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[illegible] large amounts that is in the same cituation [situation] report say eighty
thousand dollars if you recollect you wrote and read to me the
out lines of a letter that you would send to Steel directing him
to investigate my claims and cause to be paid what was
fund justly due me but in stead of his doing so he stated
that you had directed him not to pay any of Hansons
contracts now if I am to receive my pay at all I should
be glad to have it arranged so that I could get it at
the assistant treasurys office at San Francisco in stead of
having to run after Steel as he keeps his office at Yreka
in the extreme Northern County of the state on the Oregon
line I suppose some five or six hundred miles from
here and I have already spent about eight hundred
dollars in trying to get it and more than half of
that amount was in gold and it would necessarily
cost me one hundred dollars to hunt him up
again whitch [which] I am entirely destitute of now if it is
in your power to see me righted it will be a great
accomendation to me in my present cituation [situation] if
you will attend to it at your earlyest [earliest] convenience
and if it is not you would greatly oblige me
by instrusting me what course to persue I am
well assured if you and the President were familiar
with all the facts in the case that I should be
reinstated be good enough to let me hear from
you at your earlyest [earliest] convenience Direct
Round Valley Mandecino Co Cal [illegible]
[Name] city I remain Dear Sir
Respectfully Yours James Short

Hon A. P Usher Sec Interior