Tyson’s first order of business upon being elected as general auditor of the CB&Q was to make a thorough examination of the company’s financial books. This volume of outgoing correspondence was written during the time when CB&Q was tightening their accounting procedures in the wake of the River Roads controversy. Most letters are to other CB&Q officials.

Private letters in this sense refer to letters that are to be opened and read only by the recipient, not by a secretary or other intermediary. The correspondence is mostly to other officials and includes some personal correspondence to relatives.