Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 15.djvu/213



DIARY 201

July 1, 1850 This day and the 2nd I was operating to get a mail contract for parties in New York to carry the mail from Astoria to Oregon City by steamboat; succeeded. Wrote several letters home, one to Judge Bryant, one to Aspinwall, directed a large number of documents, &c. Also was attending to carrying the mail from Mo. via Salt Lake to Oregon. Did not get it done. Will try again.

July 3, 1850 This day had a letter from Wampole. Mr. Mcllvaine from Ohio called on me. Is to address me a letter about education in Oregon. Wrote a letter to Mrs. Higgins. Read 20 pages law ; some in the history of the Mexican War. Went to bed at 11 P. M.

July 4, 1850 Wrote a long letter to a minister in Ohio, relative to sending teachers to Oregon. Read 30 pages of law, some in the history of the Mexican War. Attended the fireworks in the evening. Wrote a letter to my wife and to Susan, and went to bed at 11.

In the night, in a dream, it seemed as though I was in the Capitol, and I thought persons were at work on one side of the Capitol knocking out the underpinning and basements of that half of it, and as they proceeded, I seemed to hear the building begin to separate in the center, by cracking and giving away little by little. It seemed as though the building was going to divide in the center and that half where they were knocking out the basements would separate from the other half still standing erect, and that it would fall over. I wondered at the folly of the movement, and was surprised that the building had been so built that it could be so separated in that way, just in the center, lengthwise, and that one-half could thus tip over and fall down leaving the other half standing. But the workmen proceeded, and by the cracking of timber and joints I perceived the progress was still more rapid, until at length the building began to divide at the top so that I could see sky through the crevice. Next, that half of the building began to careen over, the gap becoming wider, and it seemed that I was temporarily in it, but was watching an opportunity to get into the other side where I thought there was more