DIY History | Transcribe | Building the Transcontinental Railroad | Peter A. Dey correspondence, 1863-1865

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not the vague impressions of a mind, I care not how gifted, that does not think of it once a month.
I spend some years on the locks on the Erie Canal, and know what first class masonry is, and am satisfied that work of that character could not have been built here this year for less than twenty five or thirty dollars per yard. I should have felt myself justly entitled to censure, had I in this manner spent the companys money, when the work I have put in, varying in cost with the distance stones are hauled from six to ten dollars would answer equally well. I expect Mr Reeds profiles and Report in the course of this week. his labors this summer have been very arduous, in his profession he has always had the reputation of a hard working man, he tells me that never in his life has he exerted himself and encountered the difficulties he has this summer, the ground he has covered must have required very great labor with an efficient party of Engineers, his entire party with one exception was entirely inexperienced. Mr Reed asks an increased compensation from the date of his appointment. were I to control this I should give it to him. there seems to be a difficulty that I have not the power to rectify. Mr Edwards one of the late appointments of the Board is not worth in any place one half what Mr Reed is, yet he gets the same pay, theres no justice in this and although One Hundred and fifty Dollars per month may be much more than Mr Edwards is worth, it is no compensation for

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not the vague impressions of a mind, I care not how gifted, that does not think of it once a month. I spend some years on the locks on the Erie Canal, and know what first class masonry is, and am satisfied that work of that character could not have been built here this year for less than twenty five or thirty dollars per yard. I should have felt myself justly entitled to censure, had I in this manner spent the companys money, when the work I have put in, varying in cost with the distance stones are hauled from six to ten dollars would answer equally well. I expect Mr Reeds profiles and Report in the course of this week. his labors this summer have been very arduous, in his profession he has always had the reputation of a hard working man, he tells me that never in his life has he exerted himself and encountered the difficulties he has this summer, the ground he has covered must have required very great labor with an efficient party of Engineers, his entire party with one exception was entirely inexperienced. Mr Reed asks an increased compensation from the date of his appointment. were I to control this I should give it to him. there seems to be a difficulty that I have not the power to rectify. Mr Edwards one of the late appointments of the Board is not worth in any place one half what Mr Reed is, yet he gets the same pay, theres no justice in this and although One Hundred and fifty Dollars per month may be much more than Mr Edwards is worth, it is no compensation for