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 Mercy, a True Tale," and 2½ columns of "wit and humor."

The Star and its successor, the Times, reflected, in general, the type of newswriting and editorial writing characteristic of the pioneer papers, which brought their journalistic ideas, sometimes more or less damaged in transit, from the East.

Some excerpts from the Western Star of Milwaukie:

The morning commenced and most beautifully—the atmosphere was pure and life young and its temperature mild and lovely. The smiling sun of heaven shed its golden beams upon our beautiful valley, and everything in nature seemed to harmonize with the high hopes and fond anticipations of our citizens, who were celebrating the advent of Christmas in various ways.

But one who commenced the day full of vigor, and in manhood's prime, and who little suspected that danger lurked in his path, was destined to be snatched from among us, in an instant, and taken to "that bourne from whence no traveler returns."

The proprietors' sawmill in this place, was injured by fire on Friday last to the amount of about $600. The workmen were doing some work underneath the mill, at the time the mill took fire, which originated from a store in the upper part, and shortly the roof was discovered to be in one sheet of blaze.

The most valuable parts of the mill were saved, but with slight injury. The damage consisted more in the delay of other work which was depending on the running of this mill for lumber, than in the property destroyed. However, the mill was repaired sufficiently for business on Monday.

May this slight fire be a warning to all that buildings made of Oregon lumber will burn rapidly, when once kindled; therefore everyone should be cautious how they handle sparks of fire.

Chronology brings us now to the fifth paper published in Ore gon and the only one which, without change of place of publication, change of name, or interruption of any sort, has come down from