Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/308



282 REVEREND EZRA FISHER

visit the mouth of the Columbia and Pugets Sound during the coming dry season, should Providence give us and our fam- ilies life and health. We are often strengthened and encour- aged by the reflection that we have the prayers and sym- pathies of many, very many, personal and dear Christian friends, as well as of many whom we shall never know till we see as we are seen and bow together around the throne of our exalted Redeemer.

Yours, E. F.

Rec'd July 22.

Oregon City, Feb. 27th, 1846. Dear Br. Hill:

The haste in which I write and the circumstances will be the only apology for the want of order in which the subjects are thrown together. What, however, you publish, you will cull out and arrange, as I would, had I paper and time before the return party leave this place.

I was upon the subject of education last night and I cannot leave it till I have still further urged its claim upon our churches at home. And here I will say that, with few excep- tions, we have had very few schools in Oregon and most of those of a character such as might reasonably be expected in so new and remote a settlement. Our Methodist friends have a school in operation, about 60 miles above this, in which are taught the branches usually taught in common schools in the States, with a male teacher part of the year, a female teacher through the year, about 40 scholars, and a spacious edifice partially completed. About 30 miles above this, the Roman Catholics are making a strong effort and this year they are erecting a large edifice to be devoted to the purposes of edu- cation and have a school in operation, 96 and I am credibly in- formed that they contemplate a similar institution on the Cow- litz. In both of these they propose to teach all the branches

96 In March, 1846, Vavasour described the Roman Catholic Mission on French Prairie, as having "several large wooden buildings, two churches, dwelling houses and a nunnery." On the Cowlitz he mentioned the Catholic church as being near the settlement of about 19 families. Ore. Hist. Soc. Quar. X:gi, 93.