"
"Certainly. Now come down to earth and render a report on your
stewardship."
"I'll try. To begin, I've secured rights of way, at a total cost of
twelve thousand, one hundred and three dollars and nine cents, from
the city limits of Sequoia to the southern boundary of your timber in
Township Nine. I've got my line surveyed, and so far as the building
of the road is concerned, I know exactly what I'm going to do, and
how and when I'm going to do it, once I get my material on the
ground."
"What steps have you taken toward securing your material?"
"Well, I can close a favourable contract for steel rails with the
Colorado Steel Products Company. Their schedule of deliveries is O.
K. as far as San Francisco, but it's up to you to provide water
transportation from there to Sequoia."
"We can handle the rails on our steam schooners. Next?"
"I have an option of a rattling good second-hand locomotive down at
the Santa Fe shops, and the Hawkins & Barnes Construction Company
have offered me a steam shovel, half a dozen flat-cars, and a lot of
fresnos and scrapers at ruinous prices. This equipment is pretty well
worn, and they want to get rid of it before buying new stuff for
their contract to build the Arizona and Sonora Central. However, it
is first-rate equipment for us, because it will last until we're
through with it; then we can scrap it for junk.
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