, 1877-01-06
Local News.


rival from Victoria, yesterday NOR
ming, Capt. Messagee tookthe steam
er Eliza Anderson up to Olympia, to
lay her up. Numerous reports are
afioat as to the cause of this with
drawal; some saying that she had
been bought off and others that she
was making no money. Neither OF
these reports was correct. She was
laid up because her boilers were un-
safe to carry heavy steam in stormy
weather; and Capt. Finch, her own
er, does not believe in running boats
with defective machinery. A single
accident arising from such cause,
would subject him to heavy damages
by lawsuits. This withdrawal leaves
the North Pacific the only boat on
the Victoria route; and we are con-
fdent that Capt. l.. NJ. Starr will
take no unfair advantage of this cir
cumstance. The rate of fare to Vic
toria--six dollars in coin--may seem
high at first, but it should be re-
membered that, prior to the North
Pacitic's advent into these waters,
the fare was ten dollars; and that
too, when there was twice the travel
there is now. As for freight, there is
little or no profit in it at the present
rates. 1t all goes one way, hence to
Victoria, and the boat returns empty;
so it is like hauling a sled uphill
for the sake of getting ride down.
The officers of the North Pacific
Capt. Clancy Purser Biglow and En-
gineer kane---are competent gentle
men and thorough masters of their
respective situations. We trust that
the affairs of Capt. STAIRS steamers
will be conducted in such style as
to elicit the opinion that his bust
ness, though monopoly, is not a
burdensome one. Opposition some
times means poorly paid officers and
carelessly handled boats; and there
is no benefit to the public in that.
The present prices will enable the
North Pacific to retain good officers
and furnish comfortable accommo-
dations to those who travel by her.
LOCAL ART NOTES. Harrison,
of the United States Coast Survey has
just finished two paintings ofMount
Rainier, one representing the great
cone peeping out from q veil Of
clouds on wintry day; the other
shows it in the glow of rare au-
tumnal sunset. The snow-clad apex
crowned with the tempests of count
less centuries, rears its hoary head
upward to a canopy Of fretted gold
and purple. The broad Sound, blue
and CLASSY, lies far below, its seeth-
ing waters resting in peace at the
knowledge that IN their prison caves,
the winds lie chained. Another very
clever affair, in a totally different
style, is Christmas cartoon in the
window of the Puget Sound Confec-
tionery. It shows wit in its con-
ception, rather than cultivated ta-
lent in its execution. The artist is
Miss Inez Denny, on whom a few
lessons would be money we'll ex-
pended. She possesses genius, be-
yond a doubt,
AT LAsT.--We have finally persu-
AIDED Ballard to move, and we now
sit face to face, in the chambers
once occupied by the Supreme
Court. It is now known as the
court of oil and turnips; after the
warm weather comes and the saw
dust dries out, it will be known as
the court of common feas. Parties
having business with us will please
come upstairs and not annoy COM
positors, with useless conundr ums;
and parties having business with
them, will be kind enough to call
before P. NJ.
CHRISTMAS GIFTs.-Freeman, the
novelty man, who keeps the variety
store opposite the Occidental on
Mill street, received lot of goods
suitable for New Years gifts. They
embrace choice specimens of porce-
lain and glassware, Bohemian vases
and other attractive novelties.
LOADED. Bark Gem of the Ocean
completed her load of coal at the
Seattle bunkers last night and drop
ped out into the stream. She will
probably be at sea before this paper
is on the breakfast table of its read
erS.
WASHINGTON LIBBY. This ship,
which arrived here last night in tow
of propeller Favorite, will load with