington
No. 184
Sacramento, May 24, 1869
Mr. Huntington,
Your dispatch was duly received "saying "Blinkersdorfer says Stanford told
him we had taken up iron on the Western Pacific Road," is it true?" – and I
replied by telegraph.
At the time I received and answered it, Stanford was at San Francisco. Since
his return it has been shown him, and he say it is utterly false – an
outright fabrication, without anything even to suggest it, that no such
thought ever entered his mind, and that Blickensderfer or any one else who
would make such an assertion must do it from malicious motive. For the truth
is we are pushing the work of construction on the Western Pacific road
energetically from both ends and laying down iron (instead of taking it up)
just as fast as tis possible to get the bridges and Livermore Tunnel out of
the way – and putting the 20.miles from San Jose east in thorough repair –
building track from Warm Springs Landing (at head of San Francisco Bay) and
landing 480 tons of iron there to be laid from that end to the Tunnel, while
we are building San Joaquin Bridge 1 1/4 miles in length with Draw for
shipping to pass, preparatory to carrying forward the track from the East to
the Tunnel. So that as soon as night and day shifts of men can complete the
Tunnel – say by 1st of August or before – the whole line of Western from
Sacramento to San Jose will be complete and Commissioners' Report upon it
ready to forward you.
I can scarcely conceive it possible that even Blickensderfer with all his
unpaid-for malignity (possibly because unpaid) should say so weak and
foolish a thing, so readily exposed and refuted and so destitute of motive
on our part. For we have more iron and ties than we have any use for at
present and have had for months. And even if we had not, it [is] not in
keeping with any act we have ever yet done in all our intercourse with our
fellows.
I trust you didn't wait to hear from us before denouncing the assertion as
it deserved.
This further utterance confirms my opinion from what I saw of him that he
either had been or wished to be paid for his opinion on Rail Roads.
Yours truly,
Mark Hopkins
State of California
City & County of San Francisco
Leland Stanford being duly sworn says that he is the President of the
Western Pacific Railroad Company whose railroad is located in the said State
of California, that the portion of said railroad heretofore constructed by
said Company commencing in the City of San Jose and extending into Alameda
Canon [sic], a distance of twenty miles, still remains ready for use and
operation, and no portion of the same or of any of the railroad constructed
by said Company has ever been later taken up or removed.
Sworn and subscribed before me this 26th day of May 1869
F.J. Thibault
Notary Public
Leland Stanford
