Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/670

 "Article VIII. The press owned by or in connection with this association shall never be used by any party for the purpose of propagating sectarian principles or doctrine, nor for the discussion of exclusive party politics."

The Printing Association was jealous of the editorial control of the paper. Provision was made for amending all articles except the eighth. The shares of stock were $io each, and article X provides for the method of transferring the same; also the distribution of dividends—an emergency that never occurred; and in that respect, the experience of the first newspaper men of the Pacific coast was not unlike that of some of their brethren of these later days. The name selected for their paper was the Oregon Spectator, and it was first issued at Oregon City, on Thursday, February 5, 1846. The motto was: "Westward the star of empire takes its way." The printer was John Fleming, who came to Oregon in the immigration of 1844.

The size of the Spectator page at first was eleven and one-half by seventeen inches, with four pages, four columns to the page, and was issued semi-monthly. The first editor was Col. William G. T'Vault, a pioneer of 1845, who was then postmaster-general of a provisional government. His editorial salary was at the rate of $300 a year. It is believed that he was of Scotch-Irish and French descent, and a native of Kentucky. He was a lawyer by profession, although it is said that he had had some editorial experience in Arkansas. While he was an uncompromising democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and never so happy as when promulgating his principles in the most positive way, the constitution of the Printing Association made it necessary that the editor should eschew politics. However well he may have tried to do this, his efforts evidently did not please the association, because in the issue of April 2, 1846, his valedictory appears. The contents of the first issue of The Spectator are as follows:

First page: Organic laws of Oregon, as recommended by the legislative committee; an act to prevent the introduction, sale and distillation of ardent spirits.

Second page: The editor's salutatory defining the attitude of the paper; to correspondents, stating that no notice can be taken of anonymous communications ; city government, saying that the time has arrived for a thorough organization, urging that it "dig up the stumps, grade the streets, tax dogs, prohibit hogs, and advertise in The Spectator" ; calling on some of the "old settlers" to give an "account of the climate, soil and productions of Oregon," stating that this "would all be news to people away east, in Missouri and other states"; an item deprecating controversies; announcement that Captain Knighton will give a ball on the 24th instant at the City Hotel; item calling attention to F. W. Pettygrove's stock of goods; appointments by the governor—William G. T'Vaul, prosecuting attorney, vice M. A. Ford, and H. M. Knighton marshal, vice J. L. Meek resigned; reference to the "two-thirds law" of Illinois; item relating to a serious accident to Mr. Wallace of the Oregon Milling Company, as a result of coming in contact with a circular saw; an item on "slander"; communication from "new emigrant," whose "heart's desire is," among other things, "that Oregon may be saved from intemperance and that our beloved little colony may continue free and become great and good"; communication by David Leslie, giving a sketch of the life of Rev. Jason Lee.

Third page: A number of clippings, among them Franklin's Advice to Editors ; an original poem on "Love," signed "M. J. B."—Mrs. Margaret J. Bailey; announcement of the postmaster general "To Persons Wishing to Send Letters East;" ship news, giving "The arrivals and departures from Baker's bay, Columbia river, since March 12, 1845," showing nine arrivals and eleven departures; "List of officers of H. B. M. sloop of war, Modeste, now lying at Vancouver, Co- lumbia river ;" death notice. Miss Julia Ann Stratuff, aged about fourteen years ; then advertisements as follows : "Mail Contracts to Let — Route No. i ; From Oregon City to Fort Vancouver, once in two weeks, by water. Route No. 2 ; From Oregon City to Hill's in Twality County; thence to A. J. Hembree's in Yam Hill County; thence to Andrew Smith's by Yam Hill County; thence to N.