This letter reads:
LIVERPOOL, November 26th, 1830.
GENTLEMEN,—At what rate will you contract to deliver at Liverpool, say from 500 to 600 tons of railway, of the best quality of iron rolled to the above pattern in 12 or 16 feet lengths, to lap as shown in the drawing, with one hole at each end, and the projections on the lower flange at every two feet, cash on delivery?
How soon could you make the first delivery, and at what rate per month until the whole is complete? Should the terms suit and the work give satisfaction a more extended order is likely to follow, as this is but about one-sixth part of the quantity required. Please to address your answer (as soon as convenient) to the care of Francis B. Ogden, Consul of the United States at Liverpool.
I am
Your obedient servant,
ROBERT L. STEVENS,
President and Engineer of the Camden and South Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company.
A list of the vessels chartered to transport the rails, with dates, tonnage, etc., is given below:
| Tonnage. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date. | Ship. | No. of Bars. | tons. | cwt. | lb. | Rate of Duty. |
| May 16, 1831. | Charlemagne | 550 | 504 | 0 | 14 | $1.85 |
| May 19, 1831. | Salem | 963 | 744 | 2 | 14 | 1.85 |
| April 7, 1832. | Caledonia | 38 | 63 | 3 | 07 | 1.85 |
| April 23, 1832. | Armadilla | 525 | 1,000 | 3 | 21 | 1.85 |
| May 4, 1832. | George Clinton | 624 | 986 | 2 | 14 | 1.85 |
| June 2-18, 1833. | Henry Kneeland | 204 | 377 | 3 | 21 | 1.85 |
| May 8, 1832. | Cumberland | 1,464 | 2,790 | 1 | 00 | 1.85 |
| June 2, 1832. | Gardiner | 601 | 1,136 | 0 | 00 | 1.85 |
| June 5, 1832. | Globe | 499 | 943 | 1 | 14 | 1.85 |
| June 6, 1832. | Jubilee | 70 | 130 | 0 | 21 | 1.85 |
| July 18, 1832. | Hellen | 1,080 | 2,004 | 3 | 21 | 1.85 |
| July 19, 1832. | Nimrod | 937 | 1,745 | 3 | 00 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 2, 1832. | Emery | 240 | 454 | 2 | 00 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 7, 1833. | Ajax | 364 | 700 | 0 | 21 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 13, 1832. | Concordia | 622 | 1,174 | 3 | 14 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 14, 1830. | William Byrny | 1,120 | 2,138 | 1 | 07 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 20, 1832. | Mary Howland | 932 | 1,755 | 3 | 07 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 23, 1832. | Pulaski | 488 | 924 | 1 | 00 | 1.85 |
| Aug. 24, 1832. | Robert Morris 1,985 | 3,732 | 0 | 14 | 1.85 | |
| Aug. 27, 1832. | Ann | 506 | 961 | 2 | 27 | 1.85 |
| Sept. 3, 1832. | Montgomery | 1,369 | 2,959 | 0 | 14 | 1.85 |
| Sept. 4, 1832. | Marengo | 534 | 1,004 | 2 | 07 | 1.85 |
| Oct. 12, 1832. | Vestal | 237 | 460 | 2 | 07 | 1.85 |
This iron proved to be of such superior quality that after it was worn out in the track, the company's mechanics preferred it to new iron in making repairs. Some of this rail is still in use in side tracks. It is pronounced equal in durability to much of the steel rail of to-day.