H. K. White Statement - Part 1

Statement of H. K. White, Taken at the house of A. A. Cohen Esq. Alameda, Monday December 31, 1883.

S. Osbourne short-hand writer 66 Nevada Block

Statement of H. K. White

Mr. Cohen

Q State your name.

A Henry Kirke White.

Q You were the book keeper of the RMC & I Co. [Rocky Mountain Coal & Iron Co.]?

A Yes.

Q When did you commence? When did your engagement as book keeper commence and when did it end?

A I engaged myself with Gen. Colton on the 1st of January 1871.

Q When did you commence keeping the books of the RM C & I Co. [Rocky Mountain Coal & Iron Co.]?

A I think some time in Feb-ruary, I am not certain, 1871.

Q How long did that employment continue? A Until I think March 1877.

Q What books did you keep as bookkeeper of the RM C & I Co. [Rocky Mountain Coal & Iron Co.]?

A I kept such books as Gen. Colton ordered me to. I kept a cashbook & ledger. that was

[side notes] Secy $40 per month [the bond?]

[bottom left margin:] 2

all I kept no journal.

Q When you commenced your engagement as bookkeeper of the RMC & I Co. [Rocky Mountain Coal & Iron Co.] did you have any conversation with Gen. Colton as to what books you should keep?

A Yes Sir.

Q State what that conver-sation was.

A I asked him if I should keep a full set of books for the RMC & I Co. [Rocky Mountain Coal & Iron Co.] I told him if I did keep those accounts as they would be kept at the mine, it would be a large amount of work, and it would be more than one man could do, because it would be a transcription of all the accounts that came from the mine. He reflected a mo-ment and said no: He said the accounts will be kept in de-tail at the mine, and will be sent here, that is the tran-scripts will be sent here, statemets and reports and every --

[bottom left margin:] 3

thing of that kind, and all you have to do is to file those in the office and keep them safely; all I want you to do is to keep a correct account of the money we re-ceive and pay out, money we send to the mine and other purposes.

Q In keeping those books were they under the inspec-tion or care in any way of Gen Colton?

A He always inspected them every month. The first, I would carry the books into his office and he would look them over and then at the last he told me "make out a transcript of your cashbook every month and lay it on my table so that I can look it over." Then oftentimes he would call for the book and he would make com-parisons and everything seemed to be satisfactory to him. He did not object to the manner

[bottom left margin:] 4

and did not make any other directions in regard to it.

Q Where were those books kept during the time you were book keeper?

A At the office of the Com pany 402 Montgomery St San Francisco.

Q Kept in a safe?

A No sir, they were not kept in a safe. I had a desk where they were locked up. We had no safe large enough We had a safe but it was not intended for keeping books in.

Q Did Gen. Colton have a key of that desk?

A No sir. I has the Key. I do think he had any Key to the desk. It was one of these desks with places in for books. I kept it locked. However.

Q Business hours you were in the office yourself?

A Always.

[bottom left margin:] 5