Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/681

 ibbs, afterward

the war governor of Oregon, and W. Lair Hill, who became a prominent attor- ney and is now a resident of San Francisco.

The fifth paper in Oregon was The Weekly Oregonian. In June, 1850, W. W. Chapman and Stephen Coffin, leading citizens of Portland, then a village of a few hundred people, and vitally interested in everything pertaining to its well being, had occasion to visit San Francisco, on business, and among other things to ar- range, if possible, for the publication of a newspaper. About July 4th, they met Thomas J. Dryer, at that time city editor of the California Courier, and dis- closed their plans to him. He, having a desire to engage in journalism, on his own account, listened favorably to their proposals. Accordingly, a plan of ope- rations was agreed upon, and a secondhand plant belonging to the Alta, was se- cured and shipped on October 8th, and arrived in the Columbia river in the latter part of November following. Before leaving San Francisco an order was sent to New York for a new plant throughout, to be shipped direct to Portland. The name — The Weekly Oregonian — was suggested by Colonel Chapman. The paper was issued on Wednesday, December 4, 1850, and Stephen Coffin, Col. W. W. Chapman, A. P. Dennison and W. W. Baker took the first paper by the four corners and lifted it from the press. The first number was distributed through the town by Arthur and Thomas, sons of Col. Chapman and Henry C. Hill, a stepson of Stephen Coffin. Colonel Chapman had a man to go on horseback and deliver the first number at various points along the trail as far south as CorvalHs then Marysville, and to cross the river and return on the east side. Thus was The Oregonian given to the world. A. M. Berry was the first printer, and Henry Hill the first "printer's devil."

Mr. Dryer was born in Canandaigua County, New York, January 10, 1808, and was the second son of Aaron and Lucinda Dryer. His paternal grandfather was a soldier of the revolution, and his father served in the war of 1812. His mother was a daughter of Isaac Lewis, who served under Washington. The family removed to Ohio, near Cincinnati, in 1818. Thomas stayed there until 1825, when he returned to New York and remained until 1841. During the next seven years he had a mail contract, shipped beef to New Orleans, and had an interest in a steam laundry in Cincinnati, each in turn, the latter being about the only industry that he had found profitable. In 1848 he went to California to mine for gold, but incidentally became connected with the Courier before men- tioned, as a reporter, where he was found as previously stated. Mr. Dryer was a whig, and an aggressive and spirited writer, with a dash of audacity and fear- lessness which were well suited to pioneer journalism, besides being a born con- troversialist, and an attractive speaker. His attacks on democracy by pen and voice were bold, persistent and denunciatory, to a marked degree. The dem- ocratic journals, particularly the Statesman, replied in kind, and thus consider- able excitement was created throughout the territory among the partisans of the respective journals when they made their appearance from week to week. The new plant of The Oregonian, before referred to, arrived early in April and the printed page was enlarged. The new Washington hand press superseded the Ramage, and that machine, with the old plant of The Oregonian, was bought in 1852, by T, F. McElroy, and J. W. Wiley, and taken around on the schooner Mary Taylor to Olympia and used in printing the Columbian, the first newspaper north of the Columbia river, and was issued at "Olympia, Puget's Sound, O. T., Saturday, September 11, 1852."

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 fre- quent demand as a public speaker. This left him but little time to attend to busi- ness matters, which, as every one knows, who has had any experience in news- paper 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,