Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Reed, Henry E. September 14, 1866 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 18, 2008, 9:21 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company HENRY K REED. The following account of the activities of a pioneer journalist and well known realtor of Portland was written by Fred Lockley and appeared in the Oregon Daily Journal of May 6, 1926: “‘I was born in Brooklyn, New York, September 14, 1866,’ said Henry E. Reed when we sat down together recently in the green groom of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. ‘At the time of my birth my father, Phillip Reed, was working in the Brooklyn navy yard. He was horn in Ireland, came to this country in 1851 and in 1852 went to Wisconsin. ‘He was of Scotch and Irish descent. My mother, whose maiden name was Catherine Sexton, was of English lineage and also a native of Ireland. During the Civil war my father was a mechanic in the Brooklyn navy yard. Father and mother were married in the spring of 1865. In the fall of 1867 father was transferred to the Mare Island navy yard at San Francisco. We went there by way of the isthmus of Panama. “‘My father was six feet in height and a man of great strength. He was an expert blacksmith. In the spring of 1870 he went to work for Ben Holladay in the car shops here in Portland. We reached Portland on March 5, 1871, so I have lived here for fifty-five years. When the Northern Pacific was built from Kalama to Puget sound father went to work for Jay Cooke at Kalama. We lived there a short time, returning to Portland immediately after the big fire of 1873. “‘I attended the Central school, at that time occupying the site on which the Hotel Portland now stands. Miss Alphia Dimmick was my teacher. Later I was a pupil at the Harrison school. My teacher was Anna Shelby, who is now doing newspaper work. From the Harrison school I went to the North school, now known as the Atkinson school. There I was taught by W. P. Olds’ sister, who later married General Owen Summers. At the North school I also had as my teacher Ellen C. Sabin, who became its principal, afterward superintendent of the city schools and still later president of Downer College at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Miss Sabin was a most remarkable woman, an executive of rare ability. In 1881 I went to the high school on Park street, where the Ladd school is now situated. Christina MacConnell taught English and R. K. Warren was principal. Among my schoolmates were Rena Goodnough, now Mrs. Charles F. Swigert; Ida Comstock, now Mrs. A. D. Charlton; Annie Fahie, now Mrs. Mark O’Neil; George P. Dekum, Portland realtor; Dan J. Malarkey, attorney at law in Portland; George W. Hoyt, who is now clerk of the district court; John M. Lownsdale, commercial editor of the Oregonian; Abe Meier, president of the Meier & Frank Company; Walter H. Dodd, now an attorney in New York city; George W. Heintz, now in the railroad business in Salt Lake City; Robert A. Caples, who later was a member of the news staff of the New York Herald; Alfred Jacobs, of the Oregon City Woolen Mills; and R. V. Ankeny, who later became cashier of the Puget Sound National Bank at Seattle. Among my school mates who are no longer with us are Mark W. Gill; Marshall Peterson, who was connected with the Ladd &Tilton Bank for some years; Charles A. Strauss, who became assistant postmaster of Portland; and Albert Sutton, who became a member of the firm of Sutton & Whitney, architects. “‘In April, 1882, I landed a job setting type on the Willamette Farmer, owned and edited by Samuel A. Clarke, one of the founders of Portland. In 1851 Mr. Clarke took the petition to incorporate Portland to the legislature at Salem. His son Billy and I worked at the trade together. Mr. Clarke lived at No. 207 Sixth street. I used to go to his house to get his editorials and take proofs to him for revision. Mr. Clarke knew his stuff and the Willamette Farmer was one of the most ably edited agricultural papers ever published in Oregon. He not only knew his prunes, for he helped to start the industry in Oregon, but he was an expert on horses and cattle. “‘In January, 1883, Nathan Cole was brought up from California to establish the Northwest News. It had Associated Press service and started off with very prospect of success. A week after the first issue I went to work on the News as a reporter. Cole ran the News until March, 1884, when he threw up the sponge. So that the paper should not lose an issue, Jack Egan, foreman of the composing room, and I made up the forms, hired a pressman and got out one issue. We then organized a stock company and induced the printers, pressman and other employes to go in with us to publish the paper on a cooperative basis. We ran it for five months and then sold it in A. N. Hamilton, formerly of the Salt