T. E. Story #8

“The money box is in the keeping of the Junior Engineer, who is now taking my place by Congressional contract.  He is responsible for it and the money and will make a report each day on the money paid out.  That report goes to the office in St. Louis.  I have indicated to him that I want you to take my place sitting beside him when he pays out at the end of the day.  You will also be asked to initial the report as to it's correctness, as I have been doing as a check on the funding.  If anything happens to the Junior Engineer, the safe combination is in my old leather pouch hanging on the wall in my room (your room now), inside the pouch flap pocket, burned into the leather and blackened with ink to blend with the color of the leather.  Maybe 24 hours a day for the first week or so.  I know that you pick things up quickly, after the initial period it shouldn't take you more than 18 to 20 hours each day.  That is what I usually require of the Junior Engineer, as he goes to bed when I do,  The three overseers have been known to work long hours as well on occasion when we get behind a tad, so they will certainly understand the need if such arises. Yes they are a good crew.  In the first six months we got rid of 60% of the work force, who didn't want to work for their pay.  Six ended up in jail and three were shot, two of which died.  They thought that they needed more money than was allotted to them and tried to take the safe with them when they left.  However the heavy chains holding the safe to the log crib under the Cook shack proved to be a tad difficult to sever in the time available to them.  You should be able to count on the fact that Captain Rufus will be visiting you, until he sees how well things are going, and I sure his horse is a telling excuse to do so.  There is a stage that will be stopping at the project in the early morning.  One of the lads on night watch will wave it  down, and that will take me to the train in St Louis.  From there with these orders it should be a fairly straight shot to Washington City and whatever the T. E. Commandant has in store for me.  If there are any further questions just send a telegram to the Commandant's Office in Washington City.  The telegraph operator has the proper code. I am away early tomorrow morning!”