[Page 1]

626 18th St., Oakland, Cal., May 9, 1905.

Rev. Judson Smith, D.D.,

Boston, Mass.

Dear Doctor Smith:

I have your letter of April 29th inquiring about the publishing of the Scriptures. I have written fully to Dr. Haven from whom I received a letter on the same day[,] and herewith enclose a carbon copy of my answer to him. I think this will cover all points raised in your letter. You will see by it that I have been disappointed in making translations the past winter. My health did not permit me to do any literary work until quite recently. Now I am able to put in one hour a day and sometimes a little more and by this means the work is progressing quite rapidly. I shall have the Gospels, the Acts, the Psalms, Genesis and part of Exodus[,] ready to publish next winter, if I keep well. You will see by my letter [enclosed] that my plan is to go to Guam and perfect these translations before publishing them. It is very important that these translations be as nearly perfect as it is possible to make them.

With reference to the plan for carrying this out: the Board has asked me to come east and make collections of money due on the subscriptions to the "Advance Work in Micronesia". I talked the matter over with Dr. Patton when he was

Page -2-

here and we thought that September first would be as early as I could undertake this. I have since talked with my physician about it and he thinks that I should not leave here before the first of September. He advises me to go to New York by water leaving here September first which would require thirty days and begin my work in the east October first. Friends here generally approve that plan though I am not sure that it would be best to go by water to New York. I have a letter from Dr. Vincent, Pastor of the Galesburg church, in which he urges very strongly that we come and spend a week or two with his people. I notice, too, in the Missionary Herald that the Board holds its meeting on this coast in September. Of course we should be glad to attend this meeting, if it is wise, and I raise the question whether or not we might not attend the meeting in Portland, go from there to Galesburg and spend a week with the Galesburg people and going on thence east to take up the work [of making the collection] October the first. Mrs. Price would stop in Oberlin. The Solace will be going to Guam about the same time that it did last year perhaps earlier. This would give me time to attend to that work in the east and finish up my translations in Guam during the winter. As I shall go out alone, I can easily run over to Japan on a schooner and attend to putting the work through the press. My plan is to attend to this work without extra expense to the Board above my salary and I am quite sure that I can do this.

Page -3-

I think this covers all points raised in your letter. I feel that the one great crying need of Guam is for the Holy Scriptures and that if we can secure the publishing of these portions a great advantage will be gained there and an assurance of success such as could not be otherwise obtained. I desire your advice on all there points.

I am,

Yours very truly,

[Signed] Francis M. Price

Missionary.

Enc. 1.

Note 1: Enc. 1 is Francis Marion Price to William Haven, D.D. Letter dated May 9, 1905, Papers of the ABCFM, Micronesia Mission, 1900-1909.