During various e-mails the past week with Kevin Righter, author of the new book recently published on the development of Pencoyd Iron Works of Philadelphia, PA, manufacturers and contractors for the Six Iron Bridges for the Beale Wagon Road, I discovered a critical timeline error I had made in the above post being replied to, as noted below:
"The American Railroad Journal (ARJ), Railroad Locomotives and Cars, Vol. 32. P. 747 (11-2-1859) provides the most succinct and complete listing of the iron bridges Beale proposed building on the Plains. The six bridges going west from Fort Smith were:"
The correct ARJ publication date is (11-19-1859). The URL for this reference is:
https://archive.org/details/5088829_32/page/n755/mode/2up
The ARJ article cited summarizes The Wanderer's observation in Letter 6 on his visit to the construction of the BWR in Indian Territory, written on Oct. 5, 1859 and published in the Philadelphia Press on Nov. 3, 1859. It was the first national publication of The Six Iron Bridges being built for the Beale Wagon Road in Indian Territory in 1859!
Now the correct timeline permits ARJ to have read The Wanderer's letter published in The Press, summarized the pertinent BWR's Iron Bridge information (of most interest to railroad companies), and published a detailed short story in their American Railroad Journal within the available 16 days.