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5

I visited and talked to the freedmen at Camel's Creek, and got a subscription of $75. towards the house; also at Tinkersville, & got $110; also Oakes Furnace or Brooks Hollow, & got $107.

I now made an appointment to meet the Board, but they failed to meet me. I saw them individually, presented the matter anew, and at length met them officially, and offered $200 from the Bureau towards each of the three houses proposed, as well as the subscriptions named above, which they considered [[strikethrough]] good [[/strikethrough]] reliable. They at once objected to the plan of the Bureau; said each house would cost $1000; they had no money to build this year; they could hire or rent for the present; log houses were good enough; they must provide for the white children first; they could not provide for both at once, their taxes were now more than they could bear; they would provide two houses some other time - next year, perhaps - they would not issue any more bonds.

I offered the $275 towards the house at Camel's Creek which might be built for $500. They thought a log house might be put up for $275, & that was good enough. At Tinkersville, they thought no house was needed. I explained to them the importance