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174 SAMUEL ROYAL THURSTON

called on General Rusk of Texas to get him as one of the Comt. on Indian Affairs to aid in forwarding the bill for the extinguishment of Indian title to lands in Oregon. He promised me he would do all in his power. After writing several letters, and receiving several asking for information concerning Ore- gon, I went to bed at 11.

January 5, 1850 This morning, immediately after break- fast, I went to see the President about the ports of delivery in Oregon. He informed me that he had referred my letter to the Sec'y of the Treasury. I called at his room, but he was not in. I then went to see Hobbie and arranged with him the advertisement for proposals to carry the mail on sundry routes in Oregon. After this I called on the Sec. of the Treas- ury again. He was not in. I then went to my room, and wrote him a letter relative to said ports, and urged him to attend to it. I next wrote a reply to Bache, Supt. of the Coast Survey, informing him that the Methodist Institute was all the scien- tific or literary institution that I knew of in Oregon, but that so soon as I should be informed whether the Legislature in- corporated more, I would inform him. I then wrote a long letter to Gov. Lane, et al., in Oregon, informing them what I had got done about the Pacific mail and mail steamers. I next wrote a letter to the Secretary of War, asking an inter- view with him relative to the troops in Oregon. I wished him to occupy said troops in building military roads. After much other work, I retired at half past eleven.

January 6, 1850 This was Sunday, so immediately after breakfast I went to class meeting, and after that to preaching, and came home at half past 12. I then wrote [until] dinner on an answer to several letters written me about Oregon. After dinner I went with Hamblin and Fuller over into Vir- ginia to the site of Jackson City, and to the Alexandria and Georgetown Canal. This Jackson City is one of the fruits of speculation in Gen'l Jackson's administration by men who wished to make a fortune. A town was laid off here, when there never was a house built, the corner-stone of the city laid in great state, with the deeds, books, and memorandums