Carey, Charles Henry.  "History of Oregon." Vol. 3. Chicago-Portland: Pioneer
Historical Pub. Co., 1922.  pp. 414-5.

THE HOOD RIVER NEWS

One of the best weekly newspapers published in Oregon and certainly the best in
the section of the state through which it circulates is the Hood River News,
which under the guidance of Charles P. Sonnichsen and Hugh G. Ball gives the
people of the Hood River valley and adjoining sections a weekly thoroughly
modern in every particular and one that dispenses the latest local and general
news. Unlike most weekly papers the News never sacrifices its columns in order
to secure advertising patronage and certain parts of its pages cannot be
purchased for advertising at any price. This is a feature of the paper that
should certainly be appreciated by the business men of Hood River and the
readers of the News. It was in 1908 that Messrs. Sonnichsen and Ball, purchased
the News, which they have since conducted, and it will be interesting in this
connection to note something of the personal qualities of the owners of the
paper.

Charles Peter Sonnichsen was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1874, pursued his
education in the schools of that city and early took up the printing trade,
working for a time as a journeyman printer in his native city. He later made his
way to Minnesota and became manager of the Tyler Journal, published at Tyler,
that state. In 1900 he established the Hendricks Pioneer, which he conducted for
more than seven years. In 1907 he came to Hood River and took over the News. Mr.
Sonnichsen is a thirty-second degree Mason and Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He
has served in many political offices and is a man of broad vision and wide
experience, whose activities and interests in life have given him a wide
outlook, enabling him to view many public questions from every possible
standpoint. He is married and has two children. His son Edwin, who is associated
with him in the publication of the News, spent two years as a soldier of the
World war, enlisting in the American army and spending two years in France.

Hugh G. Ball, who is the editor of the News, ranks as one of the longest in
service of the present day journalists of Oregon. He has worked for, owned and
edited papers on three continents. He was born in London of Scotch parentage and
came to America when a young man. Throughout his life he has been engaged in the
newspaper business, which he has followed in England, China, Japan and America.
In politics he is a republican and is a man of strong opinions, absolutely
fearless in expressing his views. He has never held public office and prefers to
use his trenchant pen in serving the people rather than by serving as an office
holder.

Mr. Ball says he is Scottish by accident but American by choice. He came to Hood
River from Coos Bay, where he was for many years editor of the Coos City Times;
He is a Master Mason. Mr. Ball was married to Miss Helen Mende, a daughter of
Jacob Mende, a pioneer and homesteader of North Bend, Oregon.

Both Mr. Sonnichsen and Mr. Ball are members of the Hood River Commercial Club
and of the Business Men's Association. Both are men of marked enterprise, who
have proven a dynamic force in the progress and upbuilding of this region. Mr.
Sonnichsen is the president of the Hood River News Company, with Mr. Ball as
vice president and editor and Edwin Sonnichsen as the secretary. They are
identified with all that makes for progress and improvement in the community,
the commonwealth and the country and are justly classed with the most
progressive citizens of their part of the state.



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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.