Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/462

453 The Oregonian's present quarters were in course of construction during Lownsdale's first year on the paper. The old office was still at Front and Stark, the first location, though not, of course, in Dryer's original little frame building. The quarters were small, and the reporters had little elbow-room. Jerry Coldwell brought in the first typewriter, one of those Hammond affairs, and Allan Slauson soon followed suit. In those days the Associated Press report was taken by the operators in longhand on flimsies (thin "onionskin" paper), and Lownsdale recalls that President Cleveland's long messages were taken over the wire by hand.

When Joe Macqueen came on the Oregonian in 1900, Joe Levinson was city editor again after a few years' absence in the 90's as managing editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, founder of the San Bernardino Sun, and owner of the Fresno (Calif.) Herald.

James J. Montague, later a New York columnist of national fame, who had come to the paper in 1896, was assistant city editor doing a frequent feature. He went to Hearst with his "More Truth Than Poetry" feature in 1901. Macqueen, like most of the old-timers, started on police and in 1902 added music to his reporting duties, succeeding Gertrude L. Metcalfe on the music end. John Lownsdale was news editor, and John L. Travis northwest editor, launched on a long career during which he was news editor of the Oregon Journal, managing editor of the Seattle Times, the Portland Telegram (for a short time before it was taken over by the News). Clarke Leiter, later city editor of the Oregonian, publisher of the La Grande Observer, and managing editor of the Portland Telegram, was one of the reporters, as was Jerry Noonan. Coldwell, of course, was still reporting. John Milliken was reporting courts. Leslie M. Scott was doing reporting and a bit of editorial; Henry E. Reed and his brother Joseph, who soon went to California, were regular reporters. The staff was beginning to grow to modern dimensions. W. J. (Uncle Bill) Cuddy was proof-reader and exchange editor. His career on the Oregonian continued until his death in 1925. Edgar B. Piper, who was to succeed Harvey Scott in eight years as editor of the paper, was city editor in 1902, on his return from Seattle, where he and his brother George had spent a few years publishing the Post-Intelligencer.

John R. Rathom, later publisher of the Providence Journal and one of the best of the "German spy" detectors in the World war period, was an Oregonian reporter in 1891.

Reporters up to 1905 included H. S. Harcourt, R. D. Cannon, later for many years a news executive on the Telegram; W. D. B. Dodson, now Portland Chamber of Commerce executive vice-president; J. W. Redington, picturesque Indian scout and prominent Oregon country editor; C. N. (Pat) McArthur, later congressman; Lewis A. McArthur, utility executive and authority on Oregon his-