Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 35/The Oregon Printing Association
THE OREGON PRINTING ASSOCIATION
By Nellie B. Pipes
With the increase in the American population of Oregon after the immigration of 1843 a sentiment arose for a means of intelligence regarding the affairs of the community. The leaders who had been active in forming the Multnomah Circulating Library now took active steps to promote an association to raise funds for securing a press and printing a newspaper.[1] This was the beginning of the Oregon Printing Association. In its first issue the Oregon Spectator printed the constitution of the association, but in the Oregon Historical Society are a number of documents, minutes of meetings and correspondence, which tell something of the story of the formation and early plans of the organization.
The earliest document (though undated it must be early in 1844) sets forth that
Whereas there is at present no press or public paper in this territory therefore we the undersigned in order to promote science, temperance, morality and general intelligence, to secure a press and to establish a monthly, semi monthly or weekly paper, do hereby severally promise and bind ourselves to pay the sum set to our respective names to the treasurer who shall be duly appointed by the subscribers hereunto annexed at some regular meeting as hereinafter provided and further binding ourselves to form an association to be governed by such rules and articles of compact and agreement as shall be adopted at some regular meeting of said subscribers by a majority present, notice having been given to that effect.
Article 1. The style of this association shall be the Oregon Lyceum.
Article 2. The stock of this association shall consist of shares of $10 each and shall entitle the holder to a certificate for each share and the holder thereof for every certificate, signed by the President and Secy, one vote in all business pertaining in any way to said association.
Article 3. There shall be a board of the officers chosen by ballot annually to conduct the press and attend to all the business pertaining to the association consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and a committee of three who shall constitute a board of directors.
Article 4. When there shall have been taken up upon the several subscription papers the amount of $500 in stock George Abernethy, Harvey Clark, W. H. Gray, the committee, whose duty it shall be to obtain subscribers and [will] call a meeting of the stockholders as soon as may be to elect a board of officers and transact such other business as may be deemed necessary and important. Either two of the within named committee attaching their names to a notice & posting up the same in three different public places shall be deemed sufficient notice.
Article 5. These articles may be altered or amended at any regular meeting by a majority of the stockholders present.
The names of subscribers appended to these articles with the amounts subscribed were as follows: David Leslie, Robert Newell, each $50; James Douglas, $30; Elijah White, $25; W. H. Gray, Jesse Applegate, A. L. Lovejoy, Fendal C. Cason, Thomas McKay, each $20; John Force, Isaac Hutchens, George Gay, John McCaddon, Medorem Crawford, each $10.
At a meeting of the stockholders March 12, 1844 , George Abernethy, chairman, reported the amount of stock subscribed to be $645. At this meeting an added article appeared in the constitution as Article 2:
The press owned by or in connection with this association shall never be used by any party for the purpose of propagating sectarian principles or doctrines nor for the discussion of exclusive party politics.
The committee to whom was submitted the compact changed the name from Oregon Lyceum to Oregon Printing Association; also it amended the former Article 2 by making the shares of $10 each payable in approved orders on Vancouver, the mission store or Mr. Ermatinger. The meeting as a whole adopted the amendments and elected the following officers: Harvey Clark, president; Jesse Applegate, vice president; John E. Long, secretary; George Abernethy, treasurer; A. F. Waller, S. P. Rogers, W. H. Gray, committee. The treasurer was requested to order a press forthwith and to furnish $800 to pay for the same. Mr. Newell was requested to assist in procuring stockholders until the sum of $1000 should be subscribed. The next meeting was set for the first Tuesday in June, 1845.
The subscriptions listed on this paper amount to $960, Benjamin Stark being the largest subscriber with $60, John McLoughlin, Robert Newell and David Leslie followed with $50 each.
For some reason it was found expedient to call a meeting before the first Tuesday in June, 1845, and on October 1, 1844, the shareholders assembled at the schoolhouse, Oregon City, only to adjourn till the next evening.
On October 2, J. W. Nesmith was chairman. The treasurer reported that he had forwarded to the states the sum of $800 to purchase a printing press, paper and ink. J. W. Nesmith and Peter H. Hatch were named committeemen in place of S. P . Rogers, deceased, and A. F. Waller, absent. Joseph L. Meek was appointed collector for the association with compensation fixed at two and one half percent of the collections. On a list of subscriptions amounting to $775, a total of $365 is marked paid.
Meetings were held on June 3 and July 9, 1845, but the minutes do not record anything beyond routine business.