Lake Tribune, and Edwin Thayer, of Indiana. They agreed to pay us what was coming to us if we would turn the paper over to them. We were perfectly willing to get from under. They paid me twenty-one dollars and four cents for my interest in the sheet. They ran the paper until July, 1887, and made some money. In June, 1887, they came out strongly for the abolition of the liquor traffic. They were on the right track, but the time was not yet ripe for prohibition. The saloon men took out their ads, stopped their papers and persuaded many of the weak-kneed merchants who were afraid of the saloon men’s influence to withdraw their patronage. As a consequence, the paper failed. The following month John Wilcox took the paper over and ran it until 1889, when it suspended. With much difficulty some of the files of the old News were secured by George H. Himes, of the Oregon Historical Association, and the papers are now among its interesting exhibits. “‘In November, 1887, while I was a reporter for the News, Thomas B. Reed, later speaker of the national house of representatives, and Robert R. Hitt, chairman of the house naval committee, came to town late on a Saturday and registered at the Esmond Hotel I learned they were there, so I went to see them and secured an interview. I was only twenty-one and I guess they sized me up as a rather green reporter. When I asked Mr. Reed for an interview he said, “What do you want to interview me about?” I told him that he would know best what would interest the public, so he dictated a column story to me and then had me read it to him to see if I had got it correct. I asked Mr. Hitt if he would also give me a story and he said, “Oh, I guess I can do what Tom has done for you.” So he dictated a story which I also read to him to see if it was correct. For some reason the Oregonian had not learned that either Reed or Hitt was in town, so my two stories scooped the Oregonian badly. Their leading story that morning was about a dog fight. This was a little too much for Harvey Scott. He told Jerry Coldwell he would like to see the reporter who secured the interviews from Reed and Hitt. Jerry told me the big chief of the Oregonian wanted to see me. I went to see Mr. Scott Thursday night and he said, “How much are you getting on the News, Henry?” I said, “I am getting eighteen dollars a week.” He said, “How would you like to work on the Oregonian?” I replied, “Well, I think it’s worth two dollars a week more if I make the change.” Mr. Scott said, “I guess you’re worth twenty dollars a week to us. When can you go to work?” I told him I would go to work December 3, so I reported for duty on December 3, 1887. Mr. Scott told me I was to cover hotels, the Oregon immigration board, the county court, the police station, the morgue, the churches, the river front, sports and politics and secure interviews and help the market editor. I worked from noon until three in the morning, turning in from four to five columns of copy each day. I have always figured I earned my twenty dollars a week. “‘I always found Harvey Scott reasonable. He was willing to reason with anyone on the staff and if he was wrong he would acknowledge it. If he trusted you he would give you his full confidence. Judge C. C. Goodwin, editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, and Mr. Scott differed radically on many policies, and as a consequence they took many an editorial fling at each other. They had never met. One day when I was talking with Mr. Scott a man came to the door, looked in and said, “My name is C. C. Goodwin. I am looking for Harvey Scott.” Mr. Scott jumped to his feet, hurried over to him, threw his arm around him, and said, “There is no man in the world I would rather see than you, and they spent pretty much all day visiting together. “‘When I was working on the Oregonian, Senator J. N. Dolph came from Washington and I secured an interview from him. This was in 1888. Binger Hermann came to town shortly thereafter and I secured an interview from him. I learned that Senator Mitchell was en route home from Washington, so I said to Mr. Scott, “Shall I get an interview from Mitchell?” For years they had been bitter enemies and the Oregonian never mentioned his name except in contumely. Mr. Scott turned on me, “The Oregonian is a newspaper; its subscribers are entitled to the news. What Senator Mitchell has to say is news.” Mr. Scott said, “I guess you’re right; go and get the interview.” When I went to see Senator Mitchell he said, “Do you mean to tell me that you are a reporter on the Oregonian and have come to interview me? Will the Oregonian publish what I say, just as I say it?” I assured him that it would. He dictated an interview, which I read to him and which appeared in the paper just as he dictated it. The break between Scott and Mitchell occurred in 1874. This interview was published