NA, MG 3/29/1864

MGRRd Shops, Greensboro
29 Mar 1864
 
Col. F. W. Sims
RR Bureau, Richmond
 
Dear Colonel,
   I am so anxious to get all my Cars & Engines at Work. I have accepted your offer to lease 2 Locomotives to the Navy yard Charlotte. They will go on service as your order for the work arrives.
   I am exceedingly anxious to turn out 70 more cars. I have the wheels & axles and lumber ready, and axles for 40 more, but not the wheels. I have the springs &c for them -- all I want is the Rolled Iron for the Trucks & Bodies & some soft Pig Iron, to work with ??? to make the wheels. I will want 160 to have enough for the axles I have.
   ??? you get me this Iron -- I can turn out one car a day with the facilities & labor I now have. The Iron I want is from Newmans furnace in Shenandoah Co, Va it is better adapted to wheel & Tyres than any other I have seen -- if you cant get me some of it get me an order for some of a similar sort at the Deep River Furnace in NC Mondack & Co Furnace. But to commence with I would like to get 10 Tons of Newmans Iron. The Deep River Iron is so far off -- 70 miles to be hauled over bad roads -- will cause a great delay -- which could be avoided by ??ing a start with Newmans to begin with. My Expenses have been so heavy and my Earnings so little so far -- and for some time to come -- my expenses must increase from the efforts I am making to turn out {p?}lank for 700 I would like to build 20 cars for the Nitre & Mining Bureau -- the cost of ??? would all be due the government for material & I would like to pay that way -- as all I have now is obligated by the new Foundry past -- and in July past. I will have to use $60,000/-- Interest to pay on our Bonds. But other building of these cars -- in order to pay the Government my indebtedness to them will leave me comp?? ?? with the ???. I have made ????? an offer for them -- can you see him & have it ratified for me --? ??? the Iron for he ???? I will deliver these here in 30 days after I get the Iron. Do use the ??? to see about you can do on the ????? will be down at Richmond in 8 days -- and will take home the Iron from Andersons & Co. For the cars for ??? or ??? I will want the ????? of Iron -- all that will be wanted is not ??? I have some here that will work in -- For the ??? new cars -- I will want the other Bill I enclose. Now that Anderson is at it -- he might get out all for me.
   I enclose you copies of a correspondence between Mr. Talcott & myself -- I cannot see that the policy of that Compy ??? I ??? the telegram ??? but ????? of it. He has not come near ????? I told him try Contracts with the Roads my Cars & Engines were on ????? -- if they do at ???. I will resent as best I can -- I have done & shipped -- I think all I could -- if they are dissapointed the fault is not mine -- however -- if you send me the Iron for the new cars -- I will in ????? to let the Piedmont Co have 100 new cars including those now in my hands and 8 Engines. This will not in ??? the cars on the NCRR which they can retain if they desire -- with the 100 cars & 8 Engines I will be able to run 2 passenger Trains each way and ??? Freight Trains each way per day and have 2 Engines always to use for accidents. This will be far more than the Danville Road can take away -- ????? the R. C. RRd can deliver here -- I think the better way for them to provide is for it to repair the Road within own hands -- make their own Rules ????? and let me do ????? have for 2 or 3 Engines & some ????? cars -- th?? -- I think should be ???? as General Engines & ????? Road in Repairs -- ????? will r?? 3 ?????  to keep it up -- of ??? -- I had not mentioned this matter to my ??? and mainly do so to you for your opinion ????? -- if they express one to ???? crippled with their ideas ????? wont last long. I would not ????? sent them anyhow. ????? control of my Engines & cars ????? on them -- to track ????? it ?????
Very Truly yours
H. Rice  {Superintendent, Manassas Gap RR}
???
{This document has many smeared letters and works and two sections that have been wet. This is the main reason for so many untranscribable works.}

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