Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/250



240 ROBERT MOULTON GATKE

altho that abounds and stationing itself along the line of our numerous waters calls loudly for subjects to wash away their sins in its laver of Baptismal regeneration which is of such mighty efficacy as almost to do without the "renewing of the holy Ghost" but what I refer to chiefly is peculiar to new set- tled countries such as : The Scattered state of the population. It was estimated that their was a population of 8000 in the country previous to the arrival of the last Emigration which of itself amounted to from three to five thousand but the difficulty is to find them. The arrangement of our provisional government by which a person under conditions can secure a mile square of Land tends directly to distribute the people all over the country and opperates most prejudicially against the gathering of any considerable congregation in any one place our only recourse is to go from one cabin to another through prairie and forest which is a slow prossess requiring more time and men and shall I add grace than we have at present. Add to this the almost impassible STATE OF THE ROADS DURING THE RAINY SEASONS. We have as yet very few bridges and the crossing of many of the streams is perilous and often impossible. Some of the slough's are as mire'y as that of despond into which if Bunyan's pliable ever gets he is likely after a desperate struggle or two to get out of the mire on that side which is nearest to his own house.

Another difficulty is the want of food for horses especially in the winter season in most cases after a hard days travel they must be hobbled or staked out or turned loose altogether to hunt their scanty fare of grass for hay or oats are seldom to be had and corn is out of the question. If we turn our horses loose when we are on our journey we cannot get them ^without much trouble and if we do not our excursions must be short and hurried and the weary starving animals must be turned out on our return to recruit for a few weeks and another secured for the following trip. Untill the people gen- erally give attention to raising fodder for horses so that we may have some other dependence than the wild grasses of the country each preacher must keep three or 4 horses and spend no small amount of time in hunting them when they are needed. The present war opperates unfavourably on the public mind so far as piety is concerned. To say nothing of the de- moralizing tendency of war at all times. The employment of so many men and means including some of our members call-