to B. E. Kennedy, who handled the business end of the paper well for a time until failing health compelled his retirement.
Kennedy sold his interest to Charles Sampson, who sold to H. W. Stewart, later of Springfield. Then came Gov. T. T. Geer, who had been defeated for renomination in the convention and took hold as soon as George E. Chamberlain took over the governorship at the beginning of 1903. Geer was a capable journalist, and Dodd moved over to the business side, letting the ex-governor write the editorials and handle the news end. Differences cropped out between the partners as to editorial policies and methods, particularly Mr. Greer's tendency to whack old friends of Mr. Dodd, to whom the former publisher felt grateful for past support. So Dodd and Geer parted company, Dodd selling out, December 6, 1906. The publishers were now Geer and Mitchell.
It was Mr. Dodd's judgment that factionalism in politics was on the way out; that the direct primary law was reducing the im portance of the old political organ, that the tendency was toward fewer newspapers, and that there was something incompatible be tween the effort to have the newspaper serve the whole community and the old super-partisanship in politics. Already, the newspaper under the terrific competition provided by Sam Jackson's East Oregonian, was paying none too well. Mr. Dodd appears to have forecast both the Pendleton and the general situation accurately.
During his conduct of the Tribune Mr. Dodd for a time ran the Baker Herald also for nearly a year. He used to spend three days a week in Pendleton and three in Baker. He finally sold the Herald to his former manager, B. E. Kennedy, who had recovered his health, and Bruce Dennis. Mr. Dodd also started the Freewater Times, in 1901, using the old Pendleton Republican plant.
The tide was now running against the Tribune, and in 1907 Geer & Mitchell gave up. The new owner was George Robbins, proprietor of a variety store, took it over and changed the name to the Live Wire and ran it as a twice-a-week, Sunday and Thursday. He later made the paper a daily, evening except Sunday. At the close of the Robbins regime the name was changed back to the Tribune. In 1916 William E. Lowell and George F. Gilmore were editors and publishers of the Tribune, still running as an evening daily. The paper ran downhill, following the tendencies Publisher Dodd had sensed years before.
C. J. Owen, formerly managing editor of the Portland Telegram, came to the Tribune as manager in 1916, but resigned in April, 1919, after an unsuccessful effort to turn the paper into a money-maker.
Finally the paper was placed under a receivership in 1920. Harry L. Kuck, formerly of the Albany Herald, had come to Pendleton a short time before and taken the managing editorship with
