White River Agency, Colorado.
April 14, 1879
Sir: I apprehend that in my accounts of last fall, and perhaps of this spring, a discrepancy will be found, indicating an excess of some supplies issued considering the number of Indians reported. If such excess should appear, it will arise from issuing the same to Indians who are at work, and the authority was assumed from the closing paragraph circular No. 12, as follows: “Indians will be employed for all temporary labor whenever practicable, and at a compensation not exceeding $15 a month, in cash, and full rations of subsistence or its equivalent.” Hence, sometimes they had less flour and generally less beef than they are entitled to, and more coffee, sugar, and baking powder. The working Indians have two boarding houses, and the rations are issued in bulk to the Indian families that cook for them, and I have given in addition some potatoes and dried apples belonging to the school.
Inasmuch as the cooking is done outdoors, without stoves and with few cooking utensils, the food does not go as far as it would if there were only common conveniences; but they get along tolerably well, for I help them what I can, and encouraging them with the hope of houses, stoves, and furniture in the future. Next year, or at the close of this, I hope to have plenty of vegetables and of their own growing.
The work they are performing is naturally laborious, and I wish I had a greater variety of food, for I know it will greatly increase their willingness to labor.
Respectfully,
N. C. MEEKER,
Indian Agent
HON. E.A. HAYT,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
White River Agency, Colorado
April 14, 1878.
Sir: In response to your
circular No. 29, requesting me to furnish you a list of the employees required for the coming year, I would say; That in addition to the regular force of teachers, carpenter, blacksmith, farmer, engineer, sawyer and herder — seven — I shall require the six additional men you have hitherto allowed.
The situation is as follows: Rations are issued at the old location, where the carpenter puts up rations and keeps the accounts, and the teacher cares for the children and gives out medicine. I myself spend five days in the week at the new location, where all the rest of the employees are at work and also fifteen or twenty Indians. We are half moved; everything is now; we are breaking raw land and fencing it, making lateral courses for irrigation, trying to build Indian houses; in short, going through a vast sight of pioneer work.
The cattle, numbering over 1,500 head, are pushed out by the many bands of horses from the central range, so as to form a vast circumference, as I have previously stated to you, requiring a great deal of work on the part of the herders and employees, particularly for “rounding up” to butcher, and important work presses forward every hour. The Indians at work require constant superintendence, for, having only commenced, they do not know how to work alone, and thus we have need, and great need, for the men I ask for. In addition, I want to break several hundred acres of sod this spring and summer, which Indians cannot possibly do; and this must be done and the ground fenced that these Indians may have land they can till next year. If I had proper land this spring, with farm implements, the Indians would put in several hundred acres in crops; but I have it not, and they tale all there is available, about fifty acres. I tried hard last summer to get ground broken and was only able to plow in the fall, so that now the sod is but partly rotted and the ground will be hard to cultivate, particularly by Indians, who should have nice mellow land. This mellow land is precisely what I am striving for, and when it is got white labor can be largely dispensed with.
Respectfully,
N. C. MEEKER
Indian Agent
HON. E.A. HAYT, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
