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schools, and that the Bureau would assist them to the extent of $8~ pr month for rent - which they could use to pay the teacher, if they could get a building free of rent, which they said they could do, And that after the crops were laid by, they intended to set up schools, if they could find teachers, which was very difficult to do, I also instructed the Colored people, that in case the White people interfered with their schools or prevented them from establishing schools in any way to write to this officer or to the Superintendent of Education Rev. F. A. [[Firke?]] and the matter would be attended to, and the persons so engaged would be tried by a Mil. Court, I also informed the White people that such would be the consequences if they attempted to break up the schools of the Colored people, I have no doubt after the Crops are laid by - and with the assistance of the Bureau, that two or three schools can be carried on in Gaston County, with from thirty to fifty Schollars each, without any trouble to speak of and that the trouble that Miss Clark met with in obtaining land was the result unfortunately of her own imprudence whereby she lost the respect of bothe the Whites and Blacks
I am Lieutenant
Very Respectfully,
Your Obdt Servt,
William Birnie
Agent Bur. R. F & A. L.

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73 Office Bu. R. F +A. Lands
Lincolnton N.C June 15th 1868,
[[left margin]] Geddes [[/left margin]] Lt Andrew A. A. A. G.
Hd Qt Bu R. F & A. L
Raleigh N,C
Lieutenant,
I have the honor to state that Mr Edmund Wilkes living near Iron Station seven Miles from this place, made application at this Office to day for forty or fifty hands to cut wood for him, and give them unemployment for future months on the following terms, Viz, he will pay thirty five (35) cents a cord for every cord cut and corded up, paid for when twenty five (25) cords are cut, and will furnish them with rations at the market price Or he will pay $10- pr month and rations to each hand who will cut forty (40) cords a month And if they cut over that amount he will pay them thirty five (35) cents a cord for all over forty (40) cords, payments to be made promptly. Mr Wilke states that some of the men cut five (5) cords a day, he has three furnaces and is doing quite an extensive business, and I believe him entirely reliable in his business transactions. He is well known in this part of the State, and was at one time Superintendent of the North Carolina Rail Road, His partner who is the [[?]] of the Company, resides in New York. If the Offices and Agents of the Bureau were aware of this demand for labor they might be the means of putting the Freedman out of employment in a way to obtain the same, The climate in this part of the State is

Transcription Notes:
Iron Station is still near Lincolnton, NC