Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/342

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
HISTORY OF OREGON NEWSPAPERS
333

At the head of page 3 (the local page) is a notice of having engaged A. V. R. Snyder (103) to take charge of the news and editorial departments.

The paper was neat-appearing. The front page was clear of advertising and only 5¼ of the 24 columns in the paper were given up to advertising. The ads provide interesting samples of the things commonly advertised in the sixties, seventies, eighties, and part of the nineties—St. Jacob's Oil, Royal Baking Powder, Nervine, Mexican Mustang Liniment, an opium cure, a cure for constipation, a cure for consumption—the word cure, of course, employed by this writer with plenty of mental reservation-also a cure for "lost manhood and two Palmer & Rey ads telling publishers, present or prospective, of two seven-column used hand-presses for sale.

Now comes the second daily of McMinnville's big year 1886. D. C. Ireland, formerly of Mishawaka, St. Paul, Jackson (Mich.), Portland, Oregon City, Astoria, and many other way-points, was editing the Yamhill Reporter. It was small, a three-column, four-page affair, but, like all of Ireland's papers, neat-appearing. He charged 10 cents a week by carrier for this offshoot of the larger weekly, and the carrier was young Leonard Ireland. Advertising patronage was generous; and it is of interest that the three advertisements on the first page were for educational institutions—one for the "Oregon State University at Eugene," signed by Prof. John Straub, secretary of the faculty; another for McMinnville College (now Linfield), E. C. Anderson president; and the third for the McMinnville Business College. Two livery-stable ads tended to keep the Daily Reporter's atmosphere from seeming too rarefied.

The first issue appeared September 1, 1886. The issue of the 16th contained one full page (three 10-inch columns) of locals. Ireland was the news-reporting type of editor. The paper was enlarged to four columns October 1, and the readers were asked to take either the daily or the weekly, rather than both. "McMinnville," said Ireland, "will never again be without its own daily paper. . . . We paid for the privilege of coming to this little city to reside and do business, and we propose to stay, and pay our way as we go along." But the daily did not stay long, and neither did Mr. Ireland.

The little daily ran a long feature "Pioneers of '42-'43" serially during 1886. Its first issue was folded in as a supplement to the weekly, and the announcement was made that regular separate publication would begin Monday, September 6. There were 16 local items in the first issue, four and a half columns of "straight reading-matter," the rest advertising. The single sport item reported that "In the free-for-all match next week Melton is entered. He is a noble old horse; and although 18 years of age, still has the same style about him."

The New Year's issue of the daily (January 1, 1887) was an eight-page special booster edition, with a 13-section head over the big