Not since the day that C. W. Wheeler took charge of the paper has the Times missed an issue.
In politics the Times is republican.
There was published for a short time in Waitsburg a democratic weekly, the Gazette. Its first issue appeared on June 29, 1899. R. V. Hutchins was proprietor and editor. In the next year C. W. McCoy acquired the Gazette, but in less than a year he in turn sold out to J. E. Houtchins, by whom the paper was conducted for some years, to be discontinued in 1905.
The pioneer newspaper of Dayton, while it was still in Walla Walla County, was the Dayton News, founded in September, 1874, by A. J. Cain. In April, 1878, county division having come in the meantime, E. R. Burk began publication of the Chronicle, still one of the leading papers of Columbia County. H. H. Gale was first editor. In 1879 O. C. White became owner of the Chronicle. In 1882 T. O. Abbott started the publication of the Democratic State Journal. It was designed to maintain the banner of democracy in Columbia County which had been lost when the Dayton News plant was destroyed by fire in 1882.
The first newspaper in what is now Garfield County was established at Pomeroy on April 12, 1880, by F. W. D. Mays, and named the Washington Independent. The Pomeroy Republican came into existence March 4, 1882, founded by Eugene T. Wilson, who admitted F. M. McCully to an equal partnership two months later. The ambitious little Town of Pataha became also the home of a newspaper, the Pataha Spirit. Its founder was G. C. W. Hammond and its first issue was in January, 1881. The next year it came into the hands of Dr. J. S. Denison and Charles Wilkins. Both the Pomeroy Republican and the Pataha Spirit were republican in politics, the Independent being generally true to its name, though inclining to democratic and populistic views.
The publications named may be regarded as the pioneers in the parts of the old county now comprising the three counties outside of Walla Walla. During the years following county division a number of others came into existence and now represent the press of their respective towns, and of them we shall make mention under the different counties.
The quest for journalistic history in the present Walla Walla County outside of Walla Walla City and Waitsburg leads us to the editorial sanctum of the Walla Walla Spectator of Prescott, presided over by Charles H. O'Neil, a native son of the "Valley of Waters," and a leading spirit among the pioneers and "Boosters" as well as the newspapermen of this section. The Spectator was established November 22, 1902. Mr. O'Neil has followed the occupation of printer during almost his entire business life, having spent a number of years in the printing establishments of Walla Walla before entering upon his independent venture. The Spectator has performed a service of conspicuous importance for the rich farming region in which it is located by helping organize public sentiment in the direction of community enterprise and civic advancement. As a result of these enlarged ideals through the schools, church, business men, and homes of the town, as well as the part borne in the same direction by the Spectator, Prescott has become somewhat remarkable, for a town of its population, for its high community spirit.
The veteran journalist of the west end of Walla Walla County is R. C. Julian of Attalia. Mr. Julian has been connected with several newspaper enterprises and at the present time is the owner and manager of the Wallula Gateway, the Attalia News-Tribune, and the Helix Advocate, at Helix, Ore. The Wallula Gateway was launched on December 25, 1905, by Harter and Julian. After a few months Mr. Julian bought out his partner and has since conducted the paper alone. On May 11, 1907, he started the Touchet Pioneer, selling it after a year to A. M. Cummins. After sundry ownerships, the Pioneer became the Touchet-Gardena Empire, and is at the present time published by Ferney and Clarke of Walla Walla. The Attalia News-Tribune was the successor of the short-lived Two Rivers Tribune, which was started in 1908 by A. B. Frame to "boom" the land project at Two Rivers. The plant of the latter paper was secured by D. D. Swanson, formerly of Minneapolis, and in May, 1909, he entered upon the publication of the News-Tribune at Attalia. After three months Mr. Swanson retired, disposing of his establishment to Messrs. Cummins and Julian. Within another short period Mr. Julian became the sole owner and has so continued to this day. Looking still further, Mr. Julian started yet another weekly journal at Helix, Ore., the Helix Advocate. Having disposed of it in 1915 to J. J. Lewis, Mr. Julian reacquired possession in August, 1917, and thus is now the sole proprietor of the three weeklies.