66 REVEREND EZRA FISHER
perseverance of men trained from their youth in this kind of work. Besides, many of them were just able to raise means sufficient to bring their families across the mountains and they have everything to do to give their families a competent living. Yet we have some happy exceptions ; may God greatly multiply this class. We have fixed upon the third week in next June to organize an association and trust by that time we shall have seven or eight churches to go into that organization. I think Br. Vincent Snelling ought to receive an appointment with a salary of $100 or $150. He is a faithful, worthy brother. I informed him that it would be expected that the churches which he supplied would request the Home Mission- ary Society to assist them in sustaining him and specify the amount they were able to do. He manifested a reluctancy to lay the subject before the churches, lest it might arouse some prejudice, as the churches were not altogether missionary in their views. I replied that I should be unwilling to constitute churches which would be likely to excommunicate me for carrying out the great principles of the gospel plan of salva- tion. Yet I thought he was unnecessarily timid, and I should apprehend no unpleasant consequences in presenting the sub- ject in a mild and affectionate manner. I leave the subject with your Board, hoping on the whole that Br. Snelling may receive your patronage. I can assure you he is a zealous, worthy brother.
As it relates to California, I think our Board should spare no time in finding a judicious, practical preacher to locate at the most favorable point on San Francisco Bay. Our whaling vessels and merchant and war ships are almost constantly enter- ing and leaving that Bay and, should our Government retain Upper California, there must be places of importance imme- diately springing up on that spacious harbor. Br. Ross, a member of Br. Evart's church of your city, is there, and per- haps he has already applied to you for a minister.
Baptist peculiarities must be vindicated in Oregon. Our Pedo-baptist and Campbellite neighbors are mooting the subject of baptism, and especially of communion. May we have
