Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/245



LETTERS OF REV. WILLIAM M. ROBERTS 235

Oregon City, Sat. Morn, 25 March, 1848. To MR. PETTIGREW.

Sir: 1 hereby send Mr. Horford to your place to ascertain if any arrangement can be made for public preaching there tomorrow. I desire to come down to your place (tomorrow) (Sunday morning) and preach in Portland sometime during the day if entirely agreeable to those concerned provided a place can be found where it will be suitable. I am not aware of any religios service in your place tomorrow and even should there be, mine perhaps can be fixed at some other hour not unacceptable to the people. [Trusting] that you will favor any proper effort to promote the morals of the people I have taken the liberty to address you and remain Your Obt. Servant,

Wm. Roberts.

P. S. I can visit your place again in a fortnight. IV. R.

Oregon City, 17 April, 1848. DEAR BRO. BREWER: 3

When I saw you on Thursday last I understood that it was your intention to come to this place to go to the Islands in the Eveline. Let us understand each other definitely. I then said that I believed it wrong for you to insist on going at this time. You are acquainted with my reasons. Still I will repeat them so that they may be known to the Board at home. If you go to the Islands now there are 9 chances out of 10 that you must remain there on Expense until next Autumn and the cost of living is high.

If you go home by way of China it is enormously expensive and the vessels must wait somewhere until the ordinery sea- son, for a return Cargo which will detain you just as long as if you remain here until July or August by which time some vessel may be going home direct or an opportunity is fur- nished of going to the Island as Bro. Gary did in time for the ordinary Autumn passage home. Still as I find you are deter- mined to go at all hazards, as I mentioned when I saw you I shall not object any further, but shall refer you Entirely to the Board for any allowance for expenses you may incur above what would be reasonably incured if you were to wait and go about the time known to be the best to reach the Islands if there should be no passage home direct.

I am, Dear Bro.,

3 Henry B. Brewer, lay member of the Fourth group of Methodist Mission- aries, who arrived in Oregon June 1, 1840.