White River Agency, Colorado.
May 19, 1879.
Sir: I find it necessary to ask you to consolidate the two funds of $2,000 and $1,000 granted respectively July 6, 1878 (F. Colo., M., 1080; J., 1133, ’78), and August 8 (Colo. M., 1219; J., 1370, ’78), inasmuch as I see, on close rendering of letters August 8, some of the expenditures made and charged to the $1,000 do not strictly apply. That is to say while the $1,000 was to be devoted to “purchasing such lumber and other necessary materials as will be required in the construction of buildings at your agency, a good part of this fund was devoted to making a road to the pinery, to cutting saw-logs by a party during the winter, and to the building of a boom for holding to the logs, constructed of timbers bolted and chained together and held by a crib and strong cables; for, having authority, July 6, to remove the saw-mill, all this work was necessary to utilize it, and I know it was cheaper to make our own lumber than to buy it. The point is that I have used a part of the $1,000 toward getting lumber sawed in our own mill, instead of buying it at Chicago, and it is this technical diversion which I ask you to authorize by consolidating the two funds.
Besides, the two letters, July 6 and August 8, authorize expenditures for common objects, properly chargeable to either fund, and as they have inevitably run together and lapped over, I hope you will consolidate the two funds into one fund of $3,000, devoted to the objects collectively enumerated.
This total amount of $3,000 is now nearly exhausted, and of this, $2,356.85 has been paid for labor authorized by you.
Respectfully,
N. C. MEEKER
Indian Agent
HON. E.A. HAYT
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
White River Agency, Colorado.
May 26, 1879.
Sir: Our planting is nearly completed. There are 14 or 20 Indians who have crops, and they have a total of about 25 acres, mostly sod last year of timbered land. Jack, the chief, opposed to Douglas, has, with three others, fenced and old breaking 10 miles from Powell, and planted the whole, about 7 acres. Thus we have the two rival chiefs striving to outdo each other in farming. The great body of Indians are off on the summer hunt, which is well enough, for I am in no condition to set more at work.
The greatest obstacle now presented to making further progress is the want of horses for the Indians; for unless I can get them placed in permanent homes where they can have conveniences, and accumulate things they value and will take care of, they will be ready to go back and lose all, any day or hour. Beside, they want some furniture, and in particular cooking-stoves, and wagons and harness.
I have asked for a continuance of the force of six additional men, and hope it may be granted, because I sadly need them to carry on the work begun, of getting new land in cultivation, so that more Indians can have land next spring, and of building adobe houses for the Indians, which they are talking about all the time. I can make little or no headway without this addition, because all the regular employees will be needed in the ordinary work and ditches and in arranging and completing what has been entered upon in a new locality.
I am advised the sufficient harness and plows have been purchased, and also three wagons. These will help greatly, but I ought to have at least three more wagons this season.
N. C. MEEKER
Indian Agent
HON. E.A. HAYT, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
