Baker was already becoming a mining center, and the local news columns of the Democrat's first issue, Saturday, May 11, 1870, contained references to the mining camps of the county. The editorial columns were devoted to political questions, as was the general rule in those days, and the public debt, following the Civil war—which had mounted to a mere fraction of the figures of the 1930's, drew comment. (118).
The Democrat was a four-page paper 21×28 (6-col.). The circulation, at $4 a year, was reported at 480.
In the second number, May 18, appeared the announcement that the Pioneer stage line had reduced the running time from Umatilla to Boise to three days. May 29 there came a rather unseasonable snowstorm which aroused the editor to comment disgustedly about the "poets who sing of genial spring, its balmy breezes and budding treeses," etc.
Judge McArthur, whose wife was a daughter of United States Senator James W. Nesmith of Oregon and sister of the wife of Levi Ankeny of Walla Walla, prominent banker and later United States senator from Washington, and whose two sons, Clifton N., later U. S. representative from Oregon, and Lewis A., authority on Oregon history, were active in the civic and business life of Oregon, retired from the Democrat in July, and Abbott became sole proprietor.
Two years later (Aug. 1, 1872) J. M. Shepherd purchased the paper, and May 5, 1875, Mr. Shepherd associated with him his son, H. C. Shepherd, as a partner. J. M. Shepherd ("old Shep") was a brother-in-law of Delazon Smith and with him had founded the old Albany;;Democrat;; in 1859 and had later founded Idaho's first news paper, the Idaho City World.
In 1873 young I. B. Bowen became, as a lad of 14, an apprentice on the paper, beginning a career on the Democrat which was to last for close to half a century.
Shepherd sold out, Dec. 15, 1880, to the Bedrock Publishing Co., with I. B. Bowen and J. T. Donnelly, local editors. April 1, 1882, the masthead carried the firm name of J. T. Donnelly & Co.
The firm Bowen & Small (which included J. T. Donnelly as a partner) purchased the paper May 9, 1887, and continued ownership for many years. Mr. Bowen was a real pioneer of the Baker country, having crossed the plains with his parents to the Baker valley from his birthplace in Illinois in 1862. He was then in his fourth year. Young Bowen was graduated from the Baker City Academy and at tended school also in Salem. During a six-year absence from the Democrat he was employed for five years as an apprentice in the printing office of George H. Himes in Portland. Completing his apprenticeship he returned to the Democrat and soon afterward formed the company whose name was to remain at the masthead of the Democrat for four decades. The Bowen-Small Company leased the
