I will answer my on query for the benefit for others who might encounter
this problem.

Changing the report body's columns property from 1 to 3 does actually
accomplish displaying the report's text in three columns--it just doesn't
display that way when the report is first presented.  On display the report
has only one column, and it appears that nothing has changed.

However, if you then click on the print layout button of the report, the
report redraws and has the desired three columns of text.

That only took one day to figure out.  It seems that there is not a lot out
there on the .Net 2.0 reportviewer control.