USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > History of Portland, Oregon : with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 39
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The Evening Telegram was started in April, 1877. It was under- taken by an association of printers and was helped by the proprietors of the Oregonian. This arrangement lasted not much more than a year, when the printers who had engaged in it decided to go 110 further. The proprietors of the Oregonian thereupon took up the paper and have published it ever since.
The Western Star was started at Milwaukie shortly after the Oregonian was started at Portland. Milwaukie was a rival of Portland for commercial eminence, but it was soon perceived that the race was hopeless and the Western Star was brought down to Port- land, where it was published as the Oregon Times. This paper was started by John Orvis Waterman, who remained with it several years. He was succeeded by Carter & Austin, who published the paper till 1861, when it was suspended. In 1854, the Democratie Standard appeared. Under the management of Alonzo Leland, who now lives at Lewiston, Idaho, it wielded some power in local politics. James
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O' Meara succeeded Leland in 1858. A year thereafter it suspended publication, but was soon after revived and for a few months continued the struggle for existence, making its last appearance on June 6, 1859.
On April 18, 1859, the first number of a daily newspaper was issued in this city. It bore the title of Portland Daily News, and was published by S. A. English & Co., with E. D. Shattuck as editor. It soon ceased to exist, and the material upon which it was printed was moved to Eugene City. The advent of the News was quickly followed by the appearance of the Oregon Advertiser, a weekly journal, under the editorial and proprietory control of Alonzo Leland. This paper continued to be published until October, 1862. Toward the end of its career S. J. McCormick became editor. He was succeeded by George L. Curry, the last editor of the paper, who had been one of Oregon's territorial governors. The Advertiser was uncompromisingly democratic in its utterances and to such an extent did it support the anti-war attitude of its party during the early period of the war of the rebellion that its suspension was not entirely voluntary.
The Pacific Christian Advocate, the oldest religious journal in Oregon and the only paper, exclusive of the Oregonian, which has had an existence since the pioneer days of Portland, has been published since 1855. It was first established at Salem as an inde- pendent Methodist weekly with Rev. T. H. Pearne as editor, but in 1859 was removed to Portland. It was published as an independent paper until the session of the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1856, when that body adopted it as a general conference paper, and selected Mr. Pearne as editor for four years. Mr. Pearne continued as editor until 1864, when Rev. H. C. Benson, D. D., was chosen as his successor. The latter was succeeded in 1868 by Rev. Isaac Dillon, D. D, who occupied the editorial chair for eiglit years. In 1876 Rev. J. H. Acton became editor and served for four years. During all these years the paper was by no means self-supporting and had been a source of considerable expense to the general conference. In view of this fact, at the meeting of the general conference in 1880 it was determined to discontinue the
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Advocate, and after paying its liabilities to donate the paper to the Oregon and Columbia River General Conference. This was done, and the conference named turned the paper over to a joint stock company composed of members of the conference of which George WV. Staver is president, Rev. Alfred Kummer, secretary and treasurer and Rev. A. J. Hanson, business manager. Rev. H. K. Hines was selected as editor under the new management. He served for eight years and during that time the subscription list largely increased and the paper was placed on a good financial basis. In 1888 Rev. W. S. Harrington became editor-a position he still holds. The present circulation of the Advocate is about twenty-four hundred copies.
After the suspension of the Advertiser the next newspaper venture in Portland, in connection with the secular press, was the Daily Evening Tribune, which was first issued in January, 1865. Col. Van Cleve and Ward Latter were its editors. It had a brief career, suspending within a month from date of issue.
The Oregon Herald followed the Tribune, appearing March 17, 1866, with H. M. Abbott and N. L. Butler as editors and proprietors. It was started as a Democratic organ. In June, 1866, the paper was purchased by a stock company composed of some of the leading Democratic politicians of the State, among the directors being A. E. Wait, W. Weatherford, J. K. Kelly, L. F. Grover, J. S. Smith, N. L. Butler and Dr. J. C. Hawthorne. Under the new management,. Berialı Brown became editor. Financially the paper was not a success, and in November, 1868, it was sold to W. Weatherford, Sylvester Pennoyer at the same time becoming its editor. A few months later Mr. Pennoyer purchased the paper, continuing as editor and publisher until July 1, 1869, when he disposed of it to T. Patterson & Co. For a time thereafter Eugene Semple was editor. The paper, however, had but a brief existence after its last sale, and was finally forced to suspend, the entire plant being disposed of at auction.
