Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/452



444 REVEREND EZRA FISHER

Oregon City, Oregon Ter., Jan. 30, 1852. Rev. Benjamin M. Hill,

Cor. Sec. A. B. H. M. Soc. Dear Brother:

Yours, bearing date Nov. 29 and mail mark Dec. 9th, con- taining a commission for me to act as exploring agent for Or- egon for the term of three months, was received by the last mail. I now hasten to answer the same and make a few gen- eral statements of facts as nearly as I can explain matters now in Oregon. Since the arrival of Brs. Chandler and Read I have visited YamHill county and church ; spent ten days in that county, principally to look over their spiritual wants in the absence of Elder Snelling, 250 the former pastor of Yam- Hill church. Found the members scattered over half a large county and almost disheartened, but they seemed cheered by the visit and manifested a desire to enjoy the preached word. In this visit, as in all my public labors the past fall and win- ter, I have endeavored to make my agency for the school sub- serve the interests of the churches rather than make it the all engrossing subject. I have preached half my Sabbaths at Portland and Milwaukie; in the morning at the latter place, and in the evening at the former. The remaining part of my time I have performed labors in the south and southeast part of Marion County, on the east side of the Willamette River from 20 to 40 miles south from Oregon City and one of the most promising agricultural parts of the Willamette Valley, in which are located two feeble churches, 251 one of which had lost its visibility for the want of the occasional preaching of the word. All the former members of the church have changed their location and in so doing have thrown them- selves into a more commanding position in the same vicin- ity. Their position is such that at no distant day two small

250 Snelling was then in California.

251 The two churches were the one at French Prairie, organized in 1850, near or in the present town of Gervais; and the Shiloh Church, organized in 1850, at the present town of Turner. Matton, Bap. An. of Ore. l:g.

It was probably the French Prairie Church which was so weak.