Moberly, "History of Cariboo Wagon Road", continued
(Part 4 of 13)

At this time I met Mr. Charles Oppenheimer, who was at that time at the head of the great mercantile firm of Oppenheimer Bros., having their establishments at Yale and Lytton, where they carried on a very large and lucrative business. Mr. Oppenheimer and a friend of his, Mr. T B. Lewis, proposed to join with me in obtaining a charter for the building of this wagon road, provided we could obtain the right to collect very remunerative tolls for a series of years and a large money subsidy from the government to assist in defraying the cost of its construction. We therefore entered into an agreement for that purpose under the firm name of Oppenheimer, Moberly & Lewis, and Mr. Oppenheimer withdrew from his firm in order to devote his whole attention to the work we proposed to undertake, and shortly afterwards, on the governor's granting us the charter, which empowered us to collect very remunerative tolls and also to be paid a large cash subsidy as the work of construction progressed, we proceeded to the mainland to commence the work. Governor Douglas at this time fully expected to obtain a large loan from the Imperial Government, for which he had applied.

The manner in which the different sections of this road was to be constructed were as follows:

Captain G.M. Grant, with a force of sappers and miners, together with a large force of civilian labor, was to construct the section extending from Yale to Chapman's Bar.

The late Sir Joseph Wm. Trutch was, by contract, to construct the section from Chapman's Bar to Boston Bar.

The late Mr. Thomas Spence was to construct the section from Boston Bar to Lytton.

The firm of Oppenheimer, Moberly & Lewis was to construct the section from Lytton until the road formed a junction with the wagon road to be built by Mr. G.B. Wright from Lytton to Fort Alexandria.

My department in this undertaking was to locate the road and supervise its construction. Mr. Lewis was to keep the books and accounts, and Mr. Oppenheimer was to look after the purchasing and forwarding of the supplies and the finances.