Before the suspension of the Herald, however, two new dailies entered the field, the Portland Evening Bulletin, edited by J. F. Atkinson and the Portland Evening Commercial, edited by M. P. Bull, the former appearing January 6, 1868, and the latter July
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11th, of the same year. They pursued an independent course in dealing with political questions, and made a vigorous fight to secure support, but both failed to find the road which leads to success in journalism, and after comparatively brief careers were added to the death roll of Portland newspapers.
The Portland Daily Bulletin was one of the unfortunate enter- prises connected with Ben Holladay's movements in Oregon. In furtherance of his vast schemes he estimated at its full value the aid of a newspaper which would be absolutely within his control. With this idea in view he purchased the plant which had been used in the publication of the San Francisco Times and removed it to Portland. The Bulletin made its appearance in 1870, with James O'Meara as editor. In 1872, H. W. Scott was associated in the editorship, but remained only a few months when T. B. Odeneal took charge. Under Odeneal's editorial management the paper continued until it suspended publication in October, 1875. It was one of the most disasterous ventures in the history of Portland journalism, having cost nearly $200,000, more than its entire income during the brief years of its existence. The plant was sold at auction, and was scattered throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho and is still doing its duty in connection with country journalism.
Two more dailies made their appearance in 1875, The Daily Bee and the Daily Evening Journal. The Bee was first issued Novem- ber 2, 1875. It was a diminutive' paper to begin with and was circulated free by its publisher, D. H. Stearns, until December, of the same year, when it was enlarged and run as a Republican journal. During the greater part of its existence it was controlled by Mr. Stearns, but in the meantime it was at different times published by. companies and for about eighteen months was owned by W. S. Chapman. In 1878 Chapman sold it back to Stearns who continued its publication until June, 1880, when he disposed of it to Atkinson & Farrish. The last named proprietors, in August, 1880, changed its name to the Portland Bulletin, and for a year or two thereafter it appeared under this name, finally suspending in the latter part of 1882.
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The Daily Evening Journal had an existence of only a few months, being purchased in July, 1876, by A. Noltner, who six months previously had commenced the publication of the Weekly Standard. After the purchase of the Journal, the Standard was issned as a daily evening paper until September, 1879, when it was changed to a morning publication. Under Mr. Noltner's manage- ment the Standard became one of the best known papers the Democrats have ever had in Oregon. For a time it was the official paper of the city and enjoyed a well merited period of prosperity. In June, 1885, Mr. Noltner sold the paper to S. B. Pettingill, who continued it as editor and proprietor, until February, 1886, when it ceased to exist.
The Evening Post, Daily Evening Chronicle and the Northwest News complete the list of Portland dailies which for a time were published, but for various reasons were not successful. The Post made its appearance in March, 1882, with Nat L. Baker as editor, but like the Chronicle, which appeared about two years later under E. G. Jones as proprietor, it had an existence of only a few months. The News had a much more extended and interesting history. It appeared in January, 1883, with Nathan Cole as editor. Mr. Cole, who came from St. Louis, conducted the paper about a year and a half when it was sold to Francis M. Thayer and A. N. Hamilton, both of whom had had experience in journalism, the former at Evansville, Indiana, and the latter at Salt Lake, Utah. Mr. Thayer assumed the editorial and Mr. Hamilton the business management of the paper. After more than two years experience and the expenditure of large sums of money in conducting the paper, and failing to make it a success, they sold out to a stock company, composed of a number of the leading republican politicians of the city. Under the new order of things James O'Meara was selected as editor and J. D. Wilcox became business manager. As a financial venture the paper did not improve under the new management. It continned to be a great absorber of capital with no adequate returns for the money invested. This state of affairs continued until the stockholders refused to advance the necessary funds to keep it alive and in conse- quence it suspended in October, 1888, having cost from the time it
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was started until its career closed, more than $200,000, above its entire receipts.
