Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/444



436 REVEREND EZRA FISHER

cause of Home Missions, American and Foreign Bible Society, American Bap. Pub. Soc., American Tract Society, the Sunday school cause and religious periodicals. Our congregations were unusually large and solemn. We must leave the results with God, but confidently hope the cause which we represent in Oregon is advancing. Three churches were added to our Asso- ciation during the anniversary. I am appointed to correspond with you on the subject of an exploring agent and the appoint- ment of a missionary for Salem, which I must defer till after the next mail. I received my commission, under date of May 2d, and: accompanying letter. I will attend to the deficiency on the part of the church and forward the concurrent certificates in my next. When Br. Chandler arrives, we must have an en- tire change in our fields of labor and we have a committee appointed by our Association to call a convention of the breth- ren to consult on the best method of promoting the cause of Christianity and education in Oregon, immediately on the arrival of Br. Chandler. Would it not be well for your Board to authorize your missionaries in this territory to make such changes at that time as the said convention may deem neces- sary for the furtherance of the cause of Christ? Please write me immediately on this subject.

I will here insert the following names as subscribers for the Home Mission Record: Rev. Richmond Cheadle, Santiam Post Office, Elmer Keyes, do, Edward T. Lenox, Hillsboro P. O., James S. Holman, Luckiamute.

Yours in gospel fellowship,

EZRA FISHER, Missionary at Oregon City and vicinity.

N. B. I am waiting with prayerful solicitude for the time to arrive when I may do my duty as a servant of God and leave the walls of the school and meet the suffering wants of some of the feeble, famishing churches in the valley. Br. Newell 240 was here today, broken in spirit at the loss of his dear wife and child. Br. Coe has spent one night with us ; am

240 See note 218.