Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/74



The letters here given to the public were written by the Reverend Ezra Fisher to the American Baptist Home Mission Society. Their publication was planned by his youngest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Fisher Henderson. She collected the letters, had them transcribed, and with the assistance of Miss Latourette had done part of the editing before her death. In her will she provided for the completion of the work. Her executors entrusted this to Miss Latourette and Mr. Latourette, who have tried to carry it on in as close accord as possible with her original plans. These included a life of Mr. Fisher, such occasional changes in the text of the letters as would make them more clear, and notes of historical explanation. The life is the work of Miss Latourette. The emendation of the text was begun by Mrs. Henderson and Miss Latourette and was completed by the latter. These emendations seemed to Mrs. Henderson desirable in view of the conditions under which the letters were composed. They were written under the most adverse surroundings of frontier life, amid frequent distractions and without opportunity for revision. Certain minor rhetorical and grammatical errors inevitably crept in which the author would, with his usual care in such matters, have corrected had he had the opportunity. It is to make these corrections that the emendations have been designed. They have been slight, have in no instance altered the meaning, and usually have been indicated. Omissions, also indicated, have been made of occasional phrases, sentences and paragraphs. The historical notes are the work of Mr. Latourette.

The editors wish to express their heartiest appreciation and thanks to those who have helped make this work possible, especially to the officers of the American Baptist Home Mission Society for the loan of the original manuscripts; to Mr. George H. Himes, of the Oregon Historical Society, for frequent and ungrudging contributions from his rich stores