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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Joshua Sharpless diaries, Vol. 1 1798

Page out of 92

Shortly after these observations they addressed us
to the following effect.

Brothers,
We will say a few words to you about the
Blacksmith, which is come from Philada to in-
struct us in the trade, You know we dont govern
our young Men If they arnt willing to come, we
cant force them, but we want to know how he in-
tends to work; whether for the Indians in common
or whether he will do so much a day, & give it into
the hands of the Chiefs to be divided amongst the
people, adding that if he worked for the indians
in general; it would be too hard for him for they
would be always plaguing him.

To this we replied, That the design of our friend
in coming here was to instruct their young Men
& shew them how to do their work & not to do it all
himself, and tho’ we did not wish them to force
their young Men yet if they could not be prevail’d
upon to come forward in the way proposed, our
friends prospect would not be answer’d and he
would therefore be likely to make but a short
stay with them, but as to the manner of working
our