Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/467

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
458
HISTORY OF OREGON NEWSPAPERS

the entire city and a good part of the population of Oregon. His regular column or columns in the Oregonian were sacred to him. Even Mr. Scott and Mr. Pittock hesitated to put in them any item of a news character without consulting him."

Celebrities interviewed by Barrett while on the Telegram included Sarah Bernhardt, who upset the conservative New Englander with a resounding smack and an embrace that made him blush; Ellen Terry, Sir Henry Irving, Mary Anderson, Sol Smith Russell, James J. Hill, Vice-President Stevenson.

On the Evening Standard, which was slowly dying in the early 80's, were Anthony Noltner, editor; J. B. Fithian, Sidney Dall, and John Milliken as reporters.

Members of the Northwest News editorial staff after 1883 included, as Mr. Reed recalls them, Adam S. Collins (for a short time); Sam Connell, who became a manufacturer and banker; Frank D. Cusick; Henry S. McGowan, later to become active and prominent in salmon fishing and canning; A. A. Ritchie, and Samuel R Frazier. John G. Egan, who started as foreman of the News, later became city editor. He and his brother Martin were famous reporters. Jack Egan later became connected with the firm of J. P. Morgan & Co. in New York. Another reporter on the News was Herbert S. Johnson, son of J. W. Johnson, first president of the University of Oregon and himself one of the early graduates (class of 1887).

After several years' absence as clerk of the circuit court and in private real estate business, Reed returned to the Oregonian, doing special work, December 1, 1896, remaining until October 1, 1901, at which time he was assistant city editor under N. J. Levinson.

On the Telegram during this period were Paul and Carl Kelty. Paul R. Kelty later was editor of the Oregonian, the position so long held by his uncle, Harvey W. Scott, for seven years. Carl Kelty is a financial broker in Los Angeles.



EVOLUTION OF NEWSWRITING


If the reporting and newswriting on early Oregon newspapers seems incomplete and formless, this need not be attributed entirely to inexperience of personnel or to pioneer environment.

The Oregon papers were not lagging far behind those of the eastern states in their newswriting technique. Twentieth century readers are so accustomed to having their news given them in the first sentence or the first paragraph that it is hard for them to realize that this manner of putting-the-best-foot-forward in the "lead" and thus "selling the story to the reader" has not always been the American style. The change has come gradually. Certainly it was