54 OMAHA AND PONKA LETTERS. 
occasion When you can make an attempt. We send some names to vou: 
all of us petition you. L wish to work diligently in this land of ours, 
but it all depends upon your success. If I can soon get possession of 
a good title to this land, then, and only then, can I expect to improve. 
God is looking at you as you go about this undertaking, and he 
loves you. We Indians, too, love you. It is because you desire good 
things for us, and you wish us to live. I hope that the people whom 
you have told about us may not give me any bad message at all. I say 
that as a petition to them. 
FRED. MERRICK, AN OMAHA, TO GEORGE W. CLOTHER, COLUMBUS, 
NEBR. DECEMBER 17, 1879. 
A™ baté, kagéha, wawidaxu. Maja” edja eupt ‘Ade 
’ g ) J | 
To-day, O friend, I write to you Land youder Treach I prom- 
about various you ised 
things 
te¢a” cupi-maji ti minke. Qaja wijiga® aké, Mixd-t‘a’, 
in the IT will not reach you. Though = my grand- the Mi" xat‘a" 
past father sub., 
w, , Fd , , / w , 
eugé taté ha, waha diiba éskana udiketta” yi, ¢a‘t kat- 
he shall go to z hides some ol that you aequire if, you af 
you gave 
10 him 
, / , UE A 4 , . ° 
b¢éga” é cud¢é ta ¢inke, a” patha. Wa‘t na™biqti wakégai 
hope that =the one who will go © ik hide. Woman first two are sick 
to you, 
Y , , , / ~ : *n/ 
ha, ada® cub¢é béifa. Ca” kagéha, uq¢é’qtci waqi™ha and‘a™ 
there- [goto I fail. And O triend, very soon paper I hear it 
fore you 
7 , , YW , e ~ haté e 
ka"b¢éga". And‘a® tédihi yi, cu¢é éka"b¢a. Wicti ka b¢a 
T hope. I hear it by the time that, to go I wish for I too desire 
to you him, 
, o , *n/ , , Tee , oS 3 
waha té, wé¢i?wi" té adi” ci¢edki¢e ti minke edabe. Wagixe 
hides — the means of the I wiil cause him to take it to you also. Debt 
ob., buying ob. 
iP, . . , . *H/ 2 =. , - 
éwib¢i" masaniha agi” eti¢edki¢e t& minke edibe. Waha té 
Lhave for fifty cents I will canse him to take it to you also. Hides the 
you 
timaka i"¢éckaxe ke "b¢éga". Cé nikaci’’ga d‘ttba cu¢ai. Hfa™ 
cheap you make for I hope. That person some have gone How 
we to you. 
| 2 vy , / e , v , , ; , 
we¢éckaxe té and‘a" ka™b¢a hi. Waha té nize ai, and‘a® 
youdo forthem the — I hear it I wish : Hides the you they Ihave 
ob. have say, heard it 
received 
mya, watt na™bagti wakéeai cea", cub¢d-maji ta minke. 
though, woman just two are Bick as, I will not go to you. 
TRANSLATION. 
My friend, I write to you about various things to-day. I promised 
to visit you in your country, but (now I find that) I can not get to see 
