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Memoranda for Emigrants.

The best season for emigrants, or persons driving stock over this route, to leave the neighborhood of Fort Belknap, Texas, is about the latter part of July, or the first of August; for the reason that along the eastern line of travel through Texas, connecting with this road at El Paso, the rainy season is just ending, and water is abundant in all "jornadas," and the grass is in its most favorable condition. West of the Rio Grande, moreover, the same advantages are obtained, besides having the cool months to pass down the Gila, and from Fort Yuma to San Diego, or other parts of California over the Colorado desert.

Should it be desirable to recruit stock about the vicinity of the Mimbres river, a camp should be formed about six (6) miles above the road crossing, where wood, water and grass abound.

During the summer months, and when the Gila is low, large droves of cattle would pass more easily down the San Pedro to its mouth, and thence down the Gila, fording that river several times; wagons could not be carried over this route.

All recruiting of stock should be done along the San Pedro, and the Gila end of the route passed over rapidly; particularly with large bands of stock, as they run great risk of being scattered and lost in the wide, brushy, bottom lands.

Corn and wheat can be obtained at all points on the Rio Grande, varying in price from $1 50 to $2 50 per fanega (of 2 bushels.) It can also be obtained at Tucson, fifty miles from the crossing of the San Pedro, and at the Maricopa villages on the Gila,

Persons passing along during the dry season between Ojo la Vaca and Ojo Excavado, with a large amount of stock, should divide their herd at the crossing of Burr's cañon, nine miles from Ojo la Vaca, sending a portion up the cañon five miles to a tank in the rocks, by an old road, joining the present one, one mile beyond Ojo Excavado. The places where most particular caution in regard to Indians must be exercised are at the crossing of the Mimbres, the Piloncillo pass, and along the San Pedro river; though they are not at all troublesome if any guard whatever is maintained.

Persons going to the vicinity of Fort Buchanan take all left hand roads, beyond Croton springs; going to Tucson, from crossing of San Pedro, take left hand road, three miles from river, near spring.

N. H. HUTTON.

Table of distances and camping places on the line of El Paso and Fort Yuma wagon road.

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Mouth of Arrivaypa....

52.1

Wood and water convenient, grass poor. Wood, water, and grass convenient and abundant.

Spring water abundant; wood and grass distant.

268. 6 Wood, water, and grass abundant, and at

convenient points.

320.7 Wood, water, and grass abundant, and at convenient points.

Spring, (cottonwood)...... 15.6 336.3 Wood, water, and grass convenient, not

Spring......

0.8

Spring 34 miles from road.. 11.5

abundant or permanent.

337.1 Wood, water, and grass convenient; spring uncertain.

348. 6 Wood, water, and grass convenient; spring uncertain.

19. 2 367.8 Wood, water, and grass abundant and con

venient.

15.6 383.4 Wood, water, and grass abundant and con

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Rio Gila.....

Zaceleno camp---

Maricopa wells.----

21.0

Foot of Little Desert......

2d watering place

Oatman's flat

20.3

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abundant.

Wood, water, and grass convenient.

Do.
Do.

do.

do.

Wood, water, and grass convenient; very little grass.

5.7 535.9 Wood, water, and grass convenient; very

little grass.

553.9 Wood, water, and grass at short distanco in arroyo.

NOTE.-Along the Gila grass is scarce and scattering, and should be looked for in patches off the road, from a half to one mile.

Reports of Superintendent George L. Sites upon the Platte river, Dacota, and l'Eau qui Court wagon road, constructed under the direcrection of the Department of the Interior.

1857, 1858.

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DEAR SIR: Enclosed herewith please find my report of a reconnaissance from the Platte river to Dacota City, for the wagon road from the Platte via Omaha Reserve and Dacota City to Running Water river, accompanied by a map of the survey.

The report has been hastily prepared, entering only into such details as immediately appertain to the road, so as to enable the department to give me definite instructions for my future government.

