Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/109

100 the newspapers of that day, at the same time reflecting a conditiorn frequently noted in the papers of the pionecr days:

"All the prisoners broke jail at Portland last week, among whom was Balch, who murdered his son-in-law; Gurnse another murderer, with several stars of less magnitude. We have already spoken of the general jail delivery at this place (Oregon City). We hear that The Dalles jail has been emptied. The next that may be looked for is the escape of Lawson, the murderer confined at Hillsborough. There seems to be no use any longer in arresting thieves and murderers. The farce of arresting, trying, and confining them serves only to run up heavy bills of expenses for the tax-payers to foot. Why not petition the Legislature to abolish the whole criminal code? It would save expenses, and serve the ends of public security about as well as our present laws executed by our present officials."

Like the Oregonian and the Statesman, the Pacific Christian Advocate, launched at Salem in 1855, came on down to recent times The paper, the first number of which came off the press at Salem September 1, 1855, was edited by Rev. Thomas H. Pearne on behalf of a group of preachers and laymen desiring to start a religious weekly in Oregon. It was felt that there was a field for such a publication, for whatever else one might say of the Oregonian and the Statesman, and, for that matter, the Argus, they were not religious in tone, and none of them gave much attention to religious affairs. The paper, which after a few months was moved to Portland, ran there for many years. It was finally moved to San Francisco, where it was discontinued about 1930.

Founders were George and Alexander Abernethy, the former the power behind the Spectator, which had died only a few months before; James R. Robb, Rev. Alanson Beers, Joseph Holman, C. S. Kingsley, A. F. Waller, Rev. J. H. Wilbur, J. L. Parrish, Rev H. K. Hines, Rev. Thomas H. Pearne, and others (91). Pearne was elected editor and authorized to procure the plant and a six months' supply of paper, estimated to cost between three and four thousand dollars. The plant and paper were obtained in New York by Francis Hall, a relative of Mr. Pearne, and took nearly six months to make the ocean voyage to Oregon.

One of the first questions to be settled by the new publishers was the name. The one finally adopted was suggested by Mr. Waller.

Mr. Pearne received a salary of $700 for several years, as compared with the $300 paid the Spectator's first editor nine years before. The paper soon came into his possession, through failure of