Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-03-16
From Our Port Townsend Correspondent.
A Veritable Butter Story.

1AtfutU H'u u uuiPCu uP /" StttIO OueVSA
story and tried to palm it off for new.
l know, however, of "A real butter story
which was made the occasion of hearty
laugh whenever related by the parties
interested or their friends; and as l
know will give no otfense by reciting
it in detail, will try and do so i'll the
briefest possible manner, SO as to not
trespass too much upon your columns.
During the month of July, 1859, /
was at Olympia making preparationsto to
accompany Col. Simmons on an cXpe-
dition down the Chehalis river to Gray's
1Iarbor and Shoalwater Bay. Gov.
Gholsons son andnephew were to form
part of our company, and as the Gov
crnor was boarding at Gallihcr's the
Colonel and myself went there also.
The evening before we started the
Governor remarked at the supper table,
that the butter was very rancid and un-
fit to set before any one to eat. CALI
her was summoned, and requested to
enlightcn the company regarding his
views of domestic economy in produc-
ing such a high-scented compound,
which was evidently intended to per-
form the two.fold duty of stirring up
both nose and palate. Galliher cX-
planned that he had purchased from a
settler on Boisfort Prairie small keg
or firkin of butter, the top layer of
which was sweet and nice, but the sub
stratum. which he had just reached.
was similar to the specimen produced
on the table.
"Did you buy that butter from Judge
Ford 2" asked Col. Simmons. "No,"
replied Galliher, II did not" "Ncver
mind," says the Colonel, "say you got
it from him; we don't care how far
from him you got it, but only say so,
and as we are going out to Old Ford's
I will have some sport. "Wcll," re-
piled Gallihcr, eff you can make any
fun out of the matter, do so; therefore
I say, in the presence of all you gentle
men, that l got that rancid butter from
Judge Ford, but if the truth must be
known. it was good many miles from
Judge Ford's farm" "That will do"
said the Colonel; "and now. Governor,
I will tell you that the last time came
to Olympia reached here little after
daylight in the morning. and the first
persons I met were Old Ford and Uncle
Gabe Jones, who had been running all
night. Says I, 'You old BOYS look to
be pretty tight, and You had better 60
to bed; 'but they kept on running all
day, and neither of them could tell what
they had done the night before, and I
am going to make Ford believe that he
sold that butter to Galliher."
The following day was the occasion
of the funeral Of the late Gov. Mason,
and after the ceremonies were over we
proceeded from the cemetery to the
house of Judge Ford, near Shookum
Chuck creek, where we arrived about
SPIN.
As many of your readers will not
know the characters who figure in this
farce, will explain, although in the
vicinity of Olympia every one either
knows or has heard of them, for their
names are as household words. M,-
prints, Col. NJ. T. Simmons, better
known as cold Mike" at that time
Agent for the Indians of the Territory
west of the Cascades. Secondly. Judge
Sidney s. Ford, whose hospitable house
stands on the banks of the Chehalis
river, near Skookum Chrck,-umong
his intimate friends known rs " Uncle
Sid," or, az Mike calls him cold Ford"
Thirdly, Gabrial Jones, ESQ.,, a hospita-
BILE and wealthy farmer who lives on
his claim near Olympia, and who is
known to every one as "Uncle Gabe."
No better pcrsonification Of Tam o.
Shanter and Soutcr Jonny can be found
in this Territory or Oregon than Uncle
Sid and Uncle Gabe, both fond of "bar-
ley bree," and watching the "wee sma
hours ayont the twal," particularly
when they occasionally met each other
in Olympia.
Judge Ford, who was sub-Agcnt for
the Indians about the Chehalis, was to
60 with us down the river, and had
been notified of our approach, had
ready on our arrival sumptuous sup
per, to which we sat down with keen
appetites and devourcd with hearty
relish.
"Ford," says the COL, "this is better
butter than that stuff you sold to CALI
her when you was in Olympia last.
Gov. Gholson said he had a better opin-
ion Of YOU than to think you wouldsell
rancid butter" "What ?" says the
Judge, pricking up his ears and look
ing wise, "What butter? I never sold
any butter to Gallihcr." "Well ere
turned the Colonel, II don't suppose
vou do remember anything about It, for