November 20, 1890, the writer was ordered to proceed to the ruin and
inaugurate the work of repair, following, so far as practicable, the
plans already approved. He left Washington soon afterward and reached
the ruin late in December. It was found necessary to make a detailed
survey of the ruin and of the group of which it forms a part, and to
make plans and sections showing the probable amount of excavation for
the use of those who were invited to bid on the work. Furthermore, the
amount appropriated was so well known to be inadequate that great
difficulty was experienced in obtaining bids, and it was only through
the efficient cooperation of the Reverend I. T. Whittemore at Florence
and of Mr C. A. Garlick at Phoenix that success was finally achieved.
Two bids were received from the former place and one from the latter;
but this was not accomplished until March 17, 1891, the date when the
last bid was received. In the meantime the writer, having completed his
work at Casa Grande, so far as he could, had entered, in January, on an
archeologic investigation of the valley of the Rio Verde, in compliance
with his orders to that effect.

It was found impossible to execute all the work deemed requisite for the
preservation of the ruin within the limits of the appropriation. A
selection of items became necessary, therefore, and those which were of
most importance were chosen. Even in this, however, it was found that a
maximum limit on the amount of work to be done on each item must be set,
and this limit was considerably below the amount of work estimated to be
necessary.

The first thing to be done was, of course, the clearing out of the
rubbish and debris. The item next in importance was the underpinning of
the walls with brick wherever it was needed. The third item was the