to be used perhaps it would be well for the Idaho to make an extra trip, to bring the teams down. As regards price my views are not over three ($3) dollars per ton will be paid for long or short time and should the transportation be for the season at a less price even than that if possible. If for a week or two only the matter of transportation of teams, etc., will be taken into consideration and settled afterwards. I am in hopes the river will drop and we may be able to run for a time yet, but the warm weather hardly admits of this hope. Use every exertion in regards to the teams, so there may be as little delay as possible.
Yours truly,
Dan F. Bradford,
Vice President,
Evidently Colonel Ruckel's railroad was not going to be repaired any too soon, and, however distasteful it must have been to Bradford personally to see his rival getting the entire transportation over the Cascades portage, he was soon compelled as the Oregon Steam Navigation Company's representative to order the steamboats to land their cargoes on the Oregon side, at the place now called Bonneville. "Captain John" seems to have been able for some time longer to reach the middle landing, though on one occasion[1] at least he had to make two trips between the landings before he could get all of his freight delivered. On May 4 further directions[2] were given him by vice president Bradford:
"You will run the rapids at Cascades with the Julia and Carrie Ladd as long as you can do it with safety to the boats. Whenever you cannot make the [middle] landing on the Washington Territory side you will drop down and land your freight at the wharf boat provided by the Oregon Transportation Line on the Oregon side of the river."
At last the repairs were completed, or nearly so, and the railroad was in condition to be operated, the Pacific Christian Advocate of May 11, 1861, stating that
