, 1883-09-27
As Others See Us

\ short tire since, Rev. ID. L. Bush
neII.a Presbyterian minister, of San Jose,
Cal. visited PorJ TJwnsen1, among 9th
er ports on Puget Sound. Mr. Bushnell
publishes bi-monthly paper in which
he inserted comments about us as fol-
lows:
We entered the Sound at Port Town
send. pretty little town and beautiful
for situation. 1t Is at the mouth OF one
of the IoyCIieSt little bays III the Whole
Northwest The business part OF the
town Is situated on the beach or tlat ana
extends into the water on piles tor con
siderable distance, and consists OF the
usual line Of business houses supposed
to he Indispensable to the prosperity not
to say the existence of town. Among
these so-calleI iniispenSable5 should De
mentioned, the almost innumerabie sa-
looms. where the death-dealing drink Is
distributed at all hours III the day and
night. to the herds of men and women
who have bowed their necks to the most
despotic of all tyrants, King BacchUs.
Few towns of the size are more bitterly
cursed than this same pretty little town,
the gate-keeper and guardian of the
wonderful Puget Sound. II seems fit
ting. therefore, that the residence portion
Of the town should be as 1t Is, divorced
from It's business district. Nothing
could be more charming than that por-
ton of the town which spreads over the
gently sloping, grassy lawn OF the blutt
above the beach, two or three hundred
feet above the saloOns,and entirely re-
moved from the spectacles sUfdebauchery
which they daily and nightly exhibit.
IN ordinary clear weather the view from
this bluff is very enchanting indeed. But
on the occasion of our recent visit the
air was filled with dense and sitting
smoke, as we found it all the way down
| through the Gulf of Georgia. Indeed
| the farther We jouTneycd southwark tue
denser and more sitting became the
smoke.
Being detained over Sabbath it was
great pleasure to find place OF worship
with the Presbyterian church, Rev John
| Reid, pastor, who gave us two excellent
Giscourses. We were especially pleased
| with the vigorous and courageous man
ner in which he assailed the drink curse,
in his evening discourse. At this service
we met the Terrys, former parishioncrs
| at Suisun, now grown from ons to three
| happy and prosperous families. 1he
next day in company with Rev. Mr..
! Reid and his accomplished family and
other pleasant companions, We enjoyed
a delightful sill On the hsLu!Ilul bay
The foregoing contains pretty rouga
picture of this city, TO send abroad to
the world. Ii shows that even extreme
ly religious people should not expect
every body i'll seaport towns to be saints.
Port Townsend has its share of saloons,
probably, as well as whisky drinkers;
but there are infinitely worse towns
this side of hades, too. We like to have
people come and write us up; but lis
said the devil is not as black as he's
painted and Port Townsend's reputa-
ton abroad for being bad is bigger than
the reality by two nr three Jugs full. An
other thing, our barbor, large enough to
hold the combined shipping of the coast,
is hardly properly described as little
bay Perhaps there was mote in the
reverend gentleman's eye that magnified
the bay and saloons inversely.