Among Portland publications, not previously mentioned and other than the daily papers, the Oregon Deutsch Zeitung, a weekly German paper, comes next in chronological order. It was issued in the early part of 1867 by C. A. Laudenberger, by whom its publication was continued until it suspended in 1884. It was the first paper printed in the German language in Portland. The Staats Zeitung, another German weekly, was first issued in October, 1877 with Dr. J. Folkman as editor and proprietor. This publication has since been continued and is recognized as the leading German paper in the State. A daily issue was commenced iu December, 1887, and has proven a successful venture. Dr. Folkman is still editor and proprietor, but is assisted in the editorial management by F. A. Myer.
Portland has still another German weekly, the Freie Press, which was established in March, 1885, by vonOtterstedt & Sittig. Von Otterstedt has since retired and Bruno Sittig has become sole proprietor.
The decade from 1870 to 1880 witnessed the birth of numerous weeklies, some of which still survive, but most of them are either dead or have been merged in other publications. The following comprises the names under which they originally appeared: Catholic Sentinel, Pacific Rural Press, Columbia Churchman, New Northwest, Sunday Welcome, Commercial Reporter, Monthly Musical Journal, North Pacific Rural Spirit, Good Templar, Sunday Mercury, West Shore, Temperance Star, Northwest Farmer and Dairyman, Weekly News, Willamette Farmer, The Churchman, Oregon Literary Vidette, East Portland Call, The Vindicator, and Democratic Era. Of the foregoing, the Catholic Sentinel was started in February, 1870, under the immediate encouragement and authority of Very Rev. J. F. Fierens, Vicar General and then acting Bishop of Oregon. The inception of the enterprise was due to H. L. Herman and J. F. Atkinson, who were the publishers for the first two years of its existence. Mr. Herman continued the publication for a few years after Mr. Atkinson withdrew, and until a joint stock company composed of the archbishops of the diocese, the
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Bishops of Vancouver and Nesqually and the Catholic clergy generally, took control of the paper. In 1881 Joseph R. Wiley became editor. He was succeeded by the present editor, M. G. Munly, in February, 1886. The Sentinel is devoted to the dissemi- nation of religious matters pertaining to the Catholic Church and is the only Catholic newspaper in the Pacific Northwest. It is extensively circulated in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia.
The New Northwest, a weekly publication, was began in May, 1871, by Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway. Its purposes and aims were outlined in its first issue as being "devoted to the enfranchisement · of women and full emancipation of speech, press and people from every fetter of law or custom that retards the free mental and physical growth of the highest type of humanity." Under Mrs. Duniway it became a vigorous and well known champion of women suffrage, while it possessed much merit as a literary paper. It was sold in January, 1887, to O. P. Mason, who conducted it as a literary journal until March, 1889, at which time having purchased the Pacific Farmer, which had been started in 1879, by the Frank brothers, as the Farmer and Dairyman, he discontinued the New Northwest and has since published the Pacific Farmer, a weekly agricultural journal.
The Commercial Reporter, the predecessor of the Portland Journal of Commerce, was first issued in August, 1872, by J. R. Farrish, and published by him for two years. It afterwards passed into the hands of George H. Himes, J. Perchin and S. Turner, each retaining it for a short time. In July, 1874, J. F. Atkinson became the owner, publishing it alone until January 1, 1880, when J. R. Farrish purchased a half interest in the paper, after which its name was changed to the Commercial Reporter and Journal of Commerce. In 1884, the paper became the property of a stock company, when the present name, Portland Journal of Commerce, was adopted. It is an eight page folio, issued weekly, and exclusively devoted to commercial and shipping interests. A. C. A. Perkes is editor. Soon after the present company became owner of the paper, the Commercial Herald, started in 1883, by D. C. Ireland & Co., was absorbed by purchase.
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The Columbia Churchman, after passing through many vicis- itudes, at times being issued weekly, semi-monthly and monthly, has now became known as the Oregon Churchman, and is issued monthly. It is the organ of the Episcopal Church in Oregon.
The North Pacific Rural Spirit was founded in 1878, by W. W. Baker. He afterwards purchased the Willamette Farmer and has united the two papers under the name of The North Pacific Rural Spirit and Willamette Farmer. It is an agricultural and stock journal and is issued weekly. Mr. Baker has associated with him in its publication his two sons, Frank C. and J. Van S., under the firm name of W. W. Baker & Sons.
