Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/155

 CORRESPONDENCE 143 the school, and, while in that relation, I always carried our building subscription paper in my pocket and, whenever I found a friend of education, I introduced our building enter- prise and solicited his aid. Thus I have secured many sub- scriptions in various parts of Oregon. Numbers of these were unpaid when I entered upon the work of exploring agent. At that time we had about $4000 invested in the house. The house was enclosed, except the doors and wir- dows not one of them made. Our lumber was on hand for flooring and ceiling in part. Our school was still in a snail Baptist meeting house, thus rendering the house unfit for a place of worship. Br. Johnson was sick, Br. Chandler confined to the school and no man to engage in collecting funds; all said that I could do something without interfering with my official duties and I must do what I could or the work would stop and we as a denomination would suffer public reproach. With all these difficulties to meet, what could I do in the fear of God other than to pursue the work by littles, without interfering with the appropriate duties of my mission? I know it is not my business to over-reach the instructions, when I have sold my time, unless I am per- mitted to exercise some discretionary power. Yet it is my de- liberate conviction that the cause of Home Missions has been aided indirectly instead of retarded in the work I have per- formed for the school. I have sought my time when traveling on steamers, or spending the night with friends, to introduce this subject as incidental business, thus adding variety and giv- ing importance to my work rather than seriously impeding it. I have informed you in another letter that by far the greater part of the funds collected for the school building has been from men not directly members of Baptist churches, whose sympathies have been enlisted for the Baptists somewhat in proportion as they find them engaged in promoting the great interests of humanity. I have not entered upon this work from pecuniary considerations, nor from any inclination to covet the thankless drudgery of begging as some are pleased