Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/165

156 at the beginning, no special program, political, social, or economic, other than reasonable profit for the publisher. Said the salutatory under the head, "Here We Are":

"This is the first toot of our tin whistle. We will be older if we live and have the little end of a golden horn to blow at, if the politicians come and "see" us as they do the big papers that have pockets on their backs, to catch the gold dollars that "drop off" from their hats.

We don't apologize for coming into the world, nor expect anyone to be glad to see us, and shall not growl about being kicked till we are big enough to fight.

Neither politician nor preacher, we shall not attempt to influence elections, nominate presidents, nor run for office ourselves, or try to convert others to our religious faith. We shall fearlessly spell Willamette Willamette or Willamette Wallamatte, according to our interpretation of law and order — as our i's and a's happen to run.

We are a working Bee, and expect to labor with laborers, find our friends among the laborers in all walks of life, and be the laborer's friend."

The Bee's biggest local item in that first number, taking up half of page 4, was the story of a mass meeting to discuss the subject of instituting a reform school in Portland for the handling of the city's obstreperous youth. The head and first paragraph follow:

"A mass meeting of Portland's best citizens assembled at Oro Fino hall last night to devise how the wisdom of the head and of the pocket could be best applied toward raising funds for the endowment of a Reform School for the city. Mr. William Wadhams called the meeting to order, when Hon. H. W. Corbett was elected chairman, and Rev. W. C. Chatten secretary. . .."

Then, in the usual leisurely style of the 70's, the story went on to tell of the passage of resolutions and the appointment of a committee to work out details of a plan.

The Bee grew in size but not consistently in journalistic excel-