Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/253

 CORRESPONDENCE 241 I shall leave for Washington Ter., especially that part bordering upon Puget Sound, in a few days. The tour will occupy six or eight weeks. I regret that I could not have delayed this tour till next summer as Sept. is the month in which the yearly meetings of the churches are mostly appointed, except those that are deferred till spring. My presence would contribute somewhat to the furtherance of the cause of Christ as it relates to the interests of Home Missions, our school, and the revival of religion in the churches, but God is not limited and I withheld my name from attending those meetings in reference to the above-named tour, knowing that our rainy seasons commence sometime in October and a delay from that tour till after these meetings would throw me in heavy rains and open boats in a new and sparsely settled country, with nothing but natural roads and subject to the necessity of camp- ing out some of the nights. My personal attention is much needed in this vicinity with the churches to raise some funds for the school building while the hearts of the brethren are opened by the spirit of the Most High to Christian enterprise. But I can only do what I can and leave the event with Him who sympathizes with all our desires to see His cause advanced in the midst of error, where all our organizations are new and feeble. Yet I often, nay daily, cry to Him for more laborers who can give themselves to the ministry of the Word, in the most liberal sense, to every good work. In this I must not fail to re- quest the Board to appoint Rev. Jas. S. Read their missionary to Table Rock Church and town, more generally known by the name of Jacksonville, the seat of justice for [Jackson] County, lying in Rogue River Valley. This valley contains about the amount of six townships of farming prairie land, about half of which is exceedingly rich and fertile; the remainder is com- paratively unfit for cultivation. Portions of the hill and mountain sides afford good grazing six or eight months in the year, while other portions are sterile, except that here and there a solitary, long-leafed pine towers above a scattered growth of chaparral and manzanita, sure index of desert land. But through all these mountains are deposited by the Master