Mark Hopkins

Salt Lake 29 1869

Received at Sac Jan 29 725 PM

To Mark Hopkins

E.B. Crocker & Chas Croker the commissioners leave here Monday morning by stage for Sac to expect to take while ine stage to Echo have car there for them I shall be with them they want ready for them working profiles showing grades and map on large scale showing details of alignment at Eutine line between end of track & Echo Summit

Leland Stanford

From

Leland Stanford. Salt Lake.

Jany 29. 1869.

Comr. coming to examine our roads.

Have car for them at Elks. Also maps & peoples

Recd. Fby 6/69

Salt Lake Jany 29th 1869

Friend Mark

I have been in hopes for some time that I should be able to answer all your letters in person. But this commission has detained me and now I shall probably be in Cal before the middle of Feb with good luck. On Monday Feb 1st we start to examine the lines from end of U P track in Weber Cannon through to our track. It is not expected that we will make more than (20) twenty miles a day. The Comrs propose to make a critical examination. From the instructions and straws I fear the thing is set up against us. The far off distance of our track and slow progress makes against us with great fever. It is trying to our nerves to think of. The U P are detained for probably (10) ten days more at a cut in Weber Cannon, after that they say there is nothing to stop them in track laying. They are making extensive preparations to push through this Valley, and have been surveying for light work upon 116 feet grades at the Promontory

I will send you a copy of the instructions of the Sec of the Interior to the Comrs. Huntington sent them to me under date of the 18th. Of course he had then just arrived. He inclosed them without remark and I have had nothing further from him.

I fear he is having a hard time in trying to save what a want of foresight has jeopardized if not lost. I tell you Hopkins the thought makes me feel like a dog. I have no pleasure in the thought of Railroad. It is mortification.

It is not safe to take money from here to pay off Carter and Shurtiff. The green backs will have to come from California. I have written Montague to have the work estimated up to Feb first. The amt advanced from here is (10,500) ten thousand five hundred dollars.

I have told Montague what to do I think he had better telegraph you after the estimate is made and the accounts for supplies all in, for the amount of currency money required to pay off and then for you to send it us you may think best. If any difficult of consequence arrises from any cause

about settling the work then let it remain until I arrive. But I think Montague understand the contractors and sub contractors and the classification so think he being present there will be no difficulty. The sub contractors must be present at the payment and receive then their money.

Yours truly

Leland Stanford