My dear Stewart;



I have your letter of January 24th.  I confess I had begun to fear that we would have to defer shipping as you suggest.  When we began to have hopes there was a January thaw and now we have a storm period and more snow.  So shipping is out of the question at present.  It is quite possible now that we cannot ship at a resonable price until the roads get dry in the spring.  You of course will know whether it is necessary to notify the railroads of the conditions and delay.



The trouble all the time has been principally with the divide where more snow falls and drifts.  It would not have caused any particular trouble if it had been a road that is travelled to any extent in the winter.



I asked you to deposit $350 or $400 at the end of January but told you that if more than $350 was needed I would let you know.  I found when I made out checks that I had overlooked some small bill and would need the larger sum.



I appreciate your designing to let me have Mr. Kay while shipping and I really needed him in case we shipped but had