Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/332



324 REVEREND EZRA FISHER

of property and a conviction of being instrumental of great good to Oregon and the world. Would to God that such a man could be found in some of our older churches who would be able and willing to enter into such an enterprise. Such a department, well rilled, would, no doubt, open the way for scores every year to commence an education under the influence of the gospel. We ardently hope you will spare no ordinary efforts to secure us one teacher at least who will stand high in moral and literary attainments.

We have another subject nearly allied to this, to which I wish to call the attention of your Board, because I suppose it can be done better through that channel than any other now open. It is this : We now have several rising towns just beginning to spring up at points which will not fail to become important business places. The proprietors of these townsites and the citizens will spare no pains, and I had almost said means, to build a good school house and sustain a good teacher who will give promise of some permanency. Now, had we at this time, and from this time forward for four or five years at least, a few good Baptist teachers of leading minds, they might enter into a profitable business to themselves and be exceedingly useful to the cause of Christ and general education. Such an enterprise would no doubt lay the foundation for the establishment of Baptist churches in these towns at a very early period in the history of the towns. I know now of a place where a preacher who would consent to take a school might grow up with the people, and his family, if not large, would be easily sustained from the first. The people men of enterprise are solicitous on the subject. I could now name several such places on the Columbia and the Willamette below the head of tide water Our Methodist brethren, ever awake to secure vantage ground, are now negotiating with the proprietors of Port- land, twelve miles below this place, and will no doubt soon have there a school in operation belonging to the Methodist Church and built and sustained, so far as funds are concerned,