Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/432

Rh temperance reformer (who tries to drink all the liquor himself in order to discourage others from drinking) and W. F. Magee, a school-teacher over there, were partners until the first issue came out and in it their dissolution notice appears. "Rocky" has hit the road again, and the paper is now owned by Mr. Magee. The first issue was, of course, edited by "Rocky" and is filled up mainly by abuse of neighboring editors, some of them receiving flattering comments. We wish the paper success under its new management but believe it will fall short of its main object, that of having a new county cut off-for a number of years yet, at least until the population and wealth justifies it.

The Monitor had hard sledding under a number of successive publishers. Finally (about 1898) A. C. Palmer of the Crook County Journal, Prineville, purchased the paper and plant (mostly plant) and moved it to Prineville, to be absorbed in the Crook County Journal.

In March 1904 the Mitchell Sentinel, a six-column folio, appeared in the field, published by Helm & Gillenwater. A. Helm Jr., who was to have a longer career in Mitchell journalism than any other person and who carried the Jr. on his name until old age claimed him when close to 8o, bought out his partner and carried on. On his death in 1923 Lallah L. Gage took up the editorship. The paper was suspended in 1925.

The field was again occupied in 1929 by another newspaper, the Wheeler County Chronicle, established by Lindsay Brothers, with Arthur R. Jones, clergyman who likes the editorial sanctum as well as the pulpit, as editor. The present publishers are R. H. Jonas & Son, owners of the Central Oregonian, Prineville.

Ontario and Vale.—The Ontario Argus, published by George K. Aiken, is now the oldest newspaper published in Malheur county and Mr. Aiken the oldest newspaper publisher in the county, with nearly a quarter century of continuous ownership of the paper behind him.

Malheur journalism, however, goes back to 1887, when Ontario business men sought an organ to help them land the county seat of the new county, lately carved from Baker. Vale had been made the temporary choice. (163)

This first newspaper was called the Atlas. It was started October 3, volume numbers indicate. Volume 3, No. 6, is dated at Vale, and by that time it had become the New Atlas, the change, apparent-