4C>8 INTRODUCTION. 



We give the above as a sample of the letters written 

 to Gen. Colton. The reader should bear in mind that Mr. 

 Huntington was the principal manager of the Southern 

 Pacific and Central Pacific railroads; and that Gen. Colton 

 was his Western manager. Below we make short extracts 

 from letters running from November 8, 1874, to September 

 30, 1878: 



( ( Cannot you have Safford call the Legislature together 

 and grant such charters as we want, at a cost, say of 

 $25,000? 



"I believe the Legislature could be called together by 

 the people for $5,000 and such a charter granted." 



"I had a talk with Bristow, secretary of the treasury. 

 He will be likely to help us fix up our matter with the 

 government on a fair basis." 



( ' It cost money to fix things so that I would know . 

 that his bill would not pass. I believe that with $200,000 

 I can pass our bill, but I take it that it is not worth that 

 much to us." 



* ' The railroad committee of the House was set up for 

 Scott, and it has been a very difficult matter to switch a 

 majority of the committee away from him, but I think it 

 has been done." 



( ( I notice what you say of Wigginton, L,uttrell and 

 Piper. The latter should be defeated at almost any cost. ' ' 



U I am doing all I can to have the government take 

 6,000,000 acres of land and give the railroad company credit 

 for $15,000,000, but the prospect of their doing it is not as 

 bright as I wish it was. I wish you would have the news- 

 papers take the ground that this land ought to be taken 

 by the government and held for the people, so that when 

 they wanted it they could have it, etc. Something that 

 the demagogues can vote and work for. ' ' 



