THE STRANGE BIRTH OF THE MYSTERIOUS NEWS
The Portland News (now the News-Telegram, since May, 1931) hasn't the longest history among the Portland papers; but its beginning makes a story none of the rest of them can approach. The date was 1906; the main actors in the drama opening were Thomas J. (Tom) Dillon and M. H. (Mel) Voorhees, both employees of the Seattle Star, Scripps newspaper. Mr. Dillon was asked by the writer of these lines, who used to work for him on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer more than 20 years ago, and who knew of his connection with the News, to tell the story of the beginning.
He replied, helpfully, with a most romantic story. Here it is, in his words, with only slight changes in the interest of condensation; the action opening in Seattle:
The history of the East Side News and the Portland News is so fantastic that I am quite certain no one possessed of your serious turn of mind will care to put it into print. . . . But what I am going to tell you is the cold, sober truth, and you can believe it or not.
In August, 1906, I was city editor of the Seattle Star and Mel H. Voorhees was advertising manager. One day in August Wells called me into his office and asked me how I would like to start a paper for Mr. Scripps. I was a blithe youngster of 28, newly married, and ready for any harum-scarum adventure so I said it would be fine. I was immediately informed that the whole business was very secret. I wasn't told where the paper was to be started or who was going with me. About a week afterwards Voorhees started to feel me out and we confessed, but neither of us knew where the paper was going to be started. We were finally called in together, told the paper was to be started in Portland, but not a word was to be said. We were to disappear from the Star office and never be heard of again. We were not to write letters back to Seattle and not even our relatives were to know where we were.
No details were given us, but the day before we started for Portland we were given a sealed envelope which was not to be opened until we were in Portland. We flitted out of Seattle like a couple of pickpockets and in Portland opened what is probably the most amazing letter any newspaper man ever had anything to do with. The letter told us we were to start a daily newspaper on the east side of Portland. We were