The Oregon Literary Vidette, East Portland Call, The Vindi- cator, and Democratic Era were all weekly issues, published in East Portland. The first named was published by E. O. Norton, and issued in 1879. It had an existence of a year or two. The others mentioned died in their extreme youth.
The West Shore is one of the most successful of the journalistic ventures which have been started in Portland in recent years. It was founded in August, 1875, by L. Samuel, who has ever since been the sole proprietor. At first it was a small eight page four column monthly paper illustrated with stock cuts purchased in the east and a few local cuts made in San Francisco. The undertaking was liberally supported and proved such a success that in September, 1878, the publication was enlarged to a thirty-two page quarto and lithographic illustrations began to be used. Gradually the purchased cuts were dropped and only new and original ones were used. In January, 1884, the number of pages was increased to forty-eight, and three years later it was changed to the size of Harper's Magazine and the number of pages increased to seventy-two. In 1SSS it was again enlarged to a quarto size and still maintained at seventy-two pages. September 14, 1889, it was converted into a weekly, in which form it has since been published, its chief illustra- tions being in colors and tints, and is published jointly from Portland and Spokane Falls, Washington. It is profusely illustrated with finely executed cuts representing the scenery and the architectural improvements in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana
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and British Columbia, while the literary character of the journal is of a high grade. It has secured a large circulation throughout the country and is doing an excellent work in properly representing the resources and advantages of the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Samuel is a publisher of experience and rare business judgment and the success of the West Shore is almost solely due to his efforts.
The Sunday Mercury is the successor of a weekly paper known as the Mercury, started at Salem in 1870 by Win. Thompson and several other gentlemen. A year later Thompson became sole proprietor, remaining as such for several years, when he sold the paper to Walter S. Moss, who removed it to Portland in 1880, and began its publication as the Sunday Mercury. In 1883 it was purchased by the Mercury Publishing Company by which it is still published. Frank Vaughn is secretary of the company and B. P. Watson, manager.
The Sunday Welcome was first issued August 14, 1875, with J. F. Atkinson and James O'Meara as publishers. O' Meara subsequently withdrew and Atkinson continued it alone until January 1, 1880, when J. F. Farrish became associated with him. They continued it until the present publishers, Sutherland and Burnett, gained control. It is now issued Saturday evening.
Of the papers not previously mentioned, now published at Port- land, the Weekly Pacific Express, Oregon Times and The World complete the list. The first named is the successor of the Prohi- bition Star, started at Salem in 1885. In 1888 it was moved to Portland when the present naine was adopted. Major J. F. Sears had editorial charge for about a year after the removal to this city and was assisted by H. S. Lyman. After the retirement of Major Sears, Mr. Lyman continued its editorial management until the present editor, G. M. Miller, took charge of the paper. J. M. C. Miller is business manager. The Express is a general reforin advocate; is the champion of the Knights of Labor, Union Labor Party and the recognized organ of the Women's Christian Temper- ance Union and the Prohibition Party.
The World is a democratic weekly, and was founded in 1885 by A. Noltner, who remained editor and proprietor until his appoint-
*
Che Lode
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ment as Collector of Customs in 1886, when he sold the paper to J. W. Young. Mr. Young ran it about a year when he disposed of it to McCall & Newell, by whom it is still published.
The Oregon Times is another democratic weekly. It was started in May, 1886, by Nathan L. Baker, by whom it is still published. It is a seven column eight page paper and circulates principally in Oregon.
The newspaper mortuary record from 1880 to 1890 embraces journals of every possible appearance and character, all of which passed away in early youth. A few reached two years of age but most of them never celebrated a birthday. The newspaper crafts launched between these two dates and floundered before they had voyaged far, are, as accurately as possible, embraced in the following list: Oregon Farmer, an agricultural weekly, published by W. L. Eppinger; Vox Populi, published by Paul M. Brennan; The Port- land Sunday Chronicle, by J. F. Atkinson; Rising Sun, a weekly, devoted to spiritualismn, by Mrs. L. L. Brown; Pacific Overseer, a weekly organ of Ancient Order of United Workmen, by C. A. Wheeler; Christian Herald, by Stanley & Wolverton; Polaris, a religious weekly, Rev. J. H. Acton; Farmers' Gazette, by W. E. Evans; Oregon Siftings; Portland Weekly Times, by Cook & Shepard; Avaut Courier, by Frank D. Smith; Kane's Illustrated West, a monthly by T. F. Kane; Northern Pacific Union; Oregon and Washington Farmer, S. A. Clark, and The Hesperion, by R. A. Miller.