in 1888. Thirteen years after I wrote that interview Mitchell was reelected to the United States senate. I said to Mr. Scott, “I am going to interview Mitchell.” Mr. Scott handed me his card and said, “Present this to Mr. Mitchell with my compliments. Tell him I wish him success in his new term as senator.” Mr. Mitchell was at the Hotel Perkins. I handed him Mr. Scott’s card and delivered his message. He looked surprised, for this was the first direct message he had had from Mr. Scott in twenty-five years. He took the card and said, “Remember me to Mr. Scott. Tell him I thank him for his good wishes,” and so the breech of more than a quarter of a century was healed. “‘I worked as a reporter on the Oregonian from 1887 until 1892, when I was elected clerk of the circuit court, and served for two years. In 1896 I went back to the Oregonian and stayed many years. In 1889 Mr. Scott sent me to Olympia to cover the first session of the state legislature. I spent five months in Olympia, covering the legislature, and after its adjournment sent in special articles as well as the regular news. I covered the inauguration of Hon. Elisha P. Ferry, the first governor of the state of Washington. Edgar Piper, now editor of the Oregonian, was covering the legislature for the Post- Intelligencer. Many of the newspapers as well as the politicians were antagonistic to the railroad. My instructions from Mr. Scott were to give the railroad a square deal and fight the stringent anti-trust law, which Mr. Scott thought would prove very destructive to the growth of Washington. This bill passed the senate, and as the house was favorable to it, it required hard and aggressive work to defeat it. We defeated the bill and also prevented legislation adverse to the railroads. If you will look up the old files you will see how aggressively Mr. Scott wrote along those lines, and also you can get an idea of the type of stories I was sending in. As you know, at that time Mr. Scott and Mr. Pittock owned not only the Oregonian but also the Portland Telegram and the Spokane Review. In 1889 two men were considered for the place of managing editor of the Spokane Review, Mr. Durham and myself. Mr. Scott told me he was going to give the job to Mr. Durham as he was older. The Oregonian bought he Spokane Review from Frank C. Dallam and after running the paper for ten years they sold it to W. H. Cowles. “‘I left the Oregonian in October, 1901, to become assistant secretary of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. At that time it was in a moribund condition, having but one hundred and thirty-nine members. I was told to devote my entire attention to securing new members. Within the next three months I built it up to three hundred and fifty-three, getting in the best type of progressive business men. At the same time I handled the preliminary work of the Lewis and Clark Exposition and got out a sixty-four page New Year’s edition of the Oregonian. I was assistant secretary of the Portland Chamber of Commerce for two years and when the Lewis and Clark Corporation was organized in 1902 I was elected secretary. H. W. Corbett was resident and after his death Harvey Scott became the incumbent of that office. Upon Mr. Scott’s resignation H. W. Goode, president of the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, was elected president and also served as director general. He was a man of unusual executive ability and vision. For two years I was director of exploitation of the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition. I went to Washington, D. C. and we secured from congress an appropriation of six hundred thousand dollars.’” Mr. Reed became widely and favorably known as a publicity expert and also achieved prominence in the newspaper business, being by instinct a journalist. He is now operating in real estate, maintaining an office on the twelfth floor of the Porter building, and has successfully negotiated many important deals in property. Nothing escapes him concerning the realty market and his foresight and good judgment have enabled him to avoid dangerous projects and efficiently direct the investments of his clients. On April 19, 1893, Mr. Reed married Miss Catherine A. Clohessy, a native of that part of Ireland in which his mother’s birth occurred, and they have a daughter, Carlotta, who married Edward E. Garbutt in October, 1927. Mr. Reed has been the recipient of many important trusts, evincing that keen interest in progressive movements and that eagerness to promote the general welfare which are embodied in the truest and highest ideals of public service. He was assessor of Multnomah county from 1913 until 1921 and a director of the Portland Chamber of Commerce from 1915 until 1917. In 1919 he became one of the directors of the Portland Rose Festival and in the following year was chosen by Mayor Baker as