Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, December 13, 1923
Constant reference to the Newcastle “Spirit” has made that camp famous among the mines of the Pacific Coast Coal Company.
But while other camps may lay claim to equal or superior reasons for fame, Newcastle boasts one asset which no other camp has as yet put forth.
It is the five generation family shown [to the right].
Reading from left to right, seated: Mrs. M.A. Hayes, great-great-grandmother, and next to her, Mrs. S.F. Curnutt, great-grandmother.
Standing at the left is Mrs. Ula Hyatt, grandmother, and at her side, Mrs. H.W. Rounds, mother, with her daughter, Ellen.
“Les” Foreman, that convivial spirit in charge of Burnett store, made a flying trip into Seattle the other day, but just before leaving home reached into the family cupboard for a sample of Christmas cheer which he hoped to distribute among a few friends in the city.
The reader’s page
This page, under the heading, “Right Off the Picking Table,” will hereafter appear from time to time in the Bulletin. Every reader of this publication is invited to make this page his own, by submitting to the editor his grouches or growls, jokes or jibes, in short, anything which is fit to print and signed by the writer.
Bear in mind, however, that some jokes which may be quite funny to a certain few, might be utterly unintelligible to others. Make your contributions of such a character that every reader will appreciate and enjoy them.
When “Les” showed up at the Smith Building it took no second invitation to gather several around him. He’s still trying to explain how a little vegetable coloring in water could so fool a connoisseur of his known ability. Fact of the matter is, somebody switched bottles on “Les” at the expense of his friends in Seattle.
Christmas bells, or …
Geo. Wolfe is planning to spend the Christmas holidays in Vancouver, B.C. Mr. Wolfe has lately been seen looking over the houses in Burnett and discovered studying the furniture catalogs. He has been in Vancouver before.
What I want for Xmas
Elmer Fitzgerald: A new hat to go with the new suit which I drew in the suit club.
Floyd Karr: Something which can make more noise than a cornet.
Fred Strange: Somebody to play with me.
O.S. Hale: A chance to sell more coupons in Newcastle.
Frank Bergman: Someone with whom to spend my evenings.
Chancy Lumley: More months like November.
Theo. Rouse: A chance to beat the Newcastle hoist.
“Dave” Botting: More broken records.
Wylie Hemphill: 47 degrees below zero; snow, sleet, hail, and more hail, sleet and snow.
All of us : A Merry Christmas.
Famous query on pay day: “Is it a bob-tail?”
Trained ducks
Last Sunday E.H. LaFollette and W.H. Martin of Burnett motored 18 miles beyond Olympia to shoot at, but miss, a lot of ducks. Martin reported that in all his hunting experience he had never seen ducks so well trained in dodging bullets. They brought home one bird, however, which the cat enjoyed very much.
Ghosts are said to be of solemn and ominous countenance, hence you may rest assured that the apparition in flowing white shown above is not a nocturnal spectre, but none other than E.L. Fortney himself [right]. Fortney is now a fireboss at Newcastle and when this picture was taken last Friday he had just announced that the first coal had been struck that day in the new Primrose tunnel.
To welcome Santa
Word that Santa Claus is packing up and almost ready for a visit to Burnett on Christmas has just been received. As a result, the Social Club is preparing to entertain him in royal style with a big celebration at the Social Hall to which everyone in camp is to be invited.
It is said that Santa is coming this year to Burnett with a great bag of gifts; enough to provide every boy and girl in camp under 12 years of age with a present. Of course, that doesn’t mean that he won’t remember anyone else, but because there may be some children in camp this year who were not there when he called a year ago, Santa Claus has advised the Social Club that he will make it a point to bring enough gifts for every youngster.
Newcastle again shatters records
Three new records were hung up by Newcastle Mine during the month of November and the first week of December.
On last Friday, December 7, the mine made a record hoist of 1,529 tons in one shift, the biggest day’s hoist since the mine resumed operations. The highest previous hoist was 1,522 tons on February 8th of this year. The average daily hoist for November was 1,090.6 tons.
Figures compiled covering the month of November show also that the weight per car for the month was the highest ever known. The average weight per car was 1.212 tons. Still another enviable record was established in bringing the cost per ton down during the month to the lowest point reached since the mine reopened.
Credit for this splendid performance belongs equally to Supt. M.A. Morgan and his efficient supervisors and to every last man on the mine payroll, all of whom exerted their best efforts to reach the coveted goal.
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