, 1855-03-03
Brig Sarah Mcfarland and
CAPTAIN Nash.
PoRr TOWNSEND, Feb. 10th, 1856

PoRT TOWNSEND, Feb. 10th, 1855.
EDIToR PIONEER AND DENocRAT:
SIR:-l am aware that all matters con-
cerning the welfare of this Territory inter
est you, and it may be supposed that the
crew Of every ship that leaves Puget Sound
have their tales to tell of this country when
they arrive at their port of destination
Now, here are some facts that think it
my duty to make public, because it not on
ly concerns me, but also, every wel-wisher
of the Territory, and will probably coun-
teract the assertion Of that portion of the
community known as back-bters, loafers,
and scandal-mongers, who never have any
legitimate business Of their own and who
are always full Of other peoples business,
aud for the sake of glass of grog are
alwcvs ready 10 start false reports, to try
TO damn tire prospects of enterprising men
some tine ago, when | was in San Fran
y.. ID. ! chartered, by the month, the brig
: 80. ;. Flrland, Nash, master, to come
10 tac sound, and bring steam boat, and
other articles for me to carry on the work
ing Of coal mine, and to take cargo of
coal and produce, and return to San Fran
cisco.
Some time after our arrival at Seattle, a
new agreement was entered into between
Captain Nash, another person, and myself,
TO the effect that the brig should take a
full cargo of coal as fast as it could he got
from the Duwamish mine We commenc-
ed and got the brig about one-third laden,
when the weather came on bad, and the
rain caused the Duwamsh river, where the
coal mine is situated, to rise some six or
eight feet higher than it has ever been
known before, and continued to keep so for
several weeks, which stopped all our work,
and the brig was detained. This was an
event that was not in my power TO forcsee
or prepare for. To my surprise, Captain
Nash got his vessel under way, with the
part cargo of coal, and lot of my goods,
that had not been landed, aud left the port
without any settlement or understanding
with me, whatsoever, aud has gone to Van
couver's Island TO complete his cargo. l
will here state, that Nash and his chief Of
fcer have committed outrages towards me
Of most disgraceful character, which
will not publish in full, but will here name
their last act, and inform the owners of the
brig in San Francisco of their other pro-
ceedngs They well knew the morning
they left with the brig, that l was bound
up the river with my steam boat to tow a
scow. They had tampered with the engi-
neer, Ia young man named ROBERT SToD-
DARD, whom l engaged in San Francisco,
and brought up to run the boat, and got
him on board with them to take him away
| got steamup to start, but found the en-
gine would not work, and on examination
found they had stolen the valve of the |
steamer, and taken it off in the brig with
them; and had l not have had person on
board who understood the working of ali
engine, the boat would have probably been
blown up, end no doubt several lives, as
well as my own, would have been lost.
All these disgraceful proceedings have
been practised, because there was a chance
Of an extra months delay Of the brig,
which would amount to about five hundred
ALMIGHTY DOLLARS, and which would have
willingly made good, had Nash acted to me
as an. honest man. And | can truly say
and prove, that had the vessel remained,
we would have got good cargo, and made
a paying voyage, for there was nothing
wanting on my part to carry out the whole
operation.
AS several false reports have reached
me, concerning the aforesaid brig not hav-
ing been loaded by me, have taken this
mode Of explanation, to show those who
may be concerned in my welfare, the plain
facts of the matter, aud to prevent false
impressions from being founded on false
grounds.
Yours, with respect,
WILLIAM WEBSTER.