Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/171

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John Miller Murphy
143

late Samuel A. Clarke in the publication of the Willamette Farmer, which had been established by A. L. Stinson about four years before. He maintained that relation until some time in 1880, when he withdrew from the Farmer and took charge of the mechanical department of the Oregon Statesman. The paper was then owned by W. H. Odell and W. H. Byars, and afterwards became the property of Robert J. Hendricks, the present owner.

In April, 1893, Mr. Craig retired to a small farm a little less than two miles south of the state capitol, after more than fifty years of continuous connection with the press in various capacities, such as foreman, owner, reporter, telegraph operator and editorial writer—always competent and dependable wherever his services were required.

On September 16, 1861, Mr. Craig was married to Miss Wealthy L, Waterous, of Grand Blanc, Michigan, who preceded him to the g^ve in October, 1914. He is survived by one son, Mr. F. S. Craig, who for many years has been the editor of the Pacific Homestead, Salem, and a grandson and a granddaughter.


JOHN MILLER MURPHY

John Miller Murphy descended from Irish ancestry on his father's side and German on the side of his mother, and was born near Fort Wayne, Indiana, Nov. 3, 1839. His mother died when he was seven years old and then he went to live with a sister, Mrs. George A. Barnes, in Cincinnati. This family crossed the plains to Oregon in 1850, starting from Fort Wayne, settling in Portland. As a lad he was present at the Oregonian office when the first issue of that paper was printed on December 4, 1850. His brother-in-law, Mr. Barnes, came to Oregon the first time in 1848 and engaged in business a short time. The next year he returned to Indiana by the way of California and the Isthmus of Panama, and not only returned with his own family in 1850, as indicated, but was instrumental in causing his father and mother, two sisters, two