1871-1872 keeper selection and LH building Vol. 336

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1871-1872 keeper selection and LH building Vol. 336

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51
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Thirteenth District Portland, Oregon May 7th 1873

Chairman Light House Board, Washington, DC

Sir: There will probably be a small surplus of the Cape Foulweather appropriation, not to exceed one thousand dollars. ??? the completion of the work. I would respectfully ask if I can use it - the entire balance - in the purchase of material for repairs made at other Light Houses, & also whether the funds are available after June 30th. Every Light House on the Sound except New Dungenness, is in need of repairs, some of them very badly, & if allowed this balance could thus be saved from reverting to the Treasury.

Very respectfully Your obedient servant Henry M. Robert Maj Engr & LHouse 13th Dist

Last edit over 6 years ago by edleectc
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Office of the Light House Engineer Thirteenth District

Portland, Oregon May 8", 1873

Chairman Light House Board Washington, D. C.

Sir: I have the honor to make the following Report of Operations for the Month of April 1873. Cape Foulweather Lt Station. Suspended work waiting for missing parts of lantern. Oversee taking care of materials, & Lt. Ho. Probable Operations in May. Commence putting up Lantern & Lens. Yaquina Lt Station, Ogn. Probable Operations in April. Have resurveyed. New Dungerness Lt Station, W. T. Completed painting of all new work, including roofs. Staked the Fence. Fitted galvanized iron eave-troughs on Store room. Put pumps & Boat carriage into order - Replaced 60 ft of Boat Ways. Completed supply pipes of Cisterns. Probable Work in May Tend iron ladder, & fire rod around the cornice The cowl of lantern to secure ladder from slipping. Inspected various points in Puget Sound with reference to the location of new Lt Houses.

Very Respectfully Your obedient servant Henry M Robert Maj. of Eng'rs & L.H. Eng'r Thirteenth District

Last edit over 5 years ago by jaykwood
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Office of the Light House Engineer Thirteenth District

Portland, Oregon May 9th, 1873

Chairman Light House Board Washington, D. C.

Sir: I would respectfully submit the following with respect to wages of overseers in this district, as in the letter from the Board of Feb 12th the position is taken that they ought to be obtained for from $125. to $150. per month. When I was assigned to this District & commenced work at Yaquina I paid the same as Col. Williamson had been paying & when it became necessary to change to $175. coin to its equivalent, at that time $195. Legal tenders, it was authorized by the Board. At the present rate the $195. currency is equivalent to $168. coin. These wages seem very high & I have wished to reduce them but until the Foulweather Light was completed I did not think it safe to make the attempt, only reducing the overseer's wage in the winter & when only one or two men could be ???played to $100. per month

Last edit over 5 years ago by jaykwood
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??? attempting to get foremen since for small jobs, I was unwilling to pay such prices & consequently could get the very best men, such men being pretty scarce in a small place of only twelve thousand inhabitants & not wishing to interfere with their regular business. A man that would do well in an ordinary civilized place, is frequently a perfect failure in a county like this. Mr Kirk who was the foreman at New Dungenness was said to be a good man & yet I could have scarcely gotten a poorer one. He seemed to be utterly demoralized. Mr Le Sound proved unequal to the position of Supt of Repairs & yet left if for a better position & salary. Some of them are afraid of travelling in Indian Canoes & most of them are not men of sufficient character to be masters of the situation. I have had one exception, Mr Harm whom I got for building the Oil House at Cape Disappointment during the winter when there was no work in town. He was willing to ???(?work) for $7. per day from the time he left Portland till he ??? (?left) town omitting Sunday or $182. per month.

Last edit over 5 years ago by jaykwood
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My clerk had inspected New Dungenness and found the condition the foreman had left it in. Mr. Harm was sent up immediately & he fixed it all right. But he would not have gone could not have finished it in time to be back when the season opened & then when paid he said he would not go again for such wages (182. per month) as he lost at least one dollar per day. My own opinion is that competent men to superintend repairs or short jobs for less then $200. per month cannot be obtained - but now other Sup't of Repairs can attend to such cases. For regular Light Houses the very lowest figure that I can feel certain of getting an overseer for is $180. per month, though if they were employed through the winter ???(?months) they could be obtained at $150. per month. I would respectfully ask for information for this subject as it would make a material difference in my work this summer.

Very respectfully Your obedient servant Henry M Robert Maj. of Eng'rs & L.H. Eng's, Thirteenth District

Last edit over 5 years ago by jaykwood
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