Selections from George Deffenbaugh’s letter to Rev. J.C. Lowrie 9-22-81

…Now a paragraph about Miss McBeth. I wrote in one of my letters about her meddling in my affairs, at least with what I think comes under my care. Now I do hate to be a telltale, its humiliating to me, but I want to give you an instance, a fair sample and yet she would probably say that she never meddles with any business of mine.

While Robert and I were away together I told him my plans; that I would have to be away from the Nez Perces five Sabbaths, the first of which on the way down I wanted to spend with the Umatilla people. Afterwards we got to talking about Synod. I asked him if he wanted to go, he said "I will not go; now we are both away for a long time, I will not go and leave our people when you are away, not good to be to much away." This is the substance of what he said. I was glad to hear him talk that way and told him so. Then I told him that he could put the money it would cost him in books, just as he bought a watch last fall, of which he is very proud. He said he would like to get some books. Then at another time he asked me how many books forty dollars would buy. I told him could not tell exactly, owing to kind and size &c. I told him could get them much cheaper in San Francisco than in Portland: but the expense money would be only about twenty dollars. I will send some my own money he said. So when he left here the arrangement was for him to go with me to Umatilla Reserve. I would stay over one Sabbath then go on, he stay there one too, then come back to Waitsburg to Presbytery and back to take care of the work here until I should return. On the following Sabbath I received a note from him stating that he would go to Synod, he wanted to go very badly. Now somebody had been talking with him and without doubt that somebody was Miss McBeth. I have had too much just such experience not to know the cause of his changing his mind. And to add another instance that just comes in here, she almost upset my plans about this trip north by her talk with Robert, but I won’t trouble you longer, only I want to see that I have a reason to write as I did. I think I hear you ask, how does she gain an influence as to be able to make trouble? She buys their favors by giving them presents. She is an incessant beggar and box on box of clothes and things come for ‘her boys’. And the elders of the church always come in for a share. I have never given a present for popularity and never shall, if I can’t win it any other way I shall go without. That’s the long and short of this matter. No one of the Nez Perces has cause to be grateful to me, but for my profession and in that I try by God’s help to be faithful.

Can you help me a little? If you were to write her a kind though plain letter giving her to understand what her sphere is you would have my most hearty thanks. I bore with her till my patience was exhausted. Last March I think it was when I wrote her a plain but kind letter criticizing her course and policy. In answer she denied everything and said she acknowledged no supervision but Dr. Lowrie, since then I have not received a line from her, although I write as before and for a while she was very indignant at her sister for writing to me. This to show her spirit. But I must desist. I despise this work and I want to assure that it is not with ill feelings towards her that I write so. I only want you to understand why I wrote as I did in my other letter.

And now at least I am afraid that Miss Kate is in the same boat with Miss Sue, a most singular thing when one knows all.

But I must not close without referring to another matter, and I have kept the worst to the last. It is probably that in the event of writing a letter to Miss Sue, which I trust you to do if not already, she will retaliate by ‘showing me up." But whether she does or not I feel it due myself and due the dear good woman who thinks enough of me to come out here to me, to show myself up so that I may not have occasion to refer to the matter after she comes. It is about my playing cards and billiards. I charge myself with the former to the extent that I have played cards, but not with the latter. I will explain. I learned to play a game they call casino while at the Seminary in Allegheny at the house of a certain young lady. You will understand. I could see no harm in it as a social game. After I came out here I learned of Agent Montieth to play a game called Cribbage and then after Mr Warren came I learned to play whist. So I charge myself with playing cards. I write it with shame and I know you read it with pain. But now well on to two years ago I said that I would not play any more, so I quit and that for good. Such in brief is the history of my card playing. I am sorry that it can be written against me but by Gods help such a sin can never be set to my charge again. My confession has been made to God and I trust I have been forgiven long ago.

Now as to billiard playing. Mr Warren had a billiard table last summer. A few times I was indiscrete enough to take a cue and try to play. As I told Miss Sue "I pushed the balls about some," but I soon quit it and for a year at least I have not had a cue in my hand, so I would plead not guilty to the charge of playing billiards. I trust you will look upon these things as briefly in the past, never to be repeated again. If I have been a disgrace to the church, I shall try all the harder by divine help to be an honor. The history if known of at least a year past would bear me out in this assertion.