Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/98

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The dispatch was dated out of St. Louis, April 13, 1861, and appeared in an extra issued by the Statesman Tuesday, April 30.

Bush remained at the helm of the Statesman for about twelve years, the period of its greatest influence during the youth of the paper. Now as we close the description of the Statesman's life in the territorial days, let us here include a short sketch of this great leader of Oregon journalism in the fifties, Asahel Bush.

Born in Westheld, Mass., Bush was 26 years old on his arrival in Oregon City September 30, 1850. He had already shown considerable political precocity, having, though only celebrating his 2oth birthday anniversary June 4, 1844, voted for Cass for president in the November election of that year. (72) As already noted, he had had printing experience. He had worked in the New York state printer's office in 1846, so that, when a few years later he became Oregon state printer, he was on familiar ground. Later in '46 he returned to Westheld, where he was a law student and editor of the Standard until he started for Oregon in July, 1850. He married Eugenia Zieber in Salem, October 12, 1854. She died nine years later.

On leaving the Statesman in 1863, he retired from active business until 1868 when, with W. S. Ladd of Portland, he established the banking house of Ladd & Bush. He continued this connection for more than 40 years, continuing to visit the bank almost daily until a few days before his death, December 23, 1913.

Unquestionably he was a man of fire and force, with a full share of political principle. A sound, substantial business man, he was not a great writer but always intelligent, and clear in his thinking. Personally he usually did not allow politics to blot out personal friendship, and he didn't carry his grudges very close to his heart. Elsewhere (73) is a reference to his service to W. L. Adams, who had lampooned him unmercifully years before. He appears to have been