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Peter A. Dey correspondence, 1863-1865
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Omaha May 14th 1864 T.C. Durant Esq Dear Sir I enclose letter of Dr Parry a sort of Geologist and amateur naturalist who has spent two years in the Rocky Mountains and is on his way for the third, he has assumed more than the conversation I had with him would justify but I thought better to send you the letter as it was. I think if he could accompany some of the parties this summer that his researches may be valuable and I think a moderate compensation would satisfy him. Professor Hodge writes me that he has made other engagements for this season. When Mr Sprague came out here I bought a tract of land of Hardwood timber of One Hundred and sixty acres on which we have cut between eighteen and twenty thousand ties and about twelve hundred cords of wood for this land I paid twenty five Dollars per acre, this week I bought an hundred and twenty acres of land for which I paid eighteen hundred Dollars adjoining the first this will use up the hardwood timber with the exception of one piece where the title is in dispute that is accessable to the River. I have had the timber examined very carefully for more than an hundred miles up and find little or nothing but cottonwood that is within reach - my idea has been after finishing this second tract to purchase quite a body of Cottonwood timber and remove our Mill and men to such point as we can get it reasonably and in large quantities and depend mainly
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Omaha May 14th 1864 T.C. Durant Esq Dear Sir I enclose letter of Dr Parry a sort of Geologist and amateur naturalist who has spent two years in the Rocky Mountains and is on his way for the third, he has assumed more than the conversation I had with him would justify but I thought better to send you the letter as it was. I think if he could accompany some of the parties this summer that his researches may be valuable and I think a moderate compensation would satisfy him. Professor Hodge writes me that he has made other engagements for this season. When Mr Sprague came out here I bought a tract of land of Hardwood timber of One Hundred and sixty acres on which we have cut between eighteen and twenty thousand ties and about twelve hundred cords of wood for this land I paid twenty five Dollars per acre, this week I bought an hundred and twenty acres of land for which I paid eighteen hundred Dollars adjoining the first this will use up the hardwood timber with the exception of one piece where the title is in dispute that is accessable to the River. I have had the timber examined very carefully for more than an hundred miles up and find little or nothing but cottonwood that is within reach - my idea has been after finishing this second tract to purchase quite a body of Cottonwood timber and remove our Mill and men to such point as we can get it reasonably and in large quantities and depend mainly
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