<draft>

Cottrell

March 30 / 58

not sent

Upon furth^r considⁿ of the plan I sent you on the 27^th for puttin _getting the ores to the GWR I have made an improvement on it w^ch I really think will have the effect of altogether remov^g your object^ns The parish road I spoke of that runs parallel to the canal is in most parts so wide & commodious (K) that I think there w^d be no objectⁿ to laying tra down a tramway on 1 side of it – I presume you intend that the _^^same cars or trucks which convey the ore from the diggings to the top of the incline, sh^d go down the incline. therefore the same _{if a tramway} were laid down from the foot of the incline, by the roadside, the same cars would of course go on with the ore.

(K) in some places

When the trucks have got to the end of the parish road, they would turn into my fields and I would lay down a tramway for them there. – At two points only, the trucks would have to travel on the highroad, without a tramway, first in order to cross the canal & river, secondly in order to cross the Melksham turnpike road – These two interrupt^ns of the tramway together only measure 180 ^{do not amount to 200} yards (_^^{that is} – if leave is refused me to lay a tramway by the side of the highroad – But if leave is granted, there w^d be no interruptⁿ)

You say very truly that pennies

No doubt

Hence

Calculating on the principle that the _^^{cost of} transport of ore on a common road is 9^d per ton per mile on a tramway 3^d drawn by horses 3^d on a railway the GWR or its branches ½^d

I find that the total cost of putting ^taking the ore on the GWR w^d be, each from the foot of the incline to the GWR would be five pence – What recommends this scheme very much, is that there w^d be no shifting of the ores, _^^{except &} until they were finally deposited in the G^t Western trucks ^(K)

(K) If you convey the ore to Swindon, you will have to convey it back to Chipp^m (if it is going to Wales as I presume) as soon as the Br. & W. Wales junctⁿ railwy is finished; – therefore I consider your comparisⁿ of cost with Swindon is inapplicable – The ore for Wales will turn off at a place called Thingley junctⁿ 1 mile west of Chipp^m – and the questⁿ is, what is y^e compa^ve cost of reach^g Th. junctⁿ by different routes? I observe that you set down the cost of transit on my branch railw^y at 2^d whereas I believe you sh^d view it as a part of the general G W railway transit, in w^ch case the cost w^d be about a halfpenny.

The questⁿ is, as you say, I am ready to give instruct^ns to my Sol^r to prepare a lease to you, as soon as I underst^d that we are agreed upon _^^all the chief points & that you have selected the pa <illegible deletion> you <illegible deletion> _{actual lands} ^{to be leased}. – I believe we are agreed upon all other points, but the nature of the <illegible deletion> communicⁿ to be establ^d w^h the GWR. If there is any other point left doubtful, please to notice it in your reply that it may be at once settled – I will add that (M)

(M) < ans?> I will say ^add that since

You appear^d to much dislike the proposal I made to fix a max price for the ore – w^ch y. w^d charge to any comp^y establ^g smelt^g f^nces on my land. I shall ∴ ^now propose to omit y^{e this} stipulⁿ & leave the matter for future arrang^t whenever such Comp^y shall be formd.

<expanded version>

Cottrell

March 30 / 58

not sent

Upon further consideration of the plan I sent you on the 27^th for putting getting the ores to the Great Western Railway I have made an improvement on it which I really think will have the effect of altogether removing your objections. The parish road I spoke of that runs parallel to the canal is in most parts so wide and commodious in some places that I think there would be no objection to laying tracks down a tramway on oneside of it – I presume you intend that the same cars or trucks which convey the ore from the diggings to the top of the incline, should go down the incline. therefore the same if a tramway were laid down from the foot of the incline, by the roadside, the same cars would of course go on with the ore.

When the trucks have got to the end of the parish road, they would turn into my fields and I would lay down a tramway for them there. – At two points only, the trucks would have to travel on the highroad, without a tramway, first in order to cross the canal and river, secondly in order to cross the Melksham turnpike road – These two interruptions of the tramway together only measure one-hundred eighty do not amount to two-hundred yards (that is – if leave is refused me to lay a tramway by the side of the highroad – But if leave is granted, there would be no interruption)

You say very truly that pennies No doubt Hence Calculating on the principle that the cost of transport of ore on a common road is nine pence per ton per mile on a tramway three pence drawn by horses three pence on a railway the Great Western Railway or its branches one-half pence.

I find that the total cost of putting taking the ore on the Great Western Railway would be, each from the foot of the incline to the Great Western Railway would be five pence – What recommends this scheme very much, is that there would be no shifting of the ores, except and until they were finally deposited in the Great Western trucks. If you convey the ore to Swindon, you will have to convey it back to Chippenham (if it is going to Wales as I presume) as soon as the Bristol and West Wales junction railway is finished; – therefore I consider your comparison of cost with Swindon is inapplicable – The ore for Wales will turn off at a place called Thingley junction one mile west of Chippenham – and the question is, what is the comparative cost of reaching Thingley junction by different routes? I observe that you set down the cost of transit on my branch railway at two pence whereas I believe you should view it as a part of the general Great Western railway transit, in which case the cost would be about a halfpenny.

The question is, as you say, I am ready to give instructions to my Solicitor to prepare a lease to you, as soon as I understand that we are agreed upon all the chief points and that you have selected the path <illegible deletion> you <illegible deletion> actual lands to be leased. – I believe we are agreed upon all other points, but the nature of the <illegible deletion> communication to be established with the Great Western Railway. If there is any other point left doubtful, please to notice it in your reply that it may be at once settled – I will add that answer I will say add that since you appeared to much dislike the proposal I made to fix a maximum price for the ore – which you would charge to any company establishing smelting furnaces on my land. I shall therefore now propose to omit the this stipulation and leave the matter for future arrangement whenever such Company shall be formed.