In 1891, the "Tribune" was purchased by Gilbert A. Pierce and William J. Murphy for $450,000 (equivalent to $ in ). Pierce quickly sold his share to Thomas Lowry and Lowry sold it to Murphy, making Murphy the newspaper's sole owner. His business and legal background helped him structure the "Tribune" debt and modernize its printing equipment. The newspaper experimented with partial-color printing and the use of halftone for photographs and portraits. In 1893, Murphy sent the "Tribune" first correspondent to Washington, D.C. As Minneapolis grew, the newspaper's circulation expanded; the "Tribune" and the "Evening Journal" were closely competitive, with the smaller "Minneapolis Times" in third place. In 1905, Murphy bought out the "Times" and merged it with the "Tribune".