Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/28

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18 R. A. BOOTH gon at the time of which we write distinct in products, mar- kets and to an extent in the character of the inhabitants. Into the Willamette section Mr. Wilbur came early, did his work as a minister and builder of schools and met with abun- dant success as measured by the time. He thus ended the first chapter of his western work. Now, as above recited, he belongs to the southern valleys totally different, devoted to a similar work and with like success writes well the second and last chapter of his Oregon work. In 1860, he was appointed to work in Washington among the Indians. To return to the academic work, in the building just being completed : The curriculum became at once more pretentious, the faculty enlarged and the work intensified. Some advertising was being done, mostly though by traveling agents, who were looking for students and soliciting funds to further develop the work and sustain that begun. Prof. Ebenezer Arnold was the first principal in the new building, covering the year 1858-9. He was assisted by Mrs. Mary A. Merchant, preceptress and teacher of preparatory de- partment; Mrs. Lucretia G. Arnold, physiology and assistant to the principal ; Mrs. Isaac Dillon, French ; Mrs. E. A. Lathrop and Miss Ann Augusta West, assistants. The closing of the school year was made to correspond with the conference year. The work, so the record says, was much interfered with because of incompleted state of the building, and the "continual noise and dust from jointer work and shav- ings were constant annoyances." There were "no stoves during the first third of the year, and there was suffering from cold." The record speaks of Prof. Arnold's physical infirmities, the fact that he did much more work than intended and was com- pelled to resign to conserve his health. There were 46 students "subscribing to the rules and scarcely one of them who did not become prominent in Oregon." Rev. Isaac Dillon was the second principal. He was later editor of the Pacific Christian Advocate and a well-known member of the Oregon conference. His assistants were his