Ten of $1,000 each $10,000 00 Forty of $200 each 8,000 00 Cash 800 00 Advanced James Mason 1,200 00 ---------- 20,000 00 ========== To be distributed on my account. JAMES E. BIRCH. Mr. I. C. WOODS. _June 24._--I left this morning for San Antonio, _via_ Chicago, Cairo, and New Orleans. The only assistant I took with me was a young gentleman of liberal education, who was acquainted with English, French, and Spanish, as well as the German, his native language. I have since found that it is an indispensible requisite to the economical management of our line that all mail conductors and agents should speak the Spanish language; we make a point of this now in selecting men for our service. _July 5._--Having been detained on the way by business and railroad accidents, I only reached New Orleans the night before last, missing the mail connexion to Indianola. To-day I received a telegraphic communication from Mr. Birch, informing me that he would leave New York that day per steamer for California. It had been agreed between us that we were to meet in San Diego as soon as I could reach there. [In the course of my journal I shall refer again to this appointment, though I deem it proper to mention here that I never saw Mr. Birch after we parted on the 23d June. He was lost in the Central America September 11th, three days after I reached the Pacific.] _July 7._--We were due in Indianola this morning at daylight, but unfortunately grounded in a fog on a sand bar at the entrance of the bay, which lost us the connexion with the coach for San Antonio. This delay prevented my attending in person to despatching the mail of the 9th from San Antonio, as I had much desired to do. _July 11._--Reached San Antonio to-day at 4 p. m. _July 13, Monday._--As my letter of authority will show, Mr. Birch gave me eighteen thousand eight hundred dollars in hand. After deducting the cost of some purchases of arms and clothing made in New York, I have, on reaching San Antonio, about seventeen thousand seven hundred dollars. With this money I commenced operations at once. To-day I hired a corral and office, also commenced making arrangements for men, in all of which I was very kindly assisted by Mr. G. H. Giddings. _July 16._--Busily engaged in purchasing mules and the necessary articles to fit out the mail trains. To-day I hired Captain Henry Skillman as a conductor to take the mail of the 24th through to the Pimos villages, with which country he is very familiar. After this first trip through he is to run regularly on the Arizona section. Captain Skillman is, I believe, well known to your department as the first contractor for the mail between San Antonio and Santa Fé.