Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/378

368 etc., and on August 15, 1846, by Rev. Walter Cotton and R. Semple in printing the Californian, the first newspaper in California. Late in 1846 it was sent from Monterey to San Francisco, and used in printing the Star, the first paper in that city, which was issued in January, 1847. The interests of the Californian and the Star were combined, and in the fall of 1848 the first number of the Alta California was issued with the plant.

If the foregoing position is true, and there seems to be no reasonable doubt of it, from the evidence now in hand, the press in question was the first in Monterey, the first in San Francisco, the first in Portland, the first in Olympia, and the first in Seattle.

On December 16, 1854, George B. Goudy became a partner in the publication of the Pioneer and Democrat, and on August 10, 1855, sole owner. In 1857 he sold to Edward Furste, who retained J. W. Wiley as editor until May 14, 1858. On May 30, 1860, Furste sold to James Lodge, who continued to publish the paper until May 31, 1861. After the first year of this paper's life its publishers had the territorial printing, and fortunes were made out of it. The change of the national administration in 1860 cut off that source of revenue, and it gently expired without an apology.

Notwithstanding Mr. Dryer's capacity to work hard, it was difficult for him to make ends meet. With considerable ability as an editor, he was also in frequent demand as a public speaker. This left him but little time to attend to business matters, which, as every one knows who has had any experience in newspaper business, is largely a matter of small details. This feature of journalism was wholly distasteful to him.

About this time, November, 1853, a beardless youth of seventeen appeared on the scene. He had finished his journey across the plains a few weeks before, and was seek-