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A. I cannot say, positively; but if any were received during my absence or illness at any time, it was received by my assistants.
Q. 134 You do not now recollect of any?
A. No; I do not, now.
Q. 135 What business was done by this Contract and Finance Company during your secretaryship?
A. The business for which it was organ= =ized: constructing —
Q. 136 [Interrupting:] Will you state what business you did do?
A. The Company built portions of the Central Pacific Railroad.
Q. 137 When did it commence to build portions of the Central Pacific Railroad?
A. I cannot give the date, exactly.
Q. 138 About what time?
A. I should say sometime within a year from its organization. I don't remember the date of its organization.
Q. 139 At what point on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad did the Contract and Finance Company commence building?
A. I think it was commenced in the state of Nevada.
Q. 140 Will you state at what point in that state?
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A. At somewhere near the state line between Nevada and California, as near as I can remember.
Q. 141 What did the Contract and Finance Company do towards the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad?
A. They graded it: hired labor and graded it.
Q. 142 By whom was the labor hired?
A. Hired by various superintendents of labor.
Q. 143 Will you name those superintendents?
A. Well, I could not name them. There were two or three hundred of them — different departments and different foremen.
Q. 144 Do their names appear on the books of the Company?
A. I think they do.
Q. 145 Do you not know whether they do or not?
A. I don't know. I think they do. They would naturally appear on the books.
Q. 146 Do you not recollect, during the time that you were secretary, entering upon those books the names of the persons who were employed to super= =intend the construction of the railroad?
A. We kept the names of those who
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were employed.
Q. 147 Will you state by whom they were paid?
A. I paid some of them, and my assistants paid some of them.
Q. 148 Were you not in the habit of going out upon the railroad and making pay= =ments to persons employed, — as secretary of the Contract and Finance Company?
A. Yes.
Q. 149 Who furnished you the money to make such payments?
A. The Contract and Finance Company.
Q. 150 Whom do you mean when you say the Contract and Finance Company? Who gave you the money to make such payments?
A. It was taken from the money belong= =ing to the Contract and Finance Company.
Q. 151 Where did you get those moneys when you went to make payments?
A. I got them from the bank where the accounts was kept.
Q. 152 How did you take it from the bank?
A. If it was a large quantity we took it in a wagon.
Q. 153 Did you take it from the bank by check, in the usual form?
A. Yes sir.
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Q. 154 Who signed those checks?
A. I signed them.
Q. 155 Did any other person than yourself sign them on behalf of the Contract and Finance Company?
A. No.
Q. 156 In what capacity did you sign those checks?
A. I have forgotten whether I just simply signed my name, or signed it in the capacity of secretary. Probably as secretary.
Q. 157 Who deposited, for the Contract and Finance Company, in the banks from which you drew this money, the amounts which you so drew?
A. The deposits were made by myself and my associates — my assistants.
Q. 158 From whom did you obtain the moneys which you deposited?
A. Obtained them in payment for work done for the Central Pacific Railroad.
Q. 159 Did you obtain the money from any officer of the Central Pacific Railroad Company? If so, name him.
A. I don't remember any particular officer.
Q. 160 Did you ever draw any money from Mr. E. H. Miller, the secretary of the Central Pacific Railroad Company, for any such purpose?
A. I think so: any officer who happened to
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be in charge.
Q. 161 Did you ever draw any from Mr. Mark Hopkins, its treasurer?
A. I don't think I have ever drawn any from Mr. Hopkins.
Q. 162 Did you ever draw any for anybody who was acting as treasurer of the Central Pacific Railroad Company?
A. Yes.
Q. 163 Will you name the persons?
A. I don't remember their names: whoever might have been acting as treasurer at the time, under Mr. Hopkins.
Q. 164 I will ask you right here if you were ever connected with the Central Pacific Railroad Company.
A. I was their collector for a short time.
Q. 165 What time?
A. I don't remember.
Q. 166 We won't go into that branch of the case now; but I want, in that connection to ask you: Has there ever been any officer, — president, vice president, director, secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer, or any person acting in the capacity of treasurer, — of the Central Pacific Railroad Company of Cali= =fornia, from its first incorporation in 1861 to the present time, that you have not
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