Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/76

Rh"hope of making their pile in a week, month, or single year, is all a humbug and leads to 'hard times.' . . The farmer asks too much for his wheat, oats, potatoes, butter, cheese, beef, etc., etc. The mechanic places too high a price on his labor—the lawyer, doctor and laborer overestimate the value of their services, thus producing the result we deprecate. . . . We must work for a less sum, and work more hours — produce more, purchase less and sell more, avoid litigation and exercise more economy, and the times will not be hard for any length of time."

In one issue, July 25, 1857, the Oregonian had three items dealing with the economic development of the region—one on coal, a second on sheep, and a third on the introduction of honey bees. Half a column was devoted to an analysis of the coal mined on Bellingham bay, on the Duwamish river, and on Coos bay, which had been printed in the National Intelligencer at Washignton, D. C. All of these regions are producing coal to this day.

The next year, on July 17, the Oregonian carried a 300-word article on the honey bee, bringing evidence to show that bees were thriving in Oregon.

Warning to Oregon farmers that inferior marketing of their products was damaging their reputation abroad was contained in a 250-word editorial which appeared February 19, 1859.

One of the interesting bits of promotion connected with the economic development of Oregon was the editorial backing given by the Oregonian to the construction of the first telegraph line to the Northwest. The first reference to it in the Oregonian was made in the issue of February 17, 1855. It was a six-inch article of the combined news-editorial type so common in that day. In it attention was directed to the publication, in another part of the paper, of the legislative bill to incorporate the company.

"We notice (wrote Mr. Dryer) lines in northern California have recently declared dividends as high as three per cent per month."

Encouragement was given Charles E. Johnson, manager. The legislative bill took up a column and a half of space. Later reference to the progress of the work brings out not only the superlative optimism of the Oregonian for the new enterprise but the irrepressible tendency of Oregonian and Statesman to array themselves on opposite sides of any proposition more controversial than the fourness of two plus two. The Statesman, referring to the undertaking as a "moonshine" project, contended there would not be enough business done in the next ten years to keep up repairs on the line.

Bancroft says: