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HISTORY OF OREGON NEWSPAPERS

tory; B. F. Lawrence, George Maxwell, James Crawford, Dave Larimer, later prominent political writer in Spokane, and D. C. Freeman, who became head of the Associated Oregon Industries, the position now held by former Mayor George L. Baker of Portland.

Bailey Avery was one of the earliest, perhaps the first, of Portland society editors. Male society editors were the rule in those days. He later became prominent in theatricals and retired from journalism.

Among the many memorable achievements of Henry E. Reed was his introduction of Homer Davenport to the business of newspaper cartooning, in which he was to achieve world-wide fame. Reed, as a reporter, took the young Davenport in tow (in 1889) and had him make a sketch for the Oregonian of R. P. Earhart; this was Davenport's first newspaper picture.

The first artist on the Oregonian staff, however,[1] was Edgar Felloes, in 1889, and his medium was the chalk plate, obsolete these many years. Later artists were F. A. Rutledge and Joe Carll. Lute Pease and Harry Murphy, early cartoonists, both got their start on the Oregonian and went east.

Wexford Jones was writing a clever comment column about 1905. Joseph D. McArdle was reporting about that time, and James C. Bangs was combining market reporting with a bit of dramatic criticism.

When Edgar B. Piper was city editor the first time, 1894 to 1897, succeeding Alfred Sorenson, who had taken over the position from John M. Baltimore in 1891, his successor was Joe Levinson, with O. Clarke Leiter as his assistant. Leiter became city editor in 1904 and appointed Horace E. Thomas, reporter, his assistant, and in 1913 Thomas succeeded him as city editor, remaining with the Oregonian, successively as city editor, executive news editor, and associate editor until 1931, when he went to Marysville, Calif., as co-publisher of the Appeal-Democrat, daily newspaper. He is now (1939) publisher.

Around the "turn of the century" a good many members came to the Oregonian staff who were to remain for a good many years. W. E. (Bill) Mahoney, who died on the job as marine editor in 1932, came to the paper in 1898. Lawrence K. Hodges, telegraph editor and editorial writer, came in 1902, as did John W. Kelly, ace political writer and Washington correspondent in later years.

The staff of the Oregonian in 1910 included[2] H. L. Pittock, manager (Editor Harvey Scott died in August); assistant manager, C. A. Morden; managing editor, Edgar B. Piper; city editor, O. C. Leiter; Sunday editor, N. J. Levinson; night editor, Paul R. Kelty, who later became editor; weekly editor, W. J. Cuddy; telegraph editor, L. K. Hodges; market editor, J. M. Lownsdale; advertising manager, W. J. Hofmann; circulation manager, A. K. Slocum.

Ben Hur Lampman, who would be rated at or near the very top of Oregonian writers in all-around versatility and skill, did not come

  1. Oregonian, December 4, 1925, 75th anniversary number.
  2. Gaston, op. cit., I, 506.