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river on a point which will have a commanding view of the river below and a portion of the city as soon as the timber is removed. We have provided for forty acres of land. 1 * 1 I suppose Br. Johnson has given you the particulars. I there- fore will leave this subject for the present.
I have rather a promising school.* 93 How long it may re- main so is with the All Wise to disclose. We shall much need classical books, such as are in use in our best schools in the States, among which we must have a few Latin and Greek grammars, lexicons and such preparatory books as are required in fitting for college in the old States. Also Roman and Greek antiquities and classical dictionaries. We hope to make arrangements as soon as we can to order such books as we shall need. But should you find any liberal friend of education in Oregon, I hope you will do something for us by way of securing a few books of the above descrip- tion.
We intend to make vigorous efforts the coming summer to erect a good wooden school house, perhaps with two apart- ments and a boarding house, notwithstanding the enormous price of lumber and all building materials and labor. Lum- ber is now worth $100 per thousand feet; carpenter's labor is worth from $8 to $12 per day. Flour is worth $25 per barrel, potatoes $4 per bushel and all other provisions pro- portionately high. You will readily see that all our expenses must be very high, and there is no immediate prospect of their becoming lower. All kinds of labor are richly reward- ed except that of preachers and teachers.
191 This was on the Ezra Fisher Donation Land Cliim, which adjoins on the east the town site of Oregon City. The author, Rev. H. Johnson and J. Jeffers bought the right to this tract of over 600 acres, and the author obtained a patent to it from the government. See his letters of March 20, 1850, and Nov. 12, 1850. The purchasers agreed to give the college a tract, and fifty-one acres were later deeded to the trustees of Oregon City University, under which name the institu- tion was chartered. Some of the timber on the claim was very large. One red fir measured 300 feet in height.
The view mentioned included the Willamette River and three snow-capped peaks St. Helens, Adams and Hood.
192 A niece of Hezekiah Johnson had taught a private school in the church building for several months, sometime previous to this. Besides the author s school there were at this time only three other schools in the town two under Roman Catholic auspices, and a private school for girls under Mr. N. M. Thornton. St letur of Fb. 8th of this year.
