Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/618

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a fault, devoting every energy of his mind and body to the welfare of the Indians, and objects of the mission; seldom manifesting fears of any danger that might surround him, at times he would become animated and earnest in his argument or conversation. In his profession he was a bold practitioner, and generally successful. He was above medium height; of spare habit; peculiar hair, a portion of each being white and a dark brown, so that it might be called iron- gray; deep blue eyes and large mouth.

Mrs. Whitman, formerly Miss Narcissa Prentiss, of Prattsburg, Steuben County, New York, was a lady of re fined feelings and commanding appearance. She had very light hair, light, fresh complexion, and light blue eyes. Her features were large, her form full and round. At the time she arrived in the country, in the prime of life, she was considered a fine, noble-looking woman, affable and free to converse with all she met. Her conversation was animated and cheerful. Firmness in her was natural, and to some, especially to the Indians, it was repulsive. She had been brought up in comparative comfort, and moved in the best of religious society in the place of her residence. She was a good singer, and one of her amusements, as well as that of her traveling companions, was to teach the Doctor to sing, which she did with considerable success, — that i s , he could sing the native songs without much difficulty.

11 EDWIN VINCENT O'HARA

Brilliant, of wide social vision and with an attractive personality, Edwin Vincent O'Hara made thousands of friends among people outside his own faith while serving for 25 years as a priest in Port land and at Eugene. He was born on September 6 , 1881, near Lanes- boro, Minnesota, receiving his education in the high school of that town, in St. Thomas College and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, and in the Catholic University of America i n Washington. In 1917 the University of Notre Dame conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1905, serving for the next 16 years as assistant and as rector of St. Mary's Cathedral