The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1890-01-24

The world Is familiar with the great
achievements of New York journalists: The
Heralds Stanley enterprise, The Worlds
sending Nellie BLY, around the world east
ward and The Cosmopolitans sending Miss
Bslan1 on rival circumnavisation west
ward But it is something Of surprise to
learn of the big things done by the big jour
mails Of San Francisco-n city that forty-.wo
years ago was only "Ycrba Bucna Mission"
city that in half lifetime rose from the salt
marsh and sandhill to more than the opu-
lence of Old Venice or Amsterdam.
The Ssan Francisco Chronicle is but twenty
five Years old lwithin a few weeks, yet it is
noi" Fastening thA completion Of one Of the
finest publication l!n;tses III the world; while
its rival, The Examiner, has just welcomed
home lis ll-yea,-ohi lady envoy from a
European tour. On the ,9th OF May last The
San Francisco Examiner proposed to the
mayer and school authorities of that city
that it would pay all the expenses of an ex-
curslon abroad, Including month at the
Faris exposition, for any representative pupil,
boy OF girl, Of the city schools, and of q
teacher or either parent as the pupil might
elect. \ competitive examination was or
dered, and the prize was won by l5-year-old
Miss May Ayers, who gained G5l 4 credits
out Of possiLl, :hA TIar rlnsast cnn,n.,itor
Miss frankie Willis, had only n less.
The bright girl, n native of San Fra ncisco,
in company with her mother and younger
sister, left in a few days for Europe, whence
they returned after an absence OF six months
and her comments on foreign life, us pub
lished il. Th.4 Examiner, have I'LL the charm
OF freshness and uusopAisticated youth, with
a good deal OF quaint philosophy, drawn
from the ch!dfs reading and consequent
comparisons. Italy interested her more than
any other country. She inspected the ruins
of Pompeii, saw the towers, galleries and pub
lie buildings OF Rome, Milan and Florence,
put in a month at Paris and visited the most
noted places in Germany and England. On
her return her schoolmates and the teachers
OF her department, the Hamilton Grammar
school, gave her a grand reception at the
Palace hotel, speeches being made by the
mayor and other notables.
The history of California journalism is a
romance in itself. When the Americans took
charge they found nn ample lot of Spanish
type in nn old mission, the fathers having done
some printing; so few practical printers
started [, weekly paper, OF which the first
issue contained notice like this
I'VE regret to have to announce that we
have no double us, as there are none in the
Spanish language we have sent for some,
and until they arrive we shall be compelled
10 use Two ' S instead.
The Alta California is the pioneer of San
Francisco journalism, dating from 194S; and
Fred McCrelish was long accounted the
father Of the profession. But with the close
OF the civil war came great wave of west
ward emigration, and many new journals
were started The Examiner and The Chron.
icle, now the great political rivals, among
the lot. The Examiner is Democratic but
politics is but a small feature Of its life. It
is indeed power on the coast, but its history
has not been so sensational as that OF some
other papers,
For sensation pure and simple, The San
Francisco Chronicle perhaps excels any other
paper in the United States. Every main
event in its history has had sensation con-
nected with it, the contents originally were
OF sensational order. and the lives of its
editors, contributors and assailants were
what conservative in politics-that is, Re-
publican with leaning that is called con.
servntive in California.
Charles and Michael H. De Young, natives
of St. Louis, crossed the great plains in early
childhood with their parents. Their father
died on the way, and their mother reached
California in poverty, but went resoutely to
work, reared the boys in tolerable comfort
and educated them well In those days
working women in California had to ignore
many fine distinctions rs to their neighbors
and associates. People without capital did
as they could and asked no questions about
the moral character their acquaintance had
borne siu the states" Out of the poverty
and social mixtures of those early wears the