334 REVEREND EZRA FISHER
of the ministry, so far as I could in connection with my varied and urgent duties with our school, preached 20 sermons, de- livered twelve lectures to our Sabbath school and Bible classes, attended 14 prayer and church meetings, visited religiously 15 families and other persons, weekly recommend the cause of Christ to my school, visited no common school, baptized none, obtained no signatures to the temperance pledge direct; no church organized, attended no ordination; traveled to and from my appointments 20 miles; no persons have been received by letter or experience; no hopeful con- versions; no young men preparing for the ministry; monthly concert not observed as yet. My people have paid during the quarter nothing for any missionary or benevolent society; I have received ten dollars for my salary; our people have paid $150 to ceil our meeting house, which is still our school room. Connected with the churches to which I preach are two Sabbath schools, one in this place under my charge having five teachers and 25 scholars, with a library of about 150 volumes; the other is a mixed school, about ten of the children from Baptist families and one or two of the teachers.
N. B. I have not reported the number of the members received to the church in this place as Br. Johnson acts as moderator, is present at all our church meetings and has undoubtedly reported them. They shouldn't be reported twice. I have reported the state of our Sabbath school be- cause this work rests on me. While I am necessarily em- ployed as teacher and have the care of the school on my hands, I must confine my labors to this place and vicinity. I preach one Sabbath in four at Milwaukie where our pros- pects are flattering for building up a good church in the course of the coming year. We contemplate commencing our labors in Portland, a commercial town of 800 or 1000 souls, twelve miles below this, in a few months. Till Brother Chandler arrives it seems indispensable that Brother Johnson and myself make this place our residence. The cause of temperance is at this time on the ascendant in our city. We
