The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-11-11
S. F. BLYTHE WAS
PIONEER PRINTER
RECORD HELD FOR FAST CASE WORK
Retired Dean Of His Profession Now Re.
sides Contented and Optimistic
at His Twin Oaks Farm

uel F. Blythe, at the age of 70 years,
may be found today the resident-owner
of Twin Oaks Farm, one of the Hood
River valleys most beautiful home.
sites. When Mr.. Blythe in the days of
his prime was active in following his
profession, those days before the lino-
type machine was introduced, he had
no equal in his swftness and accuracy
at the case. At Virginia City, Mont,
in 1867, and in Portland in later years,
working on the old Bulletin, Mr.. Blythe
made records that have never been sur.
passed. Recalling these earlier years
as he tills bis farm today, Mr.. Blythe
is contented. and in all Hood River
there is perhaps no man more optim-
istic.
1--WE have talked of our financial
stringencies and our hard times the
past year," says MIR. Blythe, "but the
troubles of today are inconsequential
to those of US old-timers who lived
through 1873, the year of Portland's
big fire. A panic had seized upon the
entire country, and our calamity added
to our depression.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Blythe
was living in Ohio at the outbreak of
the Civil war. Answering the call
for rsvolunteers he enlisted in the 22nd
Ohio infantry. He saw three years
of active service in the Mississippi val
| ley. He was with the army of Grant
at the battle of Fort Donaldson, Shiloh
and Corinth. He participated in the
siege of vicksburg and the capture of
that city.
| When the army was stationed on the
Tennessee river MIR. Blythe was ordered
to take charge of print shop at Tren-
ton and make up quantity of blanks
for thefquartermaster' department.
while ! was engaged in this work, !"
he says. "a new regiment that had
just joined US became engaged in a
battle at a cross roads. One of the
boys, fired with enthusiasm over the
new and thrilling experiences and Wis.
tied by an inspiration, wrote poem of
many stanzas, describing the battle.
He came to me and / bargained to
print the poem for him at 81. so per
| quire, obtaining the paper, writing
tablets that were kept for US soldiers
when we wanted to write home, from
the sutler. As fast as | delivered the
printed poems he sold them at 25 cents
apiece to members of his regiment.
Both of US were fast acquiring the
small change of that regiment. wher
orders came to march.
"While | was working at Trenton Q
southern girl brought me copy of the
Bonnie Blue Flag, and | made mum.
ber of cories of it for her. In reply te
this bit of wartime southern sentiment
a Kansas officer wrote poem, copies
of which | printed for him"
Mr.. Blythe declares that he would be
glad to secure copy Of the reply t(
the Bonnie Blue Flag" The senti
ment. he says, called to the minds Of
the Confederates that the Stars ant
Stripes would eventually again wave
supreme above both the north anC
south, and that the soldiers of both
armies would again be brothers.
Toward the close of the war Mr.
Blythe enlisted in Hancock's Veteran
Corps. During the trial of Mrs. Sur
ratt, who was convicted as an accom-
plice in the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln, the corps was stationed il
Washington.
1--WE were in charge of the executier 7
of the woman" says Mr.. Blythe. "My
regiment was stationed just outside
the enclosure in which Mrs. Surratt
was put to death. We stood there in
solid ranks with charged bayonets,
while thousands of people surged uT
against us. One man, he was very
drunk, as he pushed against me, tried
to exchange handful of greenbacks
for my gun.
No sooner was Mr.. Blythe private
citizen again than he determined to
take the advice of Horace Greeley and
strike for the west. He and compan.
ion, Dan Ridenour, arrived at st. Jos.
eph, Mo. Here the comrade became
discouraged and turned back.
1--WE had no money forsoutfitting,
says Mr.. Blythe, 'and we had planned
on making our way across the plains by
driving oxen. As soon as we saw thu
teams of animals and how they wer'
managed, we knew we would nevel
reach the Rocky mountains in thi
, manner. So Dan returned to Ohio an,
his sweetheart. ! was determined t
reach the Rockies before going back.
IL made Immediately for newspa
/ per Office, and was given work at tn
Office of the st. Joseph Gazette, de
spite the fact that | was not unio
man; for even then the labor union
we're active.
Il "Just when had saved up SIS fou
H friends, among them Capt. William
Il Lockwood, reached st. Joseph en- rout
4 to the west. They persuaded me t
Il put my SIS in the jackpot and joil
/ them. | had just two bits left afte
I| turning that money over to Capt. Lock
Il wood. spent the last cent of it--i
H was one of those old shin plasters-
! for a dozen eggs for our last feast th
!, night before We started on the lon
H trail.
II Mr.. Blythe says that he feels sur
II that no more inexperienced party eve
II left st. Joseph. "None of Us kne'
any thing about oxen," be says. "an
of course, we we're bested in our bal
II gains for teams. We crossed the Mis
souri, river on May 20. and on the frs
II night one of those severe thunde
II storms struck us. For fear that "
could not put the yokes on again, W
Il had left the oxen tied in pairs to trees
II All FIVE of US piled in our wagon fc
Il the night. l shall never forget th
II lightning, the thunder and that terribl
II downpour. The next day we made
II farmhouse--we had progressed just 81
III miles. The farmer assisted us with OF
III oxen the next morning and we starte
III on. Fortunately for US we overlook
party with an overloaded wagoI
iii M;~ed to fbo huho the haavv echoonf
Ill was stuck. However. the party had y
Il experienced negro driver. The colore
Il man hitched on our teams and soon hs
II his wagon out Of the mudhole. II
y owner Of the outfit then made a barga
!. with US. He gave US team OF oxe
and the negro driver. and put part
2 his freight aboard our wagon. Az
thus we reached the west. don't b