White River Agency, Colorado
August 25, 1879
Sir: Naturally, our harnesses are giving way, and must be repaired, and as we have an employee who can do the work, I ask an appropriation for this object, the items being: I saddle horse, 1 gauge-knife, 1 round ditto, 3 medium punches, 1 paper harness needles, 1 ditto awls, 2 pounds wax, 2 ditto copperas, 4 sides harness leather, 6 dozen 1 ¼ inch double buckles, 3 do. ¾ double buckles not exceeding a cost of $50. I also ask appropriation for 50 pounds of blue vitriol, needed for soaking seed wheat to prevent smut, for $5. I also ask for appropriation for two stubbles- breakers, to attach to a sulky breaker for old ground, $30. Total, $85.
I wrote that the sulky breakers have arrived; that one has been in use during the past week, plowing two acres a day, with three mules. Said breakers were billed as rigged for four mules, but they rigged for three, and we shall try to adapt them to four, so tough is the sod this amount of acres a day is nearly double what we have been able to plow with ordinary breaker and four mules, while the work is better done; the time of one man as driver is saver; so that the saving of a sulky breaker is nearly $5 a day. Now, with the stubble bottom to attach, we can prepare the 70 acres of wheat ground for next year at a saving equally great.
Respectfully,
N.C. MEEKER,
Indian Agent
HON E.A. HAYT,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
Washington, D.C.
