CORRESPONDENCE 313
above named object. We want no old, useless books shipped. Send us standard works of the most approved authors, if you would aid us in giving a sound political, moral and re- ligious character to Oregon. 23000 miles is too far to ship trash for a literary institution and, I trust, theological school for the Baptists in Oregon.
We intend to raise $5000 or more for this work in Ore- gon the present season. We have an agent appointed for two months and he will work in the best part of the season. I this day introduced the subject to a friend of mine. He assured me that he would give us $500 when we got ready to circulate our subscription and would also deed us a lot in Lancaster, a town just springing into existence on Baker's bay on the north side of the mouth of the Columbia, which he said was worth $500 more. Surely, thought I, the Lord intends to bless our feeble efforts. We feel that we are placed by providence now where we cannot leave the work and we see no other way but that I must stand in this moral Ther- mopylae until you can send us aid. We have reason to expect my health must gradually decline under the labor of teaching, and preaching every Sabbath. Yet such is the great destitu- tion in our whole territory that we feel that it is sinful for me to think of leaving the appropriate duties of the ministry. There are times in the history of men's lives in which all the energies of the man are called for. This at present is our condition in Oregon. This is the time when the demand for preparatory work is great, very great. There is scarcely a rising town in Oregon where church property and educa- tional property would not be donated to the denomination, if we had a few more men in the ministry, or, what would be still better, a few more wise, active laymen to secure such valuable property.
We hope the brother you appointed for Oregon last Nov. is on his way with one or two more fellow laborers. We would name Fort Vancouver as a commanding point which should
