Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/249

240 The name of L. Wimberly appears as editor February 7, 1901, and B. W. Bates as foreman. This was an association which was to be resumed many years later. The battle for circulation between the two papers was spirited. In 1903 the Plaindealer reported 1800 and the Review 2,000. Both were semi-weeklies. The Evening Review claimed 450. In 1908 the News, successor to the Plaindealer, was claiming a few hundred more than its rival.

The Plaindealer was pounding along down the years as a regular Republican organ. Successive publishers after W. H. Byars were E. G. Hursh (1883-5), D. S. K. Buick, Benjamin & Buick, F. P. Cronemiller, who sold to ex- Postmaster W. F. Benjamin in 1894 after three years at the helm; J. B. Eddy, who bought out W. F. Benjamin, C. Y. Benjamin retaining an interest; E. D. Stratford.

In 1899 W. C. Conner, who has owned and edited a lot of newspapers in western Oregon in the last forty years, came from Myrtle Point, where he had been publishing the Enterprise, to be co-publisher of the twice-a-week Plaindealer with F. W. Beach, formerly of Lakeview and later of the Hotel News at Portland. This regime, which began April 17, 1899, was succeeded in August, 1902, by that of H.. H. Brooks editor and Mary K. Brooks proprietor. Brooks ran under his masthead a statement that the

""editor of the Plaindealer has no intention of making a false statement reflecting upon the life or character of any person, officially or otherwise, and any statement published in these columns will be cheerfully corrected if erroneous and brought to our attention by the aggrieved party or parties.""

This sounded like good newspaper ethics. Brooks, however, was having his troubles. His name dropped out of the masthead May 5, 1904, and in an affidavit published in the Plaindealer June 2, W. C. Conner. former owner, alleged that Brooks had bluffed and bullied him into giving him on option on a half interest in the plant. He accused Brooks of using blackmailing methods and said he was forced finally to accept 45 cents on the dollar for his interest in the paper. June 27, 1904, there appeared in the paper a notice of the reorganization of the Plaindealer with W. C. Conner editor and F. H. Rogers manager. In a short time the paper, still a twice-a-week, was sold and in 1906 the name was changed to the Umpqua Valley News. The paper was now owned by a group of local Republicans made up of A. C. Marsters, Binger Hermann, Dr. K. L. Miller, George L. Brown, "Bill" Cardwell, and others. They hired W. E. Willis as editor and manager, and B. W. Bates, formerly of the Review, to run the mechanical department. Bates bought out the others in 1907 and started the Evening News, a daily, in 1908, be-