152 REVEREND EZRA FISHER territories on the coast, in direct connection with the mission- aries there laboring, and that school grow with the growth of that territory and be so conducted as to meet the educa- tional wants of our denomination there ? I believe that such an organization under God would add fifty or one hundred per cent to the efficiency and permanency of the Home Mission work on the Pacific shores. No doubt our field is one of great promise, and, being one of so much promise, it demands laborers adapted to its culture, and will soon justify the out- lays. May God direct its devising and executing plans pre- cisely adapted to accomplish most harmoniously and efficiently His heaven born purpose so wonderfully opening in this field for the labor and faith and patience of the American churches. Respectfully yours, EZRA FISHER. Received March 29, 1853. Oregon City, O. Ter., March 16, 1853. Rev. Benjamin M. Hill, Cor. Sec. A. Bapt. H. M. Soc., New York. Dear Brother: Yours and Br. Whitehead's bearing date Jan. 14, together with an invoice of goods and bill of lading, were received by the last mail. I did not design to recommend Br. Read for an appointment by the Board of the Home Mission Society till he had made an application in form according to direc- tions in the annual report. But as our field is so wide and our mails so irregular, I thought best to have the way open so that your Board might be prepared to act understandingly, should he make an application for reappointement in the Ump- qua in due form and give your Board necessary intelligence respecting the field. Br. Read has left the Umpqua and I am informed he is at Jacksonville, a flourishing mining town in Rogue River Valley. There are two or three Baptist families of his acquaintance in the vicinity of Jacksonville, and one or more others have moved there this spring. I think that he was mak-
