The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-11-11

| oh Va ouf parry.
Members of Mr.. Blythe's party fled
on claims near Bezeman. Mont. Irri.
CATION bitches were dug, poles we're
cut for fencing and ploughing was
done.
"To furnish money to buy supplies, {"
says Mr.. Blythe, 81 hired out to an
old German farmer to work in his har-
vest fields. He gave me So q day and
board. ! had never bound grain before,
and for the first few days thought il
would kill me, but / stuck to il. When
| became toughened don't think any
man ever enjoyed his meals as did at
there at that old Germans home"
The next spring, however. the farms
were abandoned. The homesteaders did
not have sufficient funds to purchase
seed. which was selling for IS per
busEel.
I'VE lost our cattle. wagon and ev-
erything We had." says Mr.. Blythe.
1T was then that | determined to 60
to Virginia City, where / finally Sc
cured work on a newspaper published
every other day. The regular pay was
81 per 1000 ems. could easily set
10, 600 ems a day. ! remained there
for year. The legislature sat while
l was at work in Virginia City and |
secured job on territorial bill work.
This was considered fat, and during
one week of six days made $l44."
Later when working on the Bulletin
in Portland, Mr.. Blythe set SO, 900 ems
during six.day week. However, the
Portland price was only GO cents per
1000.
After year the Virginia City plant
was removed to Helena, then the CEN
ter of mining interests.
'I decided to return to Ohio" says
MIR. Blythe. "The journey was made
by Missouri river steamer from Fort
Benton. During the year had accum-
ulated 81 800.
81 arrived home at Eaton, Ohio,
where my mother lived, on the night
before July 4. The weather was ter.
rifcally hot, and after a year in the
high altitude | found that was not
able to stand it. | left for Chicago,
where worked on the daily newspa.
pers and in September, this was tbs
mountains. At Salt Lake city two Of
US boys who formed the party, pur'
chased cayuses and rode horseback the
entire distance from the Utah city te
Helena. Mont"
MIR. Blythe the next year left fol
California. He worked for time or
the Sacramento Union and journeyed or
down to San Francisco, where hi
worked on the Call, the Alta, ths
Chronicle and the Bulletin.
In June, 1870, Ben Halliday, plan.
ming to start paper in Portland, sen,
James O'Msra to San Francisco to pur
chase a plant. The San francisco
Times had just ceased publication, ant
Mr.. O'Mara purchased the entire outf
of the defunct paper. The foreman fol
the new Portland paper. the Bulletin
and the city editor were secured in SaI
Francisco. The foreman was instruct
ed to select crew of swift, sober com
positors. and Mr.. Blythe was amonI
! the printers chosen for the journe.
north.
1--WE all came up on Mr.. Halliday ;
boat" says MIR. Blythe. There wer,
ten of US in the party. So far as
know, ! am the only printer Of tina
party that survives. Even the press
men were chosen in San Francisco.
1.-THE Bulletin lasted for five years
and remained with it. The late Har
vey W. Scott became editor. Then th,
Bulletin failed 'and Mr.. Scott becam,
editor of theOregonian, where he mad,
!, for himself national name.
"In 1875 a number of US printer
started the Daily Bee. 1t ran unit
1881. was with the Bee but IL months
For time it was popular and pro
gressive paper. 1t was made unpopla
when the business manager of the pub
licatioD engaged one day in stree
fight with and killed the business man
ager of the Evening Telegram.
"In 1873 Democratic legislator,
passed what was known as the Litigan
Act. The statute was enacted for tn,
purpose of building up Democratic
organ in the city of Portland and a
the SAME time aiding struggling Demo
cratic sheets throughout the state. |
provided that all legal publications b.
placed in papers designated by the gov
ernor.
1.-THE late Judge C. B. Bellinger. VIII,
was federal judge at the time of hi
death. organized company of printerl
and started the Daily News. | was on,
Of the printers and remained there ,
year. Other members Of the join
stock company owning the paper ant
compositors on the sheet were j. J
Curry. John S. Hughes and Arthur Ge
,, laney. One of the first acts of tn,
I following Republican legislature wa
|, to repeal the Litigant Act, and o
course, this killed the Daily News"
In 1877 Mr.. Blythe came up to Hoo
! River seeking health. He purchase
! % acres of oak covered land on tb
old State road west of the city. Late
% additional adjoining acres wer
! bought. In 1881 the returned to Port
land and engaged for two years wit
|, Ed Casey and II. Paffenburger in tn
= !. publication of the Farm and Dairymar
which is now merged with the Pacifi
Farmer. In 1884 Mr.. Blythe came I
:. Hood River and spent two years on hi
= = farm, returning to Portland in 1886
: work for six months as postal clerl
After working as printer at interval
!. for five years for John H. Cradlebaugl
!, who. with Geo. T. Prather. founded ih
!. Hood River Glacier, MIR. Blythe pu
= chased this pioneer paper of the Hoe
River valley. A claim against tt
= = early publisher for wages as typesettt
8 was applied on the purchase pric,
!. Until 1904. when the Glacier was sol
= to A. n. Moe, its present publishe
!. MIR. Blythe was a leading spirit in Ii
y activities of the Apple Valley. H
!. son. E. N. Blythe. now a member
$ the staff of the Oregonian. received b
!. early newspaper training in his father
= Office.
= The smell of printers ink still hi
= its charm for the former printer-pul
= Usher, and on visits to the city he col
y, !. not refrain from entering the plant {
y . his former publication, there to fill b
! nostrils with the peculiar print-shc
y odor.
a Mr.. Blythe, now adjutant Of Cant
= Post, is past commander of the Depsr
= = ment of Oregon. G. A. r. He has bee