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CORRESPONDENCE 337

Ezra Fisher as their missionary in Oregon for the term of one year from the first day of April next. W. T. MATLOCK,'34 E. FISHER,

Secretary. Chairman.

My labors will be one fourth of the time in this city, probably one fourth of the time at Linn City on the opposite side of the river from this city, one fourth of the time at Milwaukie, at the request of brethren there, and part of the time at Portland. It seemed to me desirable that Br. Johnson should continue his labors in this place the coming year. I therefore moved his call to the pastoral care of our little church. I shall find all the labor I can possibly per- form with my school on my hands. We are advancing slowly with our school house. It is a hard time to collect, and almost all our men are going to the mines this spring. Very extravagant reports come from the Klamath mines, pretty well authenticated, of very rich mines of gold on the waters of that stream.^* Probably two thirds of the men in the terri- tory will go for gold during the spring, if we receive no coun- ter reports. At present the whole community is in a high state of excitement. We think things will become settled within a few months and hope the farming community will return permanently to their farms. We shall do all we can, in connection with all our other cares, this spring and the ensuing summer to carry the work (of building) forward and hope to have two rooms ready for occupancy before the ar- rival of Brs. Chandler and Read. Our school has already suffered the loss of several of the young men from the gold excitement, and more will go to the mines. Yet they will probably return in the fall, at least a part of them. Labor will be extravagantly high the coming season and lumber will be scarce. We dare not oppose the providences of God

234 VV. T. Matlock was several times a member of the territorial legislature. H was a delegate to the first Republican state convention, and was at one time receiver of the U. S. Land Office. Bancroft, Hist, of Ore. 11:72, 143, 158, 296, 418.

45 235 Gold was first found in the tributaries of the Klamath in the spring of 1850 In July discoveries were made on the main Klamath. Bancroft, Hist, of Ort.