Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/180

 1855,

went to the Daily Union in Portland, to the Marine Gazette in Astoria and back to Oregon City. The little Washington hand press journeyed to Salem, to Rose- burg, to Eugene, and is now used for making proofs by the University of Oregon Press. It is estimated that the little press, worked to capacity by an energetic operator, could have run off the whole issue of the Spectator in an hour. We can imagine with what eagerness the very first copies, still damp in their "clear type and tasteful style," were received in Oregon City on February 5, 1846. It was the first paper printed on the Pacific Coast, ahead of Alta California by half a year. It was 1 5 by 11 inches in size, had four pages, four columns to the page, and came out every other week. Its pur pose was "to promote science, temperance, morality, and general intelligence." The first printer was John Fleming. For a while in 1848 it had to suspend be cause it was left without a printer on account of the gold rush. The paper's chief trouble, however, was with its editors, who had rough going and were short lived. The first editor was W. G. T'Vault, of whom the strongly prejudiced W. H. Gray said: "A man more unfit for the position could scarcely have been found in the country." At any rate, although he was presi dent of the Printing Association, he lasted only through the fifth number and was followed by H. A. G. Lee, who edited nine numbers. The next three numbers —the 15th, 16th and 17th —got published without a formal editor. After this interregnum a man was selected who ought to have had some longevity.