Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-01-01
Letter from Port Gamble.

| ED. 6TANDARD :-Sinc0 the assem- OIo0
wisdom Of the Territory thought it proper
that this burgh should haze but one namS
aud legalized that of Port Gamble, Of
course there is not now and will not.bc
hereafter any locality known by the odd
and ugly name "Teekalet" on Puget
Sound. Therefore and consequently, Mr..
Editor, when write you or anybody else,
from this locality, shall date according
to law, throw :. Teekalet" to-and use
the prettier and better name Of Port Gam
bic. -.--,...
presume the good people of Olympia
and other Sound localities. big aud little,
are already aware that last Saturday, (day
before yesterday was Christmas Day.
Whether they are or not, l must yown up
to the fact that we are quite sure Of it
hero, FOR the signs of its coming were un.
mistakablc, and the indications Of its Aau.
ing been here arc such as to admit Of no
question. All around, both from things
seen and unseen, it is evident that the 25th
day Of December, 1869, or Christmas Day,
has been at Port Gamble Among the
plaincst Of the signs Of the advent ofthe
day in question are blood, upon the side
walks, faces cut in CHASTITY gashcs, red
eyes, swollen heads, crooked paths, empty
pockets, stupidity, torpor, and sort Of
"all -goncncss on the part of some. To
sum up, on the rough and rude side Of our
Christmas picture, perhaps it is proper to
say that all this is nothing new under the
sun, but the result Of what, in sailor par.
lance, is dcnominated "good time" and
chargeable mainly to the spirit of liberty
in free country.
The holidays are times FOR fun, '' o.
And when the b'hoys get Oh the ''run," ID
Though harmless be their sport at first,
Yet drinking oft to queuch their thirst, al e.,
With poison crazed ut length they 60 .,
And take the Devil himself in Co.
This done, old Satan takes the lead
To do full many an ugly deed.
But there is another and better side to
the picture Of our Christmas doings, which
l will now proceed to show, and which will
tend to smoth down, to some extent, the
roughncss of the one above drawn. In
this usually quiet and industrious commu.
nifty there is an institution known as a
"Sewing Society,", This society, ot course,
is composed Of persons Of the "softer
SEX md that is the WIZ aad wherefore
of the better showing of the picture un-
der descrpton). On Christmas Eve the
Society in question held fair. the object
of which was to dispose of their articles
of manufacture to raise funds to be arpro-
priated for some charitable and benevolent
purpose, (exactly what am not fully ad
vised). The exhibition Of the Society
was very creditabe, consisting Of many
substantial articles Of wearing apparel,
and some fine specimens Of ornamental
needework, aud the whole being topped
off with a sumptuous rcpast aud the exhib.
ition of thrifty and fruitful Christmas
Tree. 1t is due to the Sewing Society,
and also to all outsiders who contributed
in any way in aid of the fair, to say, at
least, that the whole evenings exhibition
and entertainment were success not Of.
ten attained. In view Of tho good things
upon the supper table, and the generous
presents borne upon the tree, one might be
excused for wishing for more than one
Christmas in the year.
i Donation of friendship,
| Gifts varied and free,
Hung thickly all over
The beautiful tree,
Its limbs from the apex
| Nigh down to its roots,
Were laden with true
Generosity's fruits.
Pretty toys for the child,
Sterner things for the old,
Clothes for the needy
| To protect them from cold
Many things ornamental
For the ladies to don,
And miniature babies
For some who had none.
As already more than intimated above,
the supper was superb and inviting, and
the msnner Of its disposal must be told in
rhyme.
Some modestly fed them
| AS polite persons feed.
While others less modest
Put it down with greed;
Some seemed quite powerless
Their hunger to check,
And It's not TO be doubted
They ate full peck.
We all know that hunger
| ... Is bard to abate, l. t-.
But It's clear, sheer folly,
All prudent folks think,
To gormsndze till
| % ' We're unable to wink. .u,a ..Ct
| But Christmas has fed, ae4al Oh B.
- And it's incidents too, efk..
| F, " And that some ever came,
Long, long shall We rue;
But devoutiy we hope d" .ta
/ -' That the day Of New Yeas ed' ffas
Will bring us fat turkeys on I'd
And harmless good cheer. os.4
as isn. SLUICE FORK.
-...., Vindication.
f. SrElLAcooM, w. r.. Dec. %, 1869.
Ed. STANDARD The undersigned
citizens Of this place, having read an an
Anonymous letter in the Pacific Tribune Of
the 18th instant, signed Wayfarer,"
which characteriEes one of our most indus
trious and respectable citizens. as "a con-
temptible creature, skunk" etc. Also ss.
sorting that everybody here would re-
joice" to see this Individual "shot."