Oregonian Office, 1852." It was the most eagerly read and most talked of publication of its time. Its triumphant reception has been described by Elwood Evans:
It was written in rhyme and blank verse, and contained cuts of the leading Democrats who followed Pratt's leadership. This work caused great excitement throughout the territory. Crowds flocked to every postoffice to get a copy and read it, till half the people of Oregon had committed most of it to memory. When Governor Gaines and the Whig officials learned that Adams was the author of "Junius" and "Breakspear" they conditionally bought the Spectator press and offered it to him as a present if he would start a Whig paper, offering to give him all the patronage at his disposal. The offer was declined for fear of injuring the Whig paper in Portland.
Mrs. Frances Fuller Victor referred to it as follows:
…a satire written in dramatic verse, and styled a Melodrama, illustrated with rude wood-cuts, and showing considerable ability both for composition and burlesque. This publication, both on account of its political effect and because it was the first book written and published in Oregon of an original nature, deserves to be remembered.
Two copies are preserved in the library of the Oregon Historical Society. It is a pamphlet of 32 pages, in addition to the paper covers, printed in double columns. The illustrations mentioned by Mrs. Victor have been further described by George H. Himes as "a number of rude cartoons—the first attempt of the kind in the territory—which added spice to the text." There were five of these, two on the back cover without titles, and three scattered through the book with captions as follows:
(SEE ACT V, SCENE II)
SCENE IN GRUB'S GROCERY
(SEE PAGE 9)
JUDGE, GUMBO, AND RUNNER
(JUDGE STAMPING THE OREGONIAN—GUMBO HANDING HIM A PLUG OF TOBACCO—SEE PAGE 25)
William L. Adams, who at the age of 31 had leaped into fame with his satire, was a Campbellite. He had received his education at Bethany College, Virginia, where he lived in the house of the president, the great Alexander Campbell himself. Because of over-study and weakened eyesight, he
