Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-03-14
TELLS OF HIS FIRST
WORK ON STANDARD
GEO. H.. HINES "RENINISCES''
ABOUT EARLY DAYS OF
THIS PAPER.

An unusually interesting letter
was received by the editor TIE other
day from that well-known and pop
ular "old-timer," Geo. H. Hines, sec
rotary Of the Oregon Historical So
ciety. Responding to letter from
this Office, requesting him to renew
his subscription, he wrote, under
date of March 10:
Your reminder received. Thank
you. Bowling to the inevitable,
cheerfully respond, thankful that,
notwithstanding war prices in many
directions, the sum you desire goes
just twice as far as 1t did when my
The Standard on the day Of its first
issue, Saturday, November II, 1850.
My own connection with the paper
began on Monday, June 10, 1861, at
Z O'Clock a. m., and had had my
Ebreakfast and walked five miles be-
fore that. l was about as raw and
green country youth as could be
found in Thurston county, with
hands and face almost as brown as
an Indian, as had been worker on
my fathers firm continuously from
the day he removed there. Novem-
Der 3, 1853, up to the date above
noted. l had not, ''store clothes
mother of most sacred memory---not
tailor made, but nevertheless both
comfortable as we'll as durable, and
all stitched by hand.
In addition to editing the paper.
Mr.. Murphy spent portion of his
time at the case setting type. The
other employees were Elisha Treat
Gum. Reuben l.. Doyle and Robert
Frost. late justice of the peace In
Olympia. Mr.. Gum was pressman
at the time, the press being q No. 2
Washington hand press. made by
Robert Hoe & Co., New York. Speed.
200 to 240 impressions per hour.
The first and fourth pages were
sent to press on Tuesday afternoon.
and the second and third pages ON
Saturday morning.
That week was the time Of my ini-
tiation into the mysteries OF the serv-
ice which the Printers Devil" was
under obligations to perform. In my
case an attempt was made to make
me the butt of the ancient jokes of
the craft. MIR. Murphy gave me an
order in writing to go to the Office OF
the defunct Pioneer and Democrat.
where T. F. McElroy was doing q lit
tie job work, and get two quarts of
imposing stone" AS the order was
not sealed. read it while going to
the Office named. knew something
about pumice stone, but imposing
stone" was beyond my ken.
The order was handed to Mr.. Nc
Elroy, who read it and said, "Al
RICH; there it is" pointing to
double medium marble slab, two
inches thick, imbedded in plaster, and
mounted on heavy ash frame, fas-
tened together very securely with
three-eighth inch bolts. help your
SELF
| On the instant l saw that l was
being made game Of, and made up
my mind that that was a trick that
two could play at. Then l hailed a
passing drayman and told him that a
load was ready, and with Mr.. Nc
Elroy's aid we loaded the imposing
stone" on the dray and it was taken
to The Standard Office. then on the
west side of Main street at the cor
ner OF First, believe, end reported
to Mr.. Murphy.
lid you get the imposing
stone?' he asked.
! Yes, sir; 1t is here: come and see
it."
/ He then came to the front door OF
the Office and saw the stone. His re-
marks would not sound we'll In print !;
but the experience cost him one dol
lar. I was with him nearly three
years after that, bit was never sent
on fools errand again.
Fifty-fve years ago today ] left
Olympia for Portland and arrived on
J March 18th. 8 O'Clock p. m. with 5.
in my pocket. The trip cost $3.50
! The next day I went to setting type