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288 REVEREND EZRA FISHER

14th. Visited a small church on the south fork of the Santiam. l8 7 Find the few brethren ready to do something liberal for the preached Word and in anxious expectation to welcome Br. Cheadle, our colporter missionary, who has al- ready arrived safe in the valley. 188

15th. Travelled 25 miles to Mill Creek to meet a Sabbath appointment which I left as I passed up the valley.

16th. Preached to an interesting congregation and enjoyed a good degree of consolation while they listened atten- tively to the Word.

17th. Having returned as far as Molalla, I preached at 3 P. M. to a small congregation of people, and on the 19th reached Oregon City.

Sept. the 21st. The friends of education convened, and after the preaching of a short sermon the convention was or- ganized by calling Br. Hezekiah Johnson to the chair and electing myself clerk. But a few persons were present; but all seemed impressed with the conviction that the time had arrived when God in His providence called on us as a de- nomination to take prompt measures to establish a perma- nent school under the direction and fostering care of the Baptist churches in Oregon.

22d. Convention met; I again preached, after which the convention originated the Oregon Baptist Education Society and adjourned the meeting to the Church in YamHill County on the 27th.

23d. Spent the Sabbath with the church in the city and twice addressed the people. Congregation good. Spent the remainder of the week in visiting the church in Tualatin Plains and preached twice on the Lord's day. This church have in their bounds an ordained minister of excellent char- acter, but unable to devote much of his time to the minis-

187 This was probably the Santiam Baptist Church, at Sodaville, Linn County. It was organized in 1848 and became extinct about 1857. Mattoon, Bap An of Ort. 1:8.

188 Rev. Richmond Cheadle, 1801-1875, was born in Ohio and came to Oregon from Iowa in 1840. He was at this time colporter for the American Baptist Pub- lication Society. Mattoon, Bap. An. of Ore. 1:70.