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town property is not available at present and probably is not now worth more than twenty cents on the dollar. This sub- scription I have obtained, except a few hundred dollars. We have an agent, Eld. Richmond Cheadle, in the field for two months, so as not to materially interfere with his ministerial duties. He has just entered upon the work. We hope he will raise for us $2000 or $3000. We think we shall be able to raise 500 or 1000 dollars more in this vicinity for this object. The hand of the Lord seems to be with us in this work. Yet it is extremely expensive building. Lumber is worth at this time $55 per thousand feet, delivered, and we have no hope of its being lower, and mechanics' work is worth from $10 to $12 per day. We are waiting with great anxiety for our teach- er and hope his wife may be well qualified to teach a ladies' school. The building for our country female seminary is going up and teachers will be needed in that and we ought to fur- nish our proportion of teachers. 210 The building is to be 60 by 30, two stories. You will no doubt do what you can for us by way of securing a library suited to our present wants and, if possible, make arrangements so that we can have a small book store kept here so that at all times we can supply our own scholars, and all others who may want them, with the best approved school books and other popular and stand- ard works. Our whole territory is materially suffering for want of school books now and the scarcity will be daily in- creasing. Our teachers, or one of them, might keep the books and sell them without entirely deranging the school. I say one of them, for with present appearances, we cannot expect to do with less than two teachers from this time forward. Beside this, we must have teachers, both male and female, through the Territory. Immigration will soon pour in upon us from all parts of the world by thousands and we must be prepared to meet this extraordinary state of things or ignor-

210 The Clackamas County Female Seminary was the successor of a school opened by Mrs. N. M. Thornton, February i, 1847. Oregon Spectator.

It was later enlarged, chiefly through the efforts of Dr. G. H. Atkinson, and two teachers sent out through Governor Slade of Vermont taught there for a time. It became a public school some years later. The site is occupied by the present Barclay School. George H. Himes.