[104] United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 3642, testimony Charles Crocker. A letter from Mr. Judah to Dr. Strong, dated July 10, 1863, suggests that it was Judah’s influence which prevented Crocker from building sections 19 to 30. Judah wrote: “I have had a big row and fight on the contract question, and although I had to fight alone, carried my point and prevented a certain gentleman from becoming a further contractor on the Central Pacific Railroad at present.” (Ibid., p. 2966, testimony Strong.) This was probably only one of a number of differences of opinion between the Stanford-Huntington group and the original promoters of the Central Pacific, led by Judah. It was only after Judah’s death that the first-named interests were able to dominate the situation completely.
[105] United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 3769, testimony Collis P. Huntington.
[106] Ibid., pp. 2621-26, testimony Leland Stanford.
[107] United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 3048, testimony E. H. Miller. For a general discussion of the relative advisability of construction by contract as opposed to construction by the Central Pacific itself, see an earlier report by Stanford, Hopkins, and Miller. (Ibid., pp. 3045-46.) This report made the point that the letting of contracts to a responsible contractor would raise the credit of the railroad.
[108] United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 3436.
[109] Ibid., p. 3157, testimony J. H. Strobridge.
[110] The actual cost of the whole work to the Central Pacific depended upon Mr. Crocker’s reports upon the work which he did. There is no evidence that the company exercised any supervision over these reports, although it was to the advantage of the construction company to describe as much of the work as possible as heavy; but on the other hand, Mr. Crocker’s engineers testified that Crocker never attempted to influence them in their estimates. (United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 3207, testimony L. Clement.)
[111] United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 3511, testimony Richard F. Stevens.
[112] United States Pacific Railway Commission, p. 2636, testimony Leland Stanford.
[113] Ibid., p. 3661, testimony Charles Crocker.