CORRESPONDENCE 175
large bodies of farming land on the Umpqua, the Clamet 159 and Rogue rivers will be the next settled after the Willam- ette, and that there must be a great thoroughfare opened from the falls of the Willamette River to the gold mines on the Sacramento River in California before many years. Wagons already travel it with convenience.
You ask how a site may be secured? I know of but one way at present, and that is to find one, two or more brethren interested in the enterprise to take or purchase claims cov- ering the site wanted and then pledge themselves either to donate or sell the necessary amount of land to a board in trust for the denomination.
My feelings last summer were so much enlisted on this subject that I became half-inclined to make a claim in refer- ence to this specific object, change the field of my labor and pledge half of said claim to the demonination. I, however, thought of the time and money expended by your Board to sustain me at the mouth of the river and of the little feeble church here, and, by the advice of Br. Johnson and the absence of all counsel from your Board, I concluded to let matters rest for the present.
Now this complete confusion into which the entire com- munity, both in Oregon and in California, are thrown by means of much gold being found in the latter territory will probably compel me to take my family to the Willamette Valley and work toward this object, in connection with that greatest of all works, the preaching of the gospel, or comply with the wishes of some of the best members of this church and remove to the vicinity of San Francisco Bay; or it is possible, but hardly probable, some good brethren may move to this place. I leave this matter with the great Head of the Church and trust His providence may mark out plainly the path of duty. I need much the advice of your Board on this subject, and trust I shall have it in three or four months. From the present movement of things I think a
159 Ktamath. See note too.
