Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/172

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The Catholic Sentinel was started February 3, 1870, as a 7-col., 8-page paper, under the authority of Very Rev. J. F. Fierens, acting bishop of Oregon. H. L. Herman and J. F. Atkinson were publishers the first two years. Later Atkinson withdrew and a joint stock com pany of clergy took charge. Joseph R. Wiley became editor in 1881. One of the longest editorships was that of M. G. Munly, who took hold in 1886 and remained for many years, and John P. O'Hara, who took hold in 1905 and served through the 1920's. This is a weekly paper emphasizing news of the church in all parts of the world and giving the church angle on much of the current news. It is now, of course, one of the oldest papers in continuous publication on the Pacific Coast. Among others in charge have been W. R. McGarry and Henry E. Reed.

The Sentinel is one of the very few Oregon newspapers possessing virtually complete files since the beginning. One of the early years, however, is said to be missing.

When founded, and at various times since, the paper was under private ownership. It is now conducted by the Catholic Truth Society, representing the archdiocese, and issued each Thursday.

The Mercury, really, was started in Salem as a weekly paper in 1869 and moved to Portland after a few years. As the Sunday Mercury, under the direction of O. P. Mason, formerly of the New Northwest, and B. P. Watson it achieved unpleasant notoriety in connection with a libel case, involving Col. C. E. S. Wood, and both Mason and Watson were convicted after a trial in which the prosecution was aided by Judge George H. Williams, Judge L. L. McArthur, who had been a pioneer editor, and Colonel Wood, who was a top-ranking lawyer himself. The paper was placed in the hands of a receiver, A. A. Rosenthal, and both defendants were sentenced to a year in the county jail. The Mercury continued publication under the promise of the receiver to "make a decent paper of it."

He does not seem to have been able to convince the authorities. The Oregonian of November 19, 1893, carried a front-page story on a raid on the office by District Attorney Wilson T. Hume and seven police officers. The district attorney was quoted as saying he