Page:The Columbian - Washington Territory's First Newspaper.djvu/5



paper. A diligent search of the columns of The Columbian indicates Whigs were as scarce there as news.

With Wiley's departure Dryer sent McElroy over a new printer, who possibly tried his hand at editorials. J. J. Beebe lasted from March 11, 1853, until July 13 of that year. He made no more impression on the paper than he did on history, for nothing seems to be known of the man. McElroy, still anxious to leave Olympia, implored Dryer to find another man not only to replace Beebe, but himself. The Portland editor evidently had more important matters on his mind, and in August he climbed Mt. St. Helens. While his employer scaled the mountain, McElroy attempted to keep The Columbian going:

"I wrote to Mr. Dryer three weeks ago that I must be relieved at the close of the volume [i.e. September, 1853] and that I would not commence another year for no commensuration whatever. Before my letter reached him he had started on a tour to the top of Mount St. Helens. At my latest advice from Portland he had not yet re turned. Under the circumstances I will have to keep this paper going two or three weeks longer. I am completely wore out by constant attention to business . . . [and] for the last three or four months I have had to be editor, publisher, compositor, devil and all hands be sides handling' the financial affairs to attend to which is about three men's work."

Years later Henry Pittock, who would purchase the Oregonian from Dryer in 1860, noted Dryer was "entirely indifferent to income and outgo" and an extremely poor hand at business. Obviously had it not been for McElroy, The Columbian would have gone under—not only financially but physically. It appears Wiley located the first office for The Columbian on the flats, and with the first winter storm, it was partially flooded by the tides. After that the shack could be reached only by canoe at high tide. In November McElroy finally persuaded Mike Simmons to rent the paper a room on the second floor of his high and dry building which housed also the post office and customs.