Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/114

Rh paper in local news coverage, with 18 items totaling 39 inches, whereas the Oregonian's three bits of local news occupied only five inches of space. The Oregonian had the lead in news from other as against the States states, with 21 items and 46 column-inches man's nine items and 13 inches. Neither paper was carrying much foreign news; the Statesman had only one item, an inch long; while the Oregonian's four items ran to five inches. The Statesman had two items of political news occupying three inches and the Oregonian none whatever. The Oregonian, however, carried two articles of economic news in four column-inches, and the Statesman not a line. Neither had anything dealing exclusively with educational or "cultural" matters.

The legislature was in session, and other matters were being forced aside to make room for a pretty full coverage of the lawmakers' doings. The Statesman gave 187 inches to the legislature, the last one held under territorial status, and the Oregonian 224.

To general miscellany (poems, anecdotes, humorous notes) the Statesman gave up 31 column-inches, while the Oregonian had only four inches (two items) of "miscellany." Neither one had a single item of sport news or a single mention of "society," save for an inch or so in the Oregonian about a marriage.

The biggest names in the journalism of the period, though perhaps not in all cases those of the best newspaper-makers, were W. G. T'Vault of the Spectator, first editor in all the west; George Law Curry of the Spectator and the Free Press, first man to give Oregon newspaper competition; T. J. Dryer, first editor of the Weekly Oregonian, the only Oregon paper to survive through from 1850; Henry L. Pittock, founder of the Morning Oregonian, the hard-headed publisher who pulled the Oregonian through the trying days of the late fifties and early sixties; W. L. Adams, of the Argus, best-educated territorial editor and first really Republican editor in Oregon; Asahel Bush, of the Statesman, probably the most powerful and consistently influential editor in territorial Oregon. Others had their day; others wrought well and faithfully; but these were the real founders of Oregon journalism.

Statistics of Oregon journalism were not impressive in 1850. Oregon City had had three newspapers in the late 40's, two at Oregon City and the other at Tualatin Plains, but two of these were dead before 1850 opened, leaving nothing but the little Spectator. No one of the first three was to survive.