There is no record in the documents of the arrival of the press, but it must have come late in 1845, as in the minutes of January 3, 1846, it was reported that "$60 had been borrowed from Mr. Ermatinger with which the freight due Mr. Stark had been paid." At this time the name of Oregon Spectator was chosen for the paper. At this meeting, too, the choice of editor was considered. William G. T'Vault had addressed an offer December 27, 1845, to undertake the duty for $300 for one year beginning January 1, 1846. His letter is endorsed, "W. G. T'Vault's proposal accepted." H. A. G. Lee was also a candidate for the position and had offered his services for $600 a year. The board of directors had asked each of the applicants to submit a prospectus of his qualifications and terms for consideration at the meeting of January 3, 1846. Lee's reply shows some indignation at the method pursued by the board in making a choice:
Oregon City, Jany 3 1846
Doct. Long
Dear Sir
Having previously submitted through you a proposition to serve the Board of Directors of the Oregon printing association, as editor, and subsequently learned from you that they had received a proposal from another, to serve them, and also that the board had not determined on the choice of the two, but had defered settleing the point until this evening, requesting the Candidates in the mean time to draft and submit to them a Prospectus; I beg leave to inform the board, through you, that at the time of making the proposal, I had no knowledge of any other individual's wishing the office, if I had I should not have made a proposition at all, I did not really wish the place, because I did [not?] believe myself well qualified to discharge the duties of an editor with much credit to myself or profit to others. I was then, as I still am, of opinion that the paper, if well edited would engross the time as well as the tallent of the editor. I could not therefore agree to undertake it for less than a support; yet I would not wish the association to loose by the opperation, (as I learn some of the Directors fear such would be the result). I will therefore make two other propositions, vz, I will serve them for the procedes of the paper after the printer is paid, or I and Mr. Fleming will take the press for the year, and print and publish a paper under the provisions of the constitution of the association, and will pay the Board for the paper and ink that we may use, and repair any damage that may be done the press, or some such arrangement as can be agreed upon between us. I have no farther proposal to make.
As to the prospectus, allow me to say with all due respect, that there is something so humiliating in the idea of being a Candidate and electioneering for the office of editor of a newspaper, that I cannot bring myself to it without a greater strugle against my feelings than I am able to make at present.
If I have any tallent for usefulness, it is always at the service of my friends, but it is not in market, to be bid off for dollars & cents.
If the Board wish it, as a favour merely, I will draft a prospectus for their paper with pleasure at any time.
Very respectfully your
Obedient humble servant
H. A. G. Lee
After so much preparation the Oregon Spectator first appeared February 5, 1846 , as a semimonthly paper, with T'Vault editor and John Fleming printer at a salary of $1000 a year. It contained the constitution of the Oregon Printing Association with revised and additional articles of compact, signed by W. G. T'Vault, president; J. W. Nesmith, vice president; John P. Brooks, secretary, George Abernethy, treasurer; R. Newell, John H. Couch and John E. Long, directors.
T'Vault greets his public in a long editorial announcing the non-political character of the paper in accordance with the compact; at the same time he does not refrain from stating his own political faith, declaring that "we are now, as we have always been, and ever shall be, a democrat of the Jeffersonian school." The editor continues with an appeal for literary and scientific contributions. He realizes the difficulty of making an interesting newspaper without the ad vantage of exchanges. "It is not to be anticipated that we can amuse or interest the reading portion of the community to the extent a newspaper published in N. York or London would do."
T'Vault's editorship was of short duration. He writes to the board of directors under date of March 5, 1846:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gentlemen
I am informed that you wish to obtain the services of another person to edit the Spectator consequently I shall decline being present at your meeting this evening.
It will not be amiss for me to say whatever you may do in that matter I will cheerfully concur in.
I have been accused tried and found guilty without ever being informed that a Judgement was valid unless the accused citizen had actual or constructive notice of the charge. I am well satisfied there is a well organized opposition, and no difference at what sacrifice the object must be accomplished. I do not wish to make any appeal to arouse your sympathies in my behalf, and shall at a proper time adopt such a course as will satisfy those who are not prejudiced that I am Innocent of the base charges against me.
Gentlemen, I never do expect to belong to any favored few, there is to much attempted to be done in this country to please a few. I shall submit for the present to what ever may be said as nothing can be of long duration without a foundation.
It is true I have too much business to attend to I have done wrong and so has those who gave it to me. I done wrong in asking for the Editorship and the public has done wrong in awarding to me situations I did not ask for. Should you in your meeting agree to discharge me you have only to inform me of that fact and the arrangement can be made; in the event you, and the Judges and I will abide.
Gentlemen, It is not for me to ask for nor you to give that which is attempted to be taken in a manner that my character has been assailed.
