|
Petg Dec 21, 1861 |
| |
| Mr. Th. H. Wynne {Superintendent,
Richmond & Petersburg RR} |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| "The times are out of joint" The
difference between the regulator of time in Richmond & Petersburg
was 7 minutes when I was last in Richmond ie our time was 7 minutes
faster than Richmond time, the time here is regulated by Young who has
a chronometer which seemed to run right before the war but may be
wrong now. The Richmond time was regulated formerly by Mitchell, I
dont know how they get it now. |
| Fremonts time is 15 minutes faster than
Richmond time. |
| This state of things has already caused
much trouble and I endeavored to correct it by sending a message to
Dorvell requesting him once a week say Saturday at 9 AM to telegraph
the time thro the lines and I would get the RR Companies to take
Richmond time and make the proper correction. |
| I was answered that the clock at the
telegraph office could not be relied upon and if I would send a good
clock to that office they would telegraph the time. |
| Now I am under the impression that if I
hand offered $1000 a year to have someone from that office to go once
a week to Mitchells store with an ordinary watch and carry the time to
the telegraph office and have it punctually sent thro the tines it
could have been done. Even if I had simply said telegraph the time of
Richmond I should have received some time or other. |
| Now as one of the last acts while in an
office that I much regret you are about to leave will you enquire into
and take some measures by which we may get the time from Richmond, or
agree to Run by Petersburg time and I will have an observation taken
if it is nothing more than to make a N & South mark and take the
sun at noon. |
| We had no difficulty so long as we took
our time from Washington for it had been agreed at a numerously
attended convention that Washington time should be taken as the
standard and the difference of time of different points should be
regulated from that time by a card which was sent to each RR Company. |
| We are endeavoring to run our trains (all
trains) all the holy days cant you do likewise and let us get down in
some measure this pressure of goods, it acts like an incubus upon us. |
| Please telegraph what you will do about
it. |
| I feel as tho' this will be the last RR
business letter I shall write to you and I will close by thanking you
for the kind courtesies at all times extended to me while we have been
doing business together. I sincerely wish you prosperity in your new
undertaking and to Mrs. Wynne, Katy & yourself a merry Christmas
& happy New Year. |
| Yours truly |
| C. O. Sanford {President,
Petersburg RR} |