The Nevada Democrat., 1859-11-30
The First Newspaper the Pacific Coast
Pioneer Printers.
In the Marysville Democrat, of Wednesday
last. we find the following paragraph:

last, we nuo the IOnOWiuB pataStaPu'
Sam Brannan denies that W. A. Bartlett, father to
Don Estaban ct ceerd Ovede, struck OF the first paper
ever issued in California, and says that ne sam bran
mani did that Eane himself How this may be we kno"
not but know very well who struck OH the hrst paper
ever issued on thePaclc coast. 1t was Gid Nightingale
OF tbiscty The paper the Oregon Spectator pub
sed at Oregon City in 1875 owned BY joint stick as
sociaton the shares being $1,000 each and edited by
Mr. Tevault Cid Nightingale worked the press and was
general superintendent Of the operations OF the CON
eefn Having rollers for the press he went to work
to make onegot the glue already and obtained the mo
asses The moasses proved 10 have been made OF bees
and would not work So Gid. concluded TO substitute
the old fashioned balls for the roller and did making
the balls without any great degree Of trouble Inc ore
gon Spectator lasted for months and was semi
monthly journal. Itwas about onefo fourth or one-hfth
the size Of the National Democrat.
Mr.. Brannan having completely demolished
the pretensions Of Washington A. Bartlett, we
shall have to slightly clip the wings Of Mr.. Gid.
Nightingale, of Marysville. If he is the printer
who struck off the first paper ever issued on the
Pacific Coast, he has changed his name since
that paper was printed. The first number of the
Oregon Spectator was issued early in 1S46-du-
ring the month of February, We beieye-and
was printed by John Fleming, and edited by Ii.
A. G. Lee. The only printers in Oregon at that
time were John Fleming, John Colwell, and T.
II. Rolfe, all of whom emigrated to Oregon in
1S45. Another young man. who had worked a
few months in printing office, came to Oregon
the same year. His name we have forgotten
it may have been Gid. Nightingale; but he was
nothing but an apprentice--a mere boy-and
told us himself he was not qualified to take
charge of country office. II Gid Nightingale,
of Marysville is that young fellow, he occupied
no higher position in the Spectator Office than
that of roller boy.
The project of establishing paper in Oregon
was started during the winter of 1884. Some
eight or ten American residents subscribed
800 each to purchase press and materials.
At that time there was no money in the coun-
try, but Mr.. Abernethy, who was then Cover
nor of Oregon, had credit in New York, and
sent check of eight hundred dollars for the
materials-the other proprietors paying him
their proportions in wheat which had been
made a currency by an act of the first Oregon
Legislature. The materials for the Office were
selected by Mr.. Hail. who was either the edi
tor or proprietor Of the New York Spectator; be
took considerable interest in the enterprise, and
we believe donated one or two hundred dollars
Ia order to fit out better establishment than
could be obtained for the eight hundred dollars.
The Oregon paper was named the Spectator as a
compliment to Mr.. Hall. The materials ar
rived at Oregon City in the latter part of De.
cember, 1s45, and the three printers above
named applied for a situation, but as only one
could be employed, Mr.. Fleming was elected as
general superintendent Of the cOncern' by q
vote Of the proprietors The first number of
the Oregon Spectator was issued q few weeks
after, the name of Mr.. Lee appearing as editor,
and that Of Mr.. Fleming as printer. 1t was
published once in two weeks, and as near as we
remember, was about half the size of the Neva-
da DEMoCRAT. We state from personal knowl-
edge, that Mr. Fleming worked of the first
number. II is barely possible that some one
may have requested the privilege of pulling the
6rst sheet, but we have no recollection Of such
a circumstance. Mr.. Lee continued to edit the
paper for somo months, and was succeeded by
Mr.. Curry, who has since been Governor of
the Territory. Mr.. T'Vault, we believe, edited
q few numbers, but whether before or after Mr..
Curry, we cannot say. The Office was owned
by Methodist Missionaries Rocky Mountain
trappers, and others representing variety of
opinions; and as ii was necessary that the paper
should be conducted in such q manner aswould
suit oil the proprietors, no one man could long
In tha a1i
wards changed to weekly, enlarged, and con-
tinued to be published for many years. The
Spectator was the iirst paper published on the
Pacific coast, and to Mr. Fleming is due the
Among the original prOprietOrs were Governor
Abernethy, J. W. Nesmith, late Indian Agent
for Oregon, and Joe. Meek, an old mount aim
eer who settled in Oregon at an early day.
The fret printing ever done in Oregon was at
Mr.. Spalding's Mission, east of the Cascade
mountains. Mr.. Spaldiug was a Presbyterian
Missionary, located among the Nez Perce Indi-
ans In what 10 known as the Wallah Wallah
country. He WAS something Of genius. He
made regular grammar of the Nez Perce
tongue, into which he translated the Bible, and
taught the Nez Perce children to read the
Scriptures in their own language. lie procur-
ed some old printing materials, manufactured a
press himself, aud had portions of the Bible,
and vocabulary Of words, printed in the 4n-
dian tongue. The printer who did this work
was Mr.. Rogers. who learned his trade in Lib
erty, Missouri, and emigrated to Oregon in
ls43. Rogers was killed in an Indian fight, at
Oregon City, in the fall of 1874. Mr.. Spalding's
establishment was purchased by Mr.. Curry in
ls47, taken to Oregon City, and used in pub
fishing paper in opposition to the Spectator.
A few months ago, paragraph went the
rounds Of the California press, credited to an
Oregon paper, stating that man named Dor
sey did the nrst printing in Spalding's estab.
lishment, and afterwards printed the first num-
Der of the Californian, the pioneer paper of this
State. Having had pretty extensive ac-
quaintance among the early settlers on this side