Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/139

 PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH SCHOOLS 121 for same is made. The reason this fund has not been conveyed before this time is that the Bishop of Eastern Oregon has requested that the fund be held by our School Trustees pending a settlement of a suit with the railroad company." The details of this affair is also outside the scope of this paper. The school was destroyed by fire in 1893, was rebuilt as a day school, and had a checkered career from that time, having an attendance varying from eight to thirty. In 1870 Parochial schools were established in Astoria, Vancouver, Corvallis, Salem and Eugene. The life of these schools varied from a few months to several years. In most cases they were conducted by the rector and his wife and continued as long as a rector remained in the par- ish who was particularly interested in that kind of work. The school at Astoria lasted with some intervals until 1884 and had as high as fifty-six pupils. The one at Vancouver continued until 1889, while the others lasted only a short time. In 1871 a school for Chinese boys and young men was opened in Portland, meeting usually at St: Helen's Hall. While this was primarily a religious undertaking, in addition to the religious instruction, classes were con- ducted in English and other subjects, which made it a distinctly educational proposition as well. The teaching was done by a few women and old students of St. Helen's Hall. The school was discontinued after about 1878. By the year 1890, a change had taken place in the educational situation in Portland, which brings about a new era in this history which might be called the era of struggle. The population of the city had increased to 46,000. A public high school had been established in 1883 and the Portland Academy in 1889, and these institu- tions largely absorbed the increase in the school popula- tion, the church schools remaining practically stationary. This competition finally forced the Bishop Scott Acad- emy out of existence and was instrumental in bringing about a reorganization of the management of St. Helen's Hall. During all of these years Bishop Morris repeatedly