Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-12-13
The Evolution Of a Leading Paper.

nrr OF First and Alder streets, which
long ago gave place to the demand.
Tor eligible sites for business structures
Th" Or'g"HiHo appeared a. four-page
>lN column paper, printed in Ions
primer type. II was edited 10y Thomas
Dryer, It's founder, and the mechanical
labor was performed 10y Thornton +
McElroy and a Mr.. Berry, who after
wards established the Coluaji0n, il
this city, printing it on the same
press that was first used hv the Orr
goHiaa, a Ramage partly built OF wood
the counterpart OF which appears in
the government archives at Washing.
ton, in glass case, known as Ben
Franklin'S press.
The OrtgoniaH made but little prog.
Te>s the first ten years OF its life. II
passed into the hands of Henry l..
Pittock and +. I. Gum, who with Mr.
Dryer managed to keep it alive, until
well on to the )" sixties" it became the
sole property of Mr.. Pittock. About
the beginning of the war, the oppor-
tunity came for development OF great
paper. Mr.. Pittock formed corpora
ton, secured a Geographic service
the Washington press which had sue
ceeded the Ramage gave place to a
hand cylinder, and its circulation be-
gan TO grow. For while it was like
"Japhet in search OF Father" 80 far
as its editorial sponsorship was con-
cerned, and Emory Holbrook, w. Lair
Hill and L. +. Hicks and others, at
times, occupied the tripod. While it
had become necessity as a newspa.
per, it did not attain much OF posi-.
ton as journal OF influence until
Harvey Scott became its editor several
years later. 1t then speedily attained
a rank as successful and permanent
business enterprise. While we would
not detract from the shrewd business
ability of Mr.. PittOck, who has al
along guided its destiny, it must bt
admitted that it needed the strong per
sonality and commanding ability o
its editor in chief to round out the full
measure of success which it has at
tanned.
The Oregodian now publishes dali,
edition of from eight to twenty-fou
pages, its type set by eight Mergen
thaler machines, and it is printed or
one Of the largest and fastest Hoe per
fecting presses that money can buy
1t occupies palatial home in a nine
story building, one of the best in thu
whole country, and it is in all respect.
one of the neatest geographically
and best conducted editorially, of thu
many bright newspapers that have
been the wonder OF the world during
the closing years OF the nineteenth
century.
The Oregonidn may not publish 81
many mammoth editions as the Sal
Francisco or Chicago papers, but eacl
OF its regular issues is large enough t.
meet the requirements OF the mos
voracious reader, and its appearance,
does not make one feel quite as " tired
as when he receives big wad of pape
that represents the phenomenal issu
Of some Overly-ambitious Alexander il
journalism. Besides more, care seem
to be taken in the arrangement of it.
departmental matter, and its patron
always knows where to look for tn
news from any portion OF the country
State, national, foreign or local, and i
appears under comprehensive head
lines, which reduces the labor G
"skimming." to obtain the gist with
out wading through many columns 9
words, to the minimum.
The STANDARD feels pride in til
Oregoniam as Pacific coast productio
that he has seen grow from infancy t
stalwart proportions, and this feelin
is not lessened by the memory tina
the writer in boyhood was one OF tn
Oregonidn's first carriers in the the
hamlet OF Portland.