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I 
No. 18. 
SISITON AND WAIIPETON ESTABLISHMENT, 
September 20, 1856. 
SIR: Having failed in obtaining the irons for our mills last fall, it 
was late this spring before any further progress could be made in 
them. They are now in operation, but the water in the Yellow Med- 
icine river is so low at this period of the year that the saw mill cannot
accomplish a great amount of work. With the attendance of one 
man as sawyer we make an average of 1,000 feet in light wood, and 
750 feet in white oak during the day of 10 hours. I should work 
during the night also, but the water in the dam becomes too low at 
the close of the 10 hours to make it profitable. The contractors broke 
about 360 acres of land at Lac qui Parle and Yellow Medicine. The 
teams with which you supplied me this spring have broken 300 acres 
above Lac qui Parle in the neighborhood of Big Stone lake and Lac 
Travers, and also 75 acres at Yellow Medicine. I have also broken 
near here about 70 acres of bottom land, and a field of 4 acres for an 
Indian who wishes to make a separate farm. 
Acres. 
There are, therefore, now under plough for the Sisiton and 
Wahpeton at Big Stone lake and Lac Travers, in 8 different 
parcels                                              -   300 
At Lac qui Parle     -                          -      -    70 
Opposite the mouth of Mya Waken, in 4 parcels    -     -   250 
Near Can Mya Sica                    -          -      -   40 
At Mahpuja, Wicasta's village                   -      -    48 
At the upper Yellow Medicine, in 3 parcels  -    -     -   112 
At Iagmani's village, in 2 pieces               -      -   130 
In fields for separate Indian farms of about 3 acres each  -  27 
A t  th is  p la ce  -       .....-35 
Making in all--                                           1012 
All the Indians, but particularly those near here, have raised suffi- 
cient corn to subsist them during the winter. Iagmani's band had 
over 40 acres in potatoes, which are yielding a fair average crop of ex-
cellent quality. The majority of them have corn and potatoes to sell, 
after retaining a proper supply for food and seed. I have prepared 
upwards of 250 tons of hay for the support of the 28 head of cattle 
and 4 horses in my charge. Have a sufficient supply of logs to keep 
the saw mill going until winter, and have erected one house, 30 by 20, 
for the use of the physician; also a carpenter's shop, which will be 
finished before winter, and shall have a large stable finished be- 
fore winter, and shall have a large stable and cattle shed also ready 
for winter use, with as many other buildings for the convenience of 
the establishment as our supply of lumber will enable us to erect. 
The Indians are cutting saw logs to be sawed on shares to enable 
them to finish the log houses they have erected for themselves. 
The 20 bushels of wheat sown this spring have yielded well, but 
w 
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SIOUX OF THE MISSISSIPPI*