Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/380

370 1861. This is how it came to pass that Henry L. Pittock became the owner of The Oregonian. In recognition of Dryer's services in assisting to carry Oregon for the republican ticket in 1860, on which he was one of the electors, Lincoln appointed him commissioner to the Sandwich Islands, whither he went in 1861. A few years later he returned to Portland and spent the remainder of his life to the year of his death in 1879, the principal part of the time holding the office of justice of the peace.

Upon becoming sole owner of The Oregonian Mr. Pittock saw that if he made his business successful he must start a daily, although there were two in the field already. Accordingly, the necessary new material was secured, and the Morning Oregonian was first issued February 4, 1861, four pages, each page being eleven and one half by eighteen and one fourth inches, four columns each. It is needless to recount the further history of this enterprise at this time.

Since Mr. Dryer, the principal editors of the paper have been as follows: Simeon Francis, long the owner of the State Journal of Springfield, Illinois, who came as a result of a letter written by D. W. Craig, with the expectation of establishing a paper himself, but finding the field well occupied, he set type and did faithful editorial work on the Oregonian until 1861, when he was appointed paymaster in the United States Army by President Lincoln, for many years a warm personal friend; Henry Miller; Amory Holbrook, who was appointed United States district attorney by President Taylor, an able lawyer and a polished and vigorous writer; John F. Damon, Samuel A. Clarke, H. W. Scott, W. Lair Hill, and again H. W. Scott. Mr. Scott's first editorial engagement began May 15, 1865, although he became an editorial contributor several months before. In 1872 he was appointed collector of customs. In 1877 he bought an interest in the paper, and became editor in chief, which position he retains to-day.