Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/296

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248 CHARLES HENRY CAREY

most of the time for six months past & at sometimes six or eight sick at a time yet death has been permited only once to enter our dwelling and thin our number. During the past year we have taken into the mission family eighteen children and adults who, with those that were with us at the commencement of the year, leaving out two of the last mentioned that have absconded and that has died, make the number now in the family Twenty five. By the blessing of God we have an ample supply of wheat, peas, barley, oats, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, carrots, beets, turnips, cabbages, onions and a little corn, some beans a supply of butter a little chesee and four hogs fattening May we be as thankful as our Great Benefactor is bountiful.

Monday 2d Jan. 1837.

Agreeable to previous notice the members of the Oregon Temperance Society convened at the Mission house and the meeting being opened with prayer by J. Lee, interesting portions of annual reports of several Temperance Societies, both in England and America, were read by D. Lee after which the Society proceeded to business One member was excluded and three new ones added and among other important resolutions it was unanimously resolved that the following request should immediately be forwarded to Messrs. Young & Carmichael who are preparing a distillery for the pur- pose of manufacturing ardent spirits in this settlement. Messrs. Young & Carmichael,

Gentlemen :

Whereas the members of the Oregon Temperance So- ciety have learned with no common interest and with feelings of deep regret that you are now preparing a dis- tillery for the purpose of manufacturing ardent spirits to be sold in this vicinity and whereas, we are most fully convinced that the vending of spirituous liquors will more effectually paralyze our efforts for the promo- tion of temperance than any other, or all other obstacles