Upon the completion of the location of the road a full and complete report will be submitted.

With the permission of the department I shall bend every energy towards a completion of the construction of the bridges by the time cold weather sets in.

When the construction of the bridges shall have commenced it would add much to the convenience of the disbursing officer to have a place of deposit established at Omaha City. This would enable the employés to obtain the constitutional currency for the checks of the superintendent. At present these checks can be disposed of to local banks, for which they can obtain only a paper currency, most of which is foreign to the territory and of very doubtful value. I would suggest that the receiver of the land office at Omaha City would be a proper person with whom to deposit the funds. I had the honor of addressing a letter to the department under date of 26th ultimo, asking for a modification of my instructions, to which I would ask, respectfully, the attention of the department.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. L. SITES, Superintendent wagon road from Platte to Running Water.

Hon. JACOB THOMPSON,

Secretary of the Interior.

DACOTA CITY, NEBRASKA TERRITORY,
July 10, 1857.

SIR: In obedience to a clause in my instructions of the 15th of May, 1857, requiring the superintendent to "report to the department from Dacota City, upon the portion examined that far" of the route for the wagon road from the Platte river via Omaha Reserve and Dacota City to the Running Water river, I have the honor to submit the following report:

My instructions ordered me to "proceed at once to the Platte river, and with your (my) engineer make preparation for a rapid reconnaissance and survey of the proposed road, with a view to ascertain the

proper location, and to determine the amount of earth work to be done, the number and character of the bridges which will be required, and the facilities for the construction of the bridges, and such other information as will advise the department of the approximate cost of the road, and enable it to furnish you (me) with definite instructions for your (my) future government.

In reference to the character of this road my instructions say: "It is presumed that Congress did not contemplate the construction of a road designed to be thoroughly graded and bridged, to be commenced with a view to future appropriations, but that a road to meet the immediate wants of the settlers in that region should at once be made from point to point; such a road as can be made throughout the entire distance for the sum appropriated for that purpose."

Under the clause last referred to I was induced to make an examination of that part of the Territory lying north of the Platte in which the settlers had located, and for whose "immediate wants" I was ordered to construct the road.

I found that the settlements in that portion of the Territory were confined, with but few exceptions, to the Missouri bottom and bench lands, the Platte valley, and upon the various streams whose waters flow into the Missouri or Platte. Upon the Missouri or Platte, they run back from the rivers respectively to a distance of about ten miles, meandering in most instances with the rivers until you approach the mouth of the Platte, when they extend to the valley of the Elkhorn, a distance of about twenty-five miles from the Missouri and about fifteen miles north of the north bend of the Platte. Upon the tributaries they are confined to the immediate valleys of the streams, running back from one to twenty miles, where they debouch from the bluffs or divides.

The timber is scarce and only found within the valleys of the Missouri and Platte, in close proximity with the water and upon the side of the bluffs next the river, and the ravines bordering upon the small streams, with here and there a few scattering groves of timber of from ten to two hundred acres. The timber in the bottoms consists of cottonwood, with some cedar, and upon the bluffs and in the ravines oak, walnut, elm, and hickory are found. The counties of Sarpy, Douglas, Washington, and Dacota, have the great body of the timber and at present contain about seven-eighths of the entire population north of the Platte. The country upon the divides between the Elkhorn and the Missouri is perfectly destitute of timber, so also is the Elkhorn valley north of Fontenelle, the county town of Dodge county.

I am also informed, by a gentleman of undoubted veracity, that there is no timber upon the small streams putting into the Elkhorn. If my information is correct, a road along this route would be impracticable, on account of the great expense that would attend the bridging of the several streams to be crossed; the timber for the construction of the bridges would have to be obtained from the Missouri.

There is another divide and which is one of the routes I have hereinafter proposed to examine on my return along which a trail is found, known as the "Poncas trail," which winds with the ridges, very meandering, and along which wagons pass in time of a flood,

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