a member of the committee to reclaim the Portland water front, It was from the initial work of this committee that the present plans for water front improvement have been developed. When the United States joined the triple entente in the campaign against Germany, Mr. Reed was a member of the committee of city and county officials chosen to discuss ways and means for Portland’s participation in the World war. During that period he was an inspector of the American Protective League, his district being that part of Portland south of Morrison street. Under his direction were two hundred men, engaged in the work of gathering information, which was turned over to the department of justice, the army intelligence bureau, the alien property custodian and the Oregon military police. This work consisted in procuring and verifying information relative to slackers and domestic as well as alien enemies. In June, 1917, Mr. Reed acted as manager of the house to house canvass of the Red Cross campaign and in the same year was appointed state manager of the Christmas membership drive of that society. In May, 1918, he was manager for Portland of the house to house canvass of the Red Cross and was city manager of the Christmas campaign of that organization in the same year. He was appointed manager of the bureau of speakers and of special events for the second Liberty Loan campaign in 1917 and served as secretary of the committee on speakers and music for the third Liberty Loan drive. During the fourth Liberty Loan campaign, in 1918 and 1919, he was not only secretary but also vice chairman of the drive and acting chairman of the committee on speakers, in which connections he handled much of administrative detail of the campaign. In 1918, during the War Savings drive, he was appointed chairman of the civil and military division. He also acted as chairman and manager of the canvass of Multnomah county and when Charles N. Wonacott resigned as associate state director Mr. Reed took his place. As a member of the executive committee Mr. Reed planned the city canvass for the Armenian relief campaign of 1917. In the same year he was treasurer of the Fourth of July committee, which raised the money for and handled the farewell parade, dinner and dance for the Third Oregon Regiment. He also served as treasurer of the Fourth of July committee in 1918, in which year he was a member of the executive committee that planned the city campaign for the Knights of Columbus. In 1917 he was office manager of the second campaign of the Young Men’s Christian Association. During the War Library campaign of l918 he acted in an advisory capacity and rendered a similar service to the Salvation Army in the city drive of 1918. He redistricted, the city and worked with the campaign manager of the “Smileage” campaign of 1918, and from July of that year until Armistice day he was a member of the board of instruction to the selective service men. In 1918 he became a member of the Portland branch of the League to Enforce Peace, and in the same year, when the federal government asked that a housing survey he made of Portland, Mr. Reed was appointed vice chairman of the committee in charge of that work. During 1918 he was also manager of the house to house canvass in Portland of the United War Work campaign. In 1919 Mayor Baker appointed him chairman of the committee to erect a Victory memorial to the Oregon men and women in the nation’s service during the World war. The state historian chose Mr. Reed as a member of the advisory committee to preserve the records of Oregon’s participation in the war and of Oregon’s economic condition and the progress of events in the state during the war. In the fall of 1917 Mayor Baker appointed him chairman of the emergency milk commission and in November, 1918, he was director of the campaign to secure funds for the Waverly Baby Home. Mr. Reed was chosen a member of the local committee which secured funds for devastated France. In May, 1919, he was made manager of the bureau of speakers, music and entertainment in the Victory Loan campaign and in November of that year was city manager of the Red Cross membership campaign. He is connected with the local realty board and along fraternal lines is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, of which he was esteemed lecturing knight in 1893. Mr. Reed was a member of the committees that selected the site of the Elks Temple at Eleventh and Alder streets and the location of the Moose Temple at Fourth and Taylor streets. His has been an earnest, purposeful life, crowned with noteworthy achievement, and his activities have touched the general interests of society to their betterment. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 456-460 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/reed458gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 19.8 Kb