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CORRESPONDENCE 279

good care of the garden, so that I can have a few good vege- tables when I get home, and I will make him a little yellow present. Ann Eliza and Sarah Josephine must be good scholars and help Mother do the work and Father will re- member them. Kiss Francis Wayland for me. I suppose he is beginning to go alone. May God bless you all and hasten the time when we may meet in peace and enjoy the comforts of life.

Benjamin Woods, together with several other of our Ore- gon men, was killed by the Indians a few weeks ago on the American fork. But we have no fear from the Indians in this part of the mines.

Yours in haste,

EZRA FISHER.

Terwallomy River, two miles above the mouth of Sulli- van's Creek, July 1st, 1849. Dear Mrs. Fisher:

I wrote you about one week ago by a Mr. Smith of Ore- gon, who will soon leave the mines homeward bound. But Mr. Bird, being about to leave tomorrow, I deem it a pleas- ure to spend a few moments in communicating to my dear family. I am usually well, although somewhat poisoned with ivy. Stone is well; also all the Oregon men with us, except Mr. Bird. He is now recovering from an attack of the flux. I should have left with him, if I had two or three hundred dollars more. But the time for digging on the bars of the rivers is near at hand. I have incurred the expense and fatigue of the journey and to all probability this is the last year that the mining business in California will break up the farming and mechanical pursuits in Oregon, and, as we very much need a few hundred dollars to settle ourselves comfortably, educate our children and to aid in promoting all the interests of Zion on the Pacific Coast, I think I shall stay till perhaps the first or middle of next month, if my health will allow me to continue to dig. But should I feel any strong indications of approaching sickness, I should