Ayer's has been able to keep track of, and Mr. Schwab and Fred Lockley have been able to run down several not given a mention in the directories.
W. H. Brooks led the procession. He moved a plant in from Monmouth and edited the paper while Mrs. Brooks set up his copy at the case. The first four years after the move are all fogged up.64 By 1896, in any event, Mr. Brooks had given place as publisher to H. S. Turner, who carried on from 1896 to January, 1898, when he turned the paper over to Edith Douglas. She man aged and edited it until May, 1899, when Heisler & Temple took hold, letting go in December to Henry Menefee. The new owner managed to stick it out for a year, relinquishing control February 1, 1901, to Charles Reed. Reed handled the publication until March, 1903, when he took in a partner, and Reed & Shepard conducted the paper until 1905, when Shepard left the firm and Reed carried on until January, 1909.
The next owner, T. C. Queen, stayed a while, publishing the Dispatch for 12 uninterrupted years, until September, 1921. Schwab65 credits him with giving his readers "a fine, newsy paper, especially during the war period, when his paper contained much interesting news concerning Dufur boys ... in the great conflict." M. E. Phillips published the paper from September, 1921, until 1923; then A. Y. Zoller was in charge until April, 1924.
Mr. Queen returned to the paper at that time, bringing a new partner, L. C. Wright, who handled the mechanical end. Mr. Zoller came back in 1925 with Fred Vieth and published the paper until March, 1926. The next owners were two war veterans, D. C. Evans and L. C. Bliem, who, until June 21, 1928, "turned out the best papers since the . . . first edition in 1891," says Mr. Schwab. L. S. Wright was the next owner, carrying on until July 8, 1930, when he gave way to D. C. Evans and James Nelson. Moe Bros, of Hood River (Mark E. and Roger) took hold in January, 1933, with Lee Schwab as editor and Ray McGuire in charge of the mechanical department. The present editors and publishers (1939) are R. C. and L. A. McGuire.
Dufur, as a matter of fact, was a better little town than most of the Oregon communities when their first newspapers were published. The population was estimated at 500, and the first plant was valued at $3600. The old days when $500 would install a working newspaper plant were passing in 1891. Even so, the paper had its struggles, and one of the sources of this history noted, with grim humor, that the "outstanding event in the paper's history" was the continued effort of owner after owner to keep from starving to death.
Antelope.—This little community, later the scene of the writing apprenticeship of the young H. L. Davis, whose Honey In the