Respectfully
W. G . T'VAULTI would be pleased if you would call on me singly and converse.
T.
We do not know the nature of the "base charges" against the editor though from a letter in the second number of the paper signed Subscriber it would seem that one of the causes of dissatisfaction was the censorship imposed on political discussion, while the editor had so freely expressed his own sentiments. At any rate his dismissal was decided on and in the issue of April 2, appears the Editor's Valedictory, in which he insinuates that his dismissal was on account of his political opinions and the antagonism of the officials of the territory.
H. A. G. Lee, the former candidate, was now chosen to succeed T'Vault and the paper of April 16 came out under his direction. But his career, too, was brief. At a meeting August 1, 1846 , the officers of the association drew up long resolutions condemning Lee's editorial policy and giving notice of his dismissal. Among other things it was resolved that "the citizens of Oregon are capable of self government. No foreign interest should be promulgated through the columns of the Spectator;" that "the editorial and other matters that have appeared in the columns of the Spectator are contrary to the Interest of Oregon and in opposition to the object that stimulated the proprietors of the Oregon Printing Association to the enterprise of establishing a newspaper in Oregon." From an item in the Spectator, August 20, concerning Lee's dismissal it is plain that the board charged Lee with favoring British interests in Oregon.
After passing the above resolutions and adding the name of John Fleming to the board, the meeting adjourned to "Saturday evening, 15 Aug 1846 at early candle light."
With the newspaper well launched the association sponsored publication of a school book, an abridged edition of Webster's Elementary Spelling Book. At the meeting of November 16, 1846, George Abernethy, chairman of the committee appointed for the purpose of finding the cost of printing, reported:
The Committee appointed for the purpose of Inquiring into the Expediency of publishing an abridged copy of Websters Elementary Spelling book, have had the same under consideration and have Instructed me to report as follows
76.80
12.00
33.80
12.00
7.40
20.00
4.00
10.00
$175.00 [$176.00]
This sum was less than had been anticipated. The estimate was for 1000 copies but a second 1000 could be ordered for the small additional cost of $65.20. The report continues:
Therefore your Committee believes that the public good would be promoted in as much as such books cannot be obtained through any other source and at present schools cannot be established without such books also that it will enable the association by selling the books for cash to realize an amount sufficient to send after paper which is all important to the association.
The association ordered that 2000 copies of the book be printed.
The Spectator, January 21, 1847, announces that the books will be ready by February. Stitched copies may be obtained for 25 cents and bound ones for the additional tax of the binding. And by February 4, 1847, the book was off the press as the announcement in the Spectator of that date shows. Again the price is stated to be 25 cents for stitched copies and 37½ cents for bound copies. The notice goes on to say that "this little volume reflects great credit upon its printer, Mr. W. P. Hudson. Indeed it is got up in good style and strongly bound, and will be found really serviceable in the cause for which it is intended."
This was the first book in English printed on the Pacific coast. It was five by seven and one half inches, 96 pages, about two thirds the size of the original Webster's spelling book. The binding was done by Carlos W. Shane, who had come to Oregon in the immigration of 1846, and was a book binder by trade.[2]
On October 5, 1846, Fleming had renewed his offer to continue as printer at $1000 a year. At the same time N. W. Colwell submitted a bid of $800 a year. That his offer was immediately accepted is evident as his name appears on the issue of October 15, 1846. Just why Mr. Hudson should have printed the spelling book instead of Colwell is not known, but his skill as a printer must have impressed the association as he was employed in that capacity by the Spectator, May 13, 1847.
After the discharge of Lee the Spectator was conducted by Fleming, the printer, without the services of an editor, from August 20 to September 17, 1846, inclusive. In the issue of October 1, 1846, G. L. Curry's name appears as editor. His editorship lasted till January 20, 1848, when, he too, incurred the displeasure of the board. His offense had been the publication of resolutions denouncing Abernethy's appointee, J. Q. Thornton, as agent of the provisional government at Washington. This was done in defiance of the will of the association, of which Abernethy was president.
Following Curry came Aaron E. Wait, February 10, 1848, to February 22, 1849. From the latter date till October 4, 1849 the paper was suspended on account of the gold rush to California. It then reappeared under the direction of the Reverend Wilson Blain. On April 18, 1850, ownership of the Oregon Spectator passed from the Oregon Printing Association to that of Robert Moore. The paper continued an irregular existence under various owners and editors until it permanently suspended in March, 1855.
- ↑ Gray, History of Oregon, 454.
- ↑ Himes, "History of the Press of Oregon," Oregon Historical Quarterly, III, 346-48.