Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/160



tered into between the said Robin and the Respondent to the effect following, to wit.

That the said Robin and his wife were to be and remain henceforth free, that they were to take their youngest child and keep it, and that this Respondent were to keep all the rest of said children together with one which has since died, and which was the oldest of the said family of children, and to hold them until they respectively became of age, according to the laws of this Territory, to wit the males twenty years of age and the females eighteen years of age. To hold them not as slaves, but as wards.

That this Respondent has kept the said children at a heavy expense when they were young and their services of very little or no value and now since they have arrived at an age when their services will be of some consequence the Respondent insists that he has a right to retain the said children during their as a part

compensation and remuneration for the expenditures : in their behalf

t this Respondent was advised, after it became sett would not be permitted to be held in this

he the said Robin and his wife and said ouri and there sell them, and might so, but c ot to and that from this fact

r with the fact that said children have always lived with this Respondent, he the Respondent had reason elieve, '.eMcY-i; that the said Robin would have

del agreement, and left said children with til they came of age as aforesaid. And t not only that he has a legal

.,.' ngrii co retain the said children in his but above that it would be far better for said retained by him than placed in the hands of the said Robin, who is poor and ignorant and unfit to - care, custody and bringing up of said children. 1 that he holds said children by no other authority than, that above set forth, and the laws of the land.

NATHANIEL FORD. B. Territory of Oregon, )

) ss. Polk County, )

Nathaniel Ford the above named Respondent being