Year: 1877

A card inserted in the last issue
of the democratic Press" over the
signature of c. w. Philbrick, form
erly publisher of the ARGUS, sets
forth an array of decidedly crooked
statements, besides showing but too
plainly the anxiety of the writer in
anticipating a charge laid at his door,
previous to its being made.


knowing that the public of Port
generally understood pret,
tv we'll the facts in the case, we had
about concluded to let this person
reap the legitimate reward of his
own Infamous doings when, to our
surprise. he forced upon us the ne
cessity Of making statement of facts.


In the first place, before the AR
GUS changed owners, Mr.. Philbrick
was first to make overtures looking
TO purchase. The statement made
by him was, that he desired to change
employment, being tired of the
printing business and its incessant
cares; that he would not engage in
the business in Port Townsend again.
A strong Argument which he offered
was that there would be no danger
of having the business divided for a
long time to come. Not only was
this the explicit verbal representa-
tion; but the bill of sale conveying
the property expressly mentioned
the "good will" of the ARGUS news
patjr and printing office as a part of
the valuation bargained and paid for.
The American Cyclopedia, which is
as good authority as can be found on
the subject, under the head of Good
will says:


at has been held that the sale Of business
with the stock and goo .will, carried with ii
! by implicaiion promise not TO enter upon a
similar business so near TO the old stand ms 10
Interfere materially with the purchaser. This
would seem 10 be equitable and onght to be
proyided for in any sale or transfer OF the
: goodwill


Not only have we such provision
in legal bill of sale Of the Goodwill.
but in addition we have Mr.. Phil
bricks express promise 10 the same
effect, and yet he has the assurance
TO enter into the printing business
in the very spot from which he sold
the good will of the said business,
and says the report of his "engage.
inents not to enter the printing bust
ness here or elsewhere are utterly
without foundation"


After purchasing we discovered
that an advantageous change could
be made, affording much more room
and better accommodation at far
less expense, by renting another
building for office purposes. Ac-
cordingly new premises were occu-
pied, when 10, ere fortnight had
elapsed, our predecessor-true to
his character, long since established
sent an agent to say that-if we did |
not either purchase or rent the build
ing formerly occupied, he would start
another newspaper within a month.
When approached upon the subject,
we merely Remarked that if Mr.. Phil.
brick expected to blackmal us into
buying OF renting property we had
no use for, we would suggest the.
possibility of this being one of the
mistakes of his life. The dire threat
brought with it some, some little
astonishment, not because it re.
vealed the utter lack Of honor on the
part Of the blackmailer, bur because
IL proved him to be at fault in iudg.
ment by supposing US to be such a
simpleton.


0nr good people well know how
zealonsly this person canvassed the
town for patronage for the new pa
per; how he used the most un-
ierhanded and unprofessional means
of crippling the support of the AR
Grs--even to his own detriment-by
offering to do work in the wav of ad
vertising, for less than half the usual
rates. All this. and much more is
known Of the person who is not soon
nected with the 4" Press" other than
as workman" Let the public now
Judge OF the merits Of the two state
nenV, being assured that we will, if |
necessary, snbstantiat0 the contents |
ofthis Article in the legal way.


We have given but faint outline
of what might he said in all truth
ard candor. + more is called for it
will be speedily forthcoming.