CORRESPONDENCE 281
flour and $6 for beef, and on our arrival in the Plains we found flour worth from $4 to $5, and beef $6 and pork $10, fresh ; sale shoes, coarse, $3 per pair and custom work $6 ; axes, $4 each ; nails 16c per pound; coffee 33*/2C per pound; common calico from 25c to 62 ^2 c per yard ; a common cast bake kettle, with a lid, from $3 to $6, when to be had at any price, and most of our wearing apparel is somewhat in the same proportion; school books cannot be had at any price. 94 Now, could our able brethren and pious too, see and feel as we do the great reluct- ance with which we must leave the work in part to serve the present urgent wants of our families (and these wants must be still more urgent before we can get any remittances from your Board) would they not esteem it a pleasure to make up a box of common clothing or clothes laid by in their families which will cover nakedness and render the appearance of our children in the house of worship decent in Oregon? We are sure we do not covet the softest raiment for ourselves or families, but we do greatly desire to be able to give ourselves wholly to the work, and something in this way might lighten the expense of our support and add greatly to our usefulness. The subject of education, too, allow me to say, rests with great weight on my mind. Judging charitably, with all the laudable efforts of our citizens, it is beyond their power to do much by way of educating their children while they have so much to provide for present animal wants, and are placed beyond the reach of books. Besides this, the greatest efforts made, are those by Romans 95 and the Methodists. Now could we obtain a few school books so as to enable us to operate a common school, they would be of great service. I hope to be able to organize two or three churches, by the aid of Br. Snelling, and to explore generally the settlements above and
94 The first school books to be brought into Oregon in any quantity were by Dr. G. H. Atkinson in 1848. Geo. H. Himes.
95 A Catholic school for boys, "St Joseph's College," was opened in 1843 at St. Paul, on French Prairie. The Sisters of Notre Dame opened a school for girls on French Prairie in 1844 and in Oregon City in 1848. E. V. O'Hara, Pioneer Catholic History of Oregon, pp. 123-125.
The boys' school at St. Paul's was closed in 1849, the girls' school in 1852, and the school at Oregon City in 1853. Ibid. pp. 129, 130.
The Methodist "Oregon Institute" (the precursor of Willamette University) was organized in 1842. Bancroft, Hist, of Ore. 1 1201, 203.
