Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/389

 State of Oregon, Secretary's Office

Salem, June 5, 1869.

Dear Sir: I have no personal knowledge of filing of papers in this office by Mr. Gaston, on the sixth of Octo- ber, 1866, more than this: that about the date named (Mr. Gaston says it was the 6th) he presented me an envelope which he said contained articles of incorpora- tion of the Oregon Central Railroad Co., on which en- velope I marked the date in pencil, (Mr. Gaston says I marked the document instead of the envelope, but I have not seen the paper since, hence my impressions are that I marked the envelope). I did not examine the contents did not formally file the paper. Mr. Gaston wished to retain it in his possession for a short while, but for leg- islative purposes desired to say it had been presented for filing, to which I could see no objection. I had forgotten the foregoing circumstances altogether until about the middle of November 1866,Hon.J.S.Smith made application to see the articles of incorporation of the Oregon Central Railroad Co., and I turned to the usual depository for such documents, but not until after I had made a thorough search did it occur to me that the articles referred to were not in my possession.



Your obedient servant SAMUEL C. MAY Sec. of State.

Hon. Addison C. Gibbs, Portland Oregon.

State of Oregon Multnomah County I, B. L. Norden, County Clerk of said county and state do hereby certify upon the instrument endorsed "Articles of Incorporation of Oregon Central Railroad Company" filed November 23, 1866, by H. C. Coulson, clerk, and upon the reverse side of said filing there appears in pen- cil these words, "October 6, 1866" erased with ink, as nearly as possible like unto the pencil entry and ink erasure on the third line above this line. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and official seal, this ninth day of January A. D. 1869. B. L. NORDEN, (L. S.) County Clerk, Multnomah Co., Oregon.