Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/125

THE PIONEERS HAVE MUCH TO SAY

Mrs. Elizabeth Dixon Smith Geer kept a diary at the close of each day on her western journey, "after all her eight children were asleep." She copied it in letter form after reaching Oregon, and sent it to friends in Indiana, with the following explanation of the circumstances under which it was written: "I have endeavored to keep a record of our journey from 'the States' to Oregon, though it is poorly done, owing to my having a young babe and besides a large family to do for; and, worst of all, my education is very limited."

Portland, January 31, 1848.

Rain all day. If I could tell you how we suffer you would not believe it. Our house or rather a shed joined to a house, leaks all over. The roof descends in such a manner as to make the rain run right down into the fire. I have dipped as much as six pails of water off of our dirt hearth in one night. Here I sit up, night after night, with my poor sick husband, all alone, and expecting him every day to die...have not undressed to lie down for six weeks. Besides all our sickness, I had a cross little babe to take care of. Indeed, I cannot tell you half.

Celinda E. Hines was the niece of Gustavus Hines, with whom she made the trip in 1853, accompanied also by Lucy Anna, daughter of Jason Lee. Much of her manuscript was destroyed by fire.

September 20, 1853.

The men had engaged a barge to take us to the Cascades and we put our things on board and went on ourselves, but it began to leak and we were obliged to get off and also to remove our baggage. Dr. Newell told us if we would leave the baggage until the next day and go down on the steam-