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CHAPTER XVI.
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY.
Present Apperance of Portland-View from River and Hills-Prominent Buildings - Character of Streets-Albina-Parks-Exposition Building-Chinese Quarters- Hotel Portland-East Portland-Cemeteries-Casualties of Nature-Floods and Fires.
IN order to describe a number of the features of our city, which need not be treated separately, but without which our work would be quite incomplete, it is attempted here to pass through the place from north to south, giving a running commentary upon scenes and events as we go, and to throw in gratis whatever hard facts or statistics may be necessary for elucidation. It will be borne in mind that this is a description of the Portland of to-day, and may therefore serve for future reference, as well as for present information.
A poet of America once pitched upon the Columbia river and its continuous woods as a type of solitude. This imperial stream, although now tracked by steamships and hundreds of boats, never- theless impresses one as still lonely; the small rude villages, the canneries, the sawmills, situated in the shade of the forests or in the clefts of the hills, as yet exert no influence to trans- form the character of the river. On nearing the mouth of the Willamette one finds this air of solitude still unrelieved. St. Helens, an old-fashioned spot, possesses a certain dreamy attraction on its green shores above its bluffy rocks, but is unable to break the spell. The wonderfully beautiful islands and shores of the Willamette at the delta, fail to betray the fact that white men have been here for nearly a century. They are marked with but slight traces of man, unless it be for the huts of wood cutters, or the barns of cattle raisers. The wide, open meadow lands lie uncultivated. The trees along the shore have been felled but here and there. The steep impending hills to the west rise in successive eminences and ridges, hardly betraying the stroke of an axe. Old, weather beaten houses on the shore, a few mossy orchards, sweeping green meadow lands, with cows wandering and grazing, make up most of the picture. To be sure
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one sees occasional sections of the railroad line and the telegraph poles strung on invisible wires, but hardly a more pristine scene is to be met with in the world, than on the lower Willamette, and it gives scarcely an intimation of the presence of a city. One would think Linnton or St. Johns the end of the way.
From the lower river Portland is scarcely imposing. It has not amplitude of front to give it perspective. It could never rival New York, as seen from its lower bay. It has not the amphitheatric presence of San Francisco, or even Tacoma, enabling the observer to take in the whole picture at one glance. Neither lias it a magnifi- cent sweep of water to introduce it, like Astoria, or the sense of infinity from contiguity to the sea. The hills, still ragged with a forest broken but not cleared, tower on the horizon, and form the emphatic portion of the prospect. On the east side, as one looks against the face of the rolling plain, giant stubs of dead trees belong- ing to the once imperial forest, rise irregularly from out of a ground work of picturesque brushi and wild young fir trees that have sprung up with the vigor of ancient times, but ignorant that they have fallen upon an age no longer benignant to their existence.
The general ensemble of the city as it slowly discloses itself from beliind the bold shoulders of King's Heights, is still that of nature untamed, and seems almost to forbid the idea that a city of 50,000 inhabitants lies between the river and hills. Nature is here present upon such a preponderating scale that it may be well doubted whether the general idea of art, and the craft of man as the ruling sentiment will dominate for half a century yet. Even piling up buildings of many stories in height, and towers, and lining the rivers with masts, seems to be but as the sinking of a river into the ocean- art into nature-leaving the long circle of hills to sinile or darken as the sky is bright or dim. On a fine day the Heights are gay with greenery or the colored foliage of deciduous trees; and in the summer flush to pink, or pale to amber on their exposed fronts. But more habitually they affect heavier tints, assuming a dark blue or a sombre purple. A soft veil of haze, curtain like, frequently rests over the city, and lies in tenuous invisible folds on the prominences, gathering to more preceptible depths in the clifts and ravines. The
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