Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/41

34"however, soon extinguished by the united efforts of the Americans, English, Irish, Kanakas (alias Sandwich Islanders), and Indians. On that occasion it was hard to tell which nation had the preference. It was a perfect heterogeneous mass of conglomerated gutteral sounds. 'Hiack tsuck!' was the only audible sound we could hear, and that was from the doctor himself, which means hurry! water! Loss sustained about 1000 feet of lumber."

The first bits of society news and of dramatic reviewing appear in the second issue of the Spectator, February 19, 1846. These items, contrasting in form and content with the modern treatment of such subjects, are treated in another part of this volume.

The first death notice, brief and bare of detail, follows:

"Died—In this city, on Monday the 26th ultimo, at the residence of Mr. W. H. Gray, Miss Julia Anna Stratuff, aged about 14 years."

It took several weeks to work off the first bit of sports news ever published in the territory. This dealt with a horse race at Vancouver July 25, 1846, before Great Britain had given up her claim to the Oregon country. Nothing much was thought of the 26 days delay in getting into print the news from across the Columbia, a distance of less than 30 miles. The item started August 20 with the statement that "Saturday, the 25th ult., was a great day for Vancouver." The ending is, therefore, disappointing, for the reader is informed: "We acknowledge the receipt of the accompanying list of horses, owners, riders, heats, prizes, etc., etc., which we find too lengthy for insertion.—Ed."

By October 1, under the new editor, George L. Curry, the Spectator got around to another mention of the races, and the results were published, in bare summary form, a month later. The races, even on the pioneer "track," must have been a lot faster than that.

Now for a word on the "business" side of the paper. From the buyer's point of view the subscription price of $5 in advance or $6 a year if not paid before the expiration of six months was "plenty" for a paper of the Spectator's size. Any of the Portland dailies of today sets more type for a single issue than was contained in the Spectator in all of its 23 issues of 1846. With fewer than 200 subscribers, however, the circulation receipts were nothing tremendous, even for those times.

The advertising rate was $1.50 a "square" of 16 lines or less, which seems to ﬁgure about 75 cents an inch, for the ﬁrst insertion, and half as much for each subsequent insertion. The early-day newspaper found it necessary to emphasize prompt, and preferably advance, payment—and these rates were "payable in advance."