, 1883-10-18
4 Voice From the Past.
N'r tie DeStiuy Qf Rirrl Toirl,x ,ras
DpciR9I.
cosonEss orour 10 RrrArn THE DAMAGE.


''t'- -.sA'4-A''A.'
PoET ANGELES. W. T.. Oct. 10. 'S3.
f'tt"r% lygvS: Away back in the,
smiles. Wien our country was in the
midst Of trihulatou, and the dark Gloom
"I the rebellion extended even t. tnis
lN"n far distant northwest. and green
backs were worth only 3Tl, cents on the
dollar, and fcv taken at that. the Chs
tom House was in Port Townsend in
charge OF Lieut.. Merrimau. acting Col
ltcioT, aui the old tuIrS3Il schooncrsJefr
allNaut Joe Lane We're revenue cutters.
victor Smith was appointed Collector Of
customs, and came up from San Fran.
cisco on the old SHUhrick. then in that
service under command of Can't. Sean
non, to take charge of the Custom Housa
bringing with linn p. d, Moore AS
Deputy Collector. There was some
/ trouble between Smith and Lieut.. Mer-
Ilman IN reference to handing over the
custom House documents, and there
was some bluSter, and threats were made
to lombard the place by the new Col
lector If everything was not turned over
to him at a given hour-which was done
without any further trouble; vet it left 4
bitter prejudice against Victor Smith
which never was entirely Obliterated, nor
| was lie ever treated with the same cor
dlahty as other government officials were
After establishing everything in working
order, he began looking around for a
more suitable place to move the mort of
entry TO, and finally fixed on Port An
Seles, on the Straits of Fuca, thirty five
miles west of Port Townsend, and bv his
great influence with the Secretary of the
treasury and some members of Congress
succeeded IN getting bill passed for
that purpose, and also to survey a town
site and sell lots -reserying large tracts
Tor government purposes which was
done, and Port Townsend was left out
IN the cold for a long time. Town lots
We're sold at Angeles, where government
buildings were also erected-a Custom
House and marine hospital-and things
seemed booming for time, with great
expectations. In the meantime the Port
Townsend people were not idle, but were
circulating petitions and using every
means IN their power To get the port of
entry back again. In fact the whole of
the upper sound was IN arms against the
one-man power which had taken it to
Port Angeles. Experts and pilots were
sent to Washington to appear before
ommlttees who We're sitting to inveSti-
gate and hear arguments on both sides
HE principal argument against Port
Angeles 10y experts aad pilots was that
| there never was any wind there, and
sailing vessels could not get in or out.
The Collectors friends had the best
argument on their side, and the govern
ment had pOcketed the money already
paid for the lots, with many valuable
reserves for government buildings, etc,
and l have no doubt if Victor Smith had
not been drowned on the ill-fated Brother
Jonathan the Custom House would have
remained there.
Port Townsend won the port of entry,
and it was transferred again to that place.
and Port Angeles fell back into its prim-
tive state and remains SO up to this
date. Had Mr. Smith left it alone and
never brought his great influence to
bear on it there never would have been
any town lots sold by the government,
nor any reserves, which have had a
blighting effect on this splendid harbor
ever since and will continue so until the
government cuts the red tape which now
holds it back from the general improve
ment going on all around it. Saw mills
and other industries would have been
established here long ago but for that
Splendid farms could have been made
on the elght-mile reserve which has re-
manned unpToductive the past twenty
years.
Some effort ought to be made by the
people of this Territory to have this ban
removed from one of the finest harbors
in the Territory or in the world
for any private ends, but for the general
benefit of our whole country We can
not afford to let such an extensive coun-
try which it locks up remain forever
useless, for it is evident after twenty
years reserve that the government don't
want 1t for any purpose whatever, and
the arbitrary power that locked it up
has been replaced by more liberal one
that Will see the benefits to the CONNER
cial world and this Territory in particu-
lar by removing the great incubus which
has crushed it so many years. This mat
ter ought to be brought to the notice of
our Delegate, and something done at
the next session of Congress to have the
land thrown open to settlers the same as
at other places of greater note in the
Territory. HUSTLER.