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WILLIAM N. BYERS CORRESPONDENCE 1
1
2Mch 24 [18]70

Col. J. S. Loomis

New York,

Dear Sir: I reached home this a. m. at 4:30 in excellent health. Secured the two rooms opposite the railway offices at $35. per month; possession next week. Will get the propositions required by Meeker this evening or tomorrow. Write him by 6 o'clock mail today & will do same tomorrow-to St Louis. Materials all purchased today for the Denver Pacific.

I wish McCaffrey would stop a day at Omaha and examine Davis land system. I think some of his books & maps an improvement on anything I have before seen. He will be given every facility & politeness. I hope you will send him out at once. Weather magnificent. Plowing & planting progressing rapidly.

Yours Truly, Wm. N. Byers.

Mch. 24 [18]70

[p. 2]

N. C. Meeker & Gen. Cameron

St Louis, Mo.

Gentlemen: I reached home this morning. Have the promise of a proposition and favorable terms from the Denver Land Association, and Gov. Evans is to see Phelps (who arrived

1Mr. Byers was general manager for Colorado of the National Land Company, assuming his duties as such in March, 1870. The appointment was accepted during a trip to New York made during the months of January-March, 1870. Mr. Byers' Diary of the year 1870, in the possession of his son, Frank S. Byers, of Denver, contains the details of this trip.

2The following letters of Mr. Byers, with the exception of those of July 22, 1870 and April 26 and 28, 1871, are to be found in his letter copy book, relating to the affairs of the National Land Company. The three exceptions are to be found in the letter copy book of General Correspondence for the period 1868-1871. Both of these books were kindly placed at my disposal by Mr. Frank S. Byers.

here today) and secure same from him, for the Cache-a-la-Poudre tracts. I have no doubt that tomorrow will be able to advise you of both. Then will see what can be done with other tracts in same neighborhood. Will write you again tomorrow.

Wm. N. Byers,

Manager N. L. Co. for Col.

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Col. John S. Loomis

2 Astor House New York.

March 24 [18]70

Dear Sir: Have secured today written agreements covering

the tracts of land bordering Cache-a-la-Poudre desired by Meeker colony. I write him to St Louis.

Yours Truly

Wm. N. Byers.

Mch. 25 [18]70

N. C. Meeker & Gen Cameron

St Louis, Mo.

Gentlemen: Have secured the refusal of all Phelp's' land at $10. per acre & the Denver Land Association tract at $15 per acre-written propositions for both, running for thirty days from this date. Have talked a good deal with the railway directors and think we will have no difficulty in coming to terms. Hoping to see you soon, believe me yours truly,

[p. 12]

Col. John S. Loomis

2 Astor House N. Y.

Wm. N. Byers.

April 3d [1870]

Dear Sir: Have not yet rec'd a line from you nor from any one else of the Co.-not a blank or anything else. Am needing some money badly to fix up office & pay current expenses. Please have some forwarded at once. What delays McCaffrey? He ought to be here. Am receiving filings every day and am kept busy all the time answering questions and in fixing up the Meeker business. I go with them tomorrow to

Evans and the Cache-a-la-Poudre. Guess will get them fixed out in three or four days more. Must get up tract books & plats as soon as possible. Send some Stars soon as possible. What about commissions to local agents?

Weather magnificent. Only one cloudy day & one snow squall since came home. Crops nearly all in & small grain coming up finely.

[In left hand margin.]

Yours Truly, Wm. N. Byers.

I have applications for passage tickets-emigrant-from Norway. Give me best terms. We must beat the local [illegible] for emigrants.

[p. 13]

Chas. B. Lamborn, Esq.

Sec. & Treas. N. L. Co.

5th & Elm sts, St. Louis Mo.

April 3d [1870]

Dear Sir: Col. Loomis assured me when I left New York that he would at once have some money transferred hither to meet expenses in fitting up office &c. None has yet come and I am needing it badly. I also need blanks and forms every day. Applications for land are coming in every day but I can as yet do nothing except place them on file. We can have a large business just as soon as we can be prepared for it.

Mr Meeker and Gen. Cameron are here. I go north with them tomorrow. I think will fix them out in two or three days

more.

The K. P. should lose no time in getting their grant adjusted to their located line on this end the route. Yours truly, Wm. N. Byers

[p. 14]

Gen Wm. J. Palmer

Kit Carson, Col.

April 6, [1870]

Dear Sir: Have secured the location of the Union (Meeker) Colony on D. P. land. We are now making selections. Their cash payment for railway lands will be $30,000 to

$35,000. They also buy about $25,000 worth private lands and a large quantity from Gov't. We returned this morning from their location. Improvements will be commenced at once and pushed actively.

There is a large and growing enquiry for lands and many enquiries for those of the Kansas Pacific. If possible appraisements should be made upon this end of the line without delay. Mean time I am receiving applications for same. Have filed three today. Applications for D. P. lands are also pouring in daily.

Please advise me whether there is probability of change in the location [p. 15] of your grant. As I understand it your located line runs entirely off it.

Am glad to have your explanation of the Smith and Smedley matter-but yet think it important that their interest and influence should be conciliated if it can be done reasonably.

Hope to hear from you about the land matter and location of grant without delay.

Yours Very truly,

Wm. N. Byers

April 6, [1870]

[p. 16]

Col. John S. Loomis

New York N. Y.

My Dear Sir: Have anchored the Union Colony (Meeker) as anticipated. Came from the location this morning-rode all night. We are busy selecting their first batch of lands & will complete it tomorrow. Will report the result when through.

Applications are pouring in & I am filing them but am not yet ready for a single transaction. Have no tract books, plats, blanks, forms, instructions nor anything else. No letter from you yet not word of McCaffrey.

The Kansas Pacific should adjust their grant to their location, if they are going to change, and appraise their lands at this end of the line. Filings upon them are coming in daily. Please hurry up my affairs. Yours Truly,

Wm. N. Byers.

Think we can secure agency for lands of St. Joseph & Denver road by a little figuring. Have the ropes in hand. Best streak of lands across the plains.

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Chas. B. Lamborn, Esq,

5th & Elm Sts, St Louis, Mo.

Apr. 8, [1870]

Dear Sir: Received your telegram yesterday and this morning drew upon you for $200. This will not be sufficient to get my office fairly started-to furnish it, procure signs, stationery &c. Col. Loomis told me, last thing, to open a good office and fit it up in good style, which I am endeavoring to do, but am incurring no unnecessary expense.

Have located the Meeker colony and selected a portion of their lands. Will complete the sale tomorrow or Monday and can then make you a good report for a beginning.

Applications are coming in rapidly. The Kansas Pacific ought to get their lands in shape for market at once. push them.

Please

Yours truly,

Wm. N. Byers.

Apr. 12 [1870]

[p. 18]

Col. J. S. Loomis

2 Astor House N. Y.

Dear Sir: Enclosed I send you a/c of first sale to Union Colony for which they pay cash. They will make another large cash purchase in a few days and have contracted for all the railway lands at present surveyed north of the Cache-a-la-Poudre. They have also paid out to private parties over $25.000 for entries of land that had been made inside their location. Gen. Cameron takes charge and goes to work actively at once on the ground. Quite a number of the colonists are dropping in. Meeker leaves today or tomorrow for New York.

I am kept busy answering questions and talking about land. Need McCaffrey badly so we can get maps, plats and books in order for business.

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