Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/40

Rh For Champoeg —Angus McDonald, Jesse Looney, Robert Newell, A. Chamberlain

For Tualaty—Joseph L. Meek, Lawrence Hall, D. H. Lownsdale

For Yam Hill—A. J. Hembree, Thomas Jeffreys

For Clatsop— George Summers

For Lewis—W. F. Tolmie

For Vancouver—H. W. Peers For Polk—no election.

The reader is left to presume that this is correct, for the item has no figures. No attempt by the Spectator to obtain anything official, even from its own Clackamas county, is indicated, and apparently the paper never was "favored with the official returns," for search of later issues fails to reveal any further reference in the Spectator to this particular election. Seventy-five words! That should satisfy even the most thoroughgoing apostles of brevity in the news. "Slashing to the bone!" —but "the bone" also is missing.

Now, as against this super-brevity, note the generous space given the meeting for the organization of the military company—four hundred words. The item contains a list of all the officers, down to the fourth corporal. The clue to this unusual adequacy perhaps, contained in the opening paragraph, which begins:

Mr. Editor—You are requested to publish the proceedings of a meeting which was held, pursuant to notice. . ..

And the last paragraph completes the explanation:

On motion, resolved, that the president and secretary sign the proceedings of this meeting and forward copy of them to the editor of the Oregon Spectator for publication.

This article, too, is written chronologically and run, apparently, article, too, with handed in, no hint in the beginning as to what finally was done.

Society notes, sport items, dramatics—all reflect the industry and enterprise of someone connected with the event rather than of anyone on the Spectator. These phases of the news are discussed elsewhere in this volume.

The first obituary run in an Oregon newspaper was the Spectator's tribute to Jason Lee, missionary, written by Rev. David Leslie. This notice ran three-quarters of column. The missionary had died eleven months before, but this was the first opportunity for publication of an obituary.

The first fire story dealt with a blaze in property of the noted Dr. John McLoughlin. Behold the subjective style of news-writing:

"Fire!—On Saturday the 7th instant, the plank kiln of Dr. John McLoughlin was discovered to be on fire, which was,"