Page:Pen Pictures of Representative Men of Oregon.djvu/228

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

188


of this State and country have justly commended the superiority of their work as beyond the reach of rivalry. At the present time the " West Shore" can be found in nearly every town and city in the United States and Eu- rope, and it is j^aining favor with each succeeding issue. This simply dem- onstrates that Mr. Samuels' efforts to make his paper first-class in every particular have been duly appreciated, and we might add here, that the Land officers also prefer it to any other publication. Anxious for the pros- perity of the great State of Oregon, which is now in its infancy, and with a heartfelt desire to see her take her place in the constellation of States in the most exalted position, we hope that Mr. Samuels is but just entering upon the great work which is destined to accomplish it, and we know that his efforts will be successful.


JOHN J. BURNETT

Associate editor of the Portland " Sunday Welcome," first saw daylight on the 15th of September, 1845, in the city of Philadelphia. His parents were Virginians and while the subject of this sketch was very young they removed to Chicago, taking him with them. At an early age he entered the Univer- sity of Chicago, and, while peacefully pursuing his studies, the threatening war clouds which long had foreboded disaster burst, and the nation was en- gulfed in strife. Though but a slender lad, young Burnett joined the Nine- teenth Illinois Volunteers as a private in the early part of '61. Enough of his war record to say that he received his share of hard knocks and was gazetted an officer for brave and meritorious conduct. He served until August, 1864, when he returned to his home. After the close of the Rebel- lion he came west and settled in Idaho. In 1869 he found himself in Ore- gon, where he has remained almost without intermission ever since.. In 1872 he began his career as a journalist and has been actively engaged up to the present time in the arduous details incidental to the daily grind of the newspaper office. There is no occasion to dwell upon Mr. Burnett's standing as a writer. Contributing as he has been for years- to one or the other of the Portland papers, he understands not only how to write but what to Avrite about. His style is pure, clear and succinct, never aiming at brilliant figures of speech, nor straining after eflect, but appealing directly and understaudingly to the mind of every-day men and women with a terse- ness that is commendable. Politically, Mr. Burnett is a war Democrat; personally, he is one of the most affable and popular men in the State. He is married to an estimable lady, and one child, a girl, is the fruit of their union.

E. L. OOLDWELL,

The well-known and popular city editor of the "Daily Standard," is one of those jovial, genial fellows that it does one good to meet. He is a Nova Scotian by birth and came to this State in 1869, since which time he has almost continuously been connected with some printing or newspaper office m the various capacities of pressman, compositor or reporter, in any of which positions he is equally at home. He is familiarly known by hi