"Know all men by these presents, that I, John McLoughlin, of Fort Vancouver, in the Territory of Oregon, am held and firmly bound unto Albert E. Wilson, of Oregon City, in the Territory aforesaid, in the full sum of five hundred, federal money; for the punctual payment of which, well and truly to be made, I bind myself, my heirs, executors, or administrators, firmly by these presents. "In testimony whereof, I have hereunto, below, set my hand and affixed my seal, this the 26th day of December, A. D. 1842. "Now, know ye, that the condition of the above obligation is such, that whereas the said Wilson hath this day, and doth by these presents, purchase of the said McLoughlin all and singular the following pieces, parcels, tracts, and lots of land, namely: lots No. four (4) and five (5) in block No. two, (2), in the town of Oregon City, in the Territory of Oregon, as is more fully shown by the map and plan of the said town; and hath, and by these presents doth, agree to build upon and improve each of the said lots within the term of one year from the date of these presents. In consideration of which, the said McLoughlin hath and doth by these presents covenant and agree to make to the said Wilson a good and sufficient quit claim deed for and to all and singular the above-mentioned pieces, parcels, tracts, and lots of land, whenever he, the said Wilson, shall have complied with the above conditions on his part. Now, if the said McLoughlin shall well and truly make, or cause to be made, the said deed to the said Wilson, upon the said Wilson's complying on his part with the above condition, then and in such case the within obligation shall become entirely void and of no effect; otherwise, to be and remain of full force and virtue. "JOHN McLOUGHLIN, (L. S.)" "Per L. W. HASTINGS, his Agent." "We, the undersigned, do hereby acknowledge the above to be a true and correct copy of the original. "R. SHORTESS." "A. E. WILSON."[61] W. H. Gray was one of the signers of the Shortess petition. In his _History of Oregon_, pp. 296, 297, he says, in relation to certain persons who did not sign the Shortess petition: "Mr. George Abernethy declined to sign this petition through fear of injuring the Methodist Mission in its secular or business relations with the Hudson's Bay Company. "Hugh Burns would not sign it because he did not wish Congress to be asked to confirm his title to lots and improvements. "Jason Lee, though he thought it right to petition Congress for protection, yet on account of his position as Superintendent of the Methodist Mission, and the influence of the [Hudson's Bay] Company against them should he sign it, thought it best not to give his name.