CPRR Books [Financial Records]

From: "Chris Graves" caliron@att.net

I am told there is some question recently surfaced regarding the "lost" books of the CPRR Contract and Finance Company.

Perhaps this will assist resolve that question. On August 1, 1887, Daniel Z. Yost testified as follows, I will trim out the testimony that is not relevant:

"I was private secretary (to Leland Stanford)...from 1870 to 1877 ... "

Q. "Did you ever see the books of the company?"

A. "Yes, sir"

Q. "When did you see them?"

A. "I saw them last in Sacramento, in 1873, in charge of Mr. Mark Hopkins ... "

Q. "Did you hear they were lost?"

A. "I heard so, yes sir."

Q. "What was the condition of the books when you last saw them in 1873?"

A. "They were being packed in large cases."

Q. "Who was packing them?"

A. "Mark Hopkins."

The rest of the testimony revolves around the moving of the CPRR from Sacramento to San Francisco.

Hoping this will help.

—Chris Graves

Short run trains

From: "Malcolm Easton" mceaston@sbcglobal.net

There is much known about transcontinental travel, but what about short-run trains for passengers on CPRR around 1880's? What arrangement of cars did they have? What kind of schedules? Did they make meal stops? ...

—Malcolm Easton