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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 40 |
| 1891 | 42 |
| 1892 | 27 |
| 1893 | 104 |
| 1894 | 17 |
| 1895 | 113 |
349 stories
- The Battle Over Local Option
Legislators in Olympia delay a high-stakes vote on local liquor control as members head out to visit state institutions.
- The Great Dairy Board Debate
A local dairyman challenges the state legislature's plan to create a costly, bureaucratic board to regulate dairy products, arguing for efficiency and direct accountability.
- The Judge Who Kept His Robes
A House committee found Spokane's Judge Jesse Arthur 'grossly improper' for the bench. The legislature then voted 21 to 47 to drop the whole matter.
- The Senate Decapitates the Guard
A move to single out Adjutant General O'Brien backfires in Olympia, wiping out every commissioned officer in Washington's National Guard.
- The Legislative Power Struggle in Olympia
Republicans scramble to organize the House as a looming senatorial battle threatens to stall state business.
- The Political Fight Over Federal Jobs
A brewing rebellion among Democratic legislators in Olympia threatens the leadership of Col. Griggs over the spoils of federal patronage.
- The Oyster Bed Loophole
A Supreme Court ruling on tide lands inadvertently threatens the state's control over valuable oyster beds.
- The $3,000 Offer to Salt a Washington Land Claim
An Olympia land-office hearing turns on a state witness’s account of a bribe to fake a mineral discovery—and an expert’s verdict that the ground was worthless.
- Olympia Turns Off the Streetlights to Save $500 a Month
Facing a budget squeeze, Olympia’s city council voted to darken the streets and save $500 a month. Public-spirited citizens organized a private subscription to keep the lights burning rather than let the city go totally dark.
- McGraw to Olympia: Cut Spending, Fix the Courts
With Washington $1.5 million in debt and revenues falling, the governor calls for retrenchment and warns that court costs shut the poor out of justice.
- Lawmakers Faced a $350,000 Deficit—and Made Officials Pay Personally
A bill by Senator Ide passed both houses making state managers personally liable for spending beyond appropriations, with a misdemeanor charge for creating a deficit.
- The Legislature’s Endgame: Normal Schools Funded, a Central Board Killed
With ten days left, Washington lawmakers passed money for Cheney and Whatcom normal schools, killed a plan to consolidate state institutions, and left Cascade railroad routes in doubt.
- The University Would Pay Its Bills by Bonding Seattle Land
A bill to bond ten acres in Seattle and more than 1,000 acres in Western Washington advances, using the old land grant to pay for university improvements.
- A Judge Too Reversed: Senate Blocks Allyn's Regent Seat
The state Senate refuses to confirm Judge Frank Allyn of Tacoma as university regent, citing incompetence, extravagance and a remarkable reversal record.
- Puyallup's Bid to Steal the State Capitol From Olympia
A Pierce County representative introduced a bill to repeal the $500,000 capitol-building appropriation and cancel the Olympia basement contract—reportedly to keep Puyallup's own hopes alive.
- The Elective Franchise Bill Fails—With Indians Explicitly Barred
A proposed constitutional amendment in Olympia would have fixed voting rules for male citizens while writing 'Indians not taxed' out of the franchise; it died on the floor.
- The Governor Vetoes Debt Relief, and the Paper Cheers
A bill meant to soften deficiency judgments after foreclosure is killed — on the theory that frightened capital would simply stop lending, hurting the very debtors it was meant to save.
- Who Pays When the City's Warrants Go Bad?
A judge says Olympia cannot be forced to cover special improvement warrants with general taxes, leaving the loss to fall on the people holding the paper.
- A Power Grab in Olympia: Electric Companies Win the Right to Condemn Land
A bill allowing electric power companies to seize private property for transmission lines squeaked through the Washington House on a reconsideration vote in 1895.
- The Stone Capitol Olympia Was Promised
Architect Ernest Flagg says the foundation is finished and bids are about to go out for a fireproof statehouse—one built to last, if the legislature will pay for it.
- The Chain-Gang’s Shovel Symphony
In the heart of Olympia, a group of convicts turned Pacific Avenue into their personal construction site, wielding pickaxes and shovels with obstinate pride.
- The Great Puget Sound Whale Hunt
An unexpected visitor in the waters between Olympia and Shelton leads to a high-pressure pursuit by a local steamer.
- The Secret Elopement of Olympia
Defying parental orders and a bitter feud, a young couple flees their hometown to be married.
- The Fight to Ban Boxing in 1891 Washington
As the state legislature considered a sweeping crackdown on 'prizefighting' in 1891, the proposed law sparked debate over what constitutes public violence versus private athletic exercise.
- Seattle and Tacoma Nearly Came to Blows Over the Ship Canal
At the 1892 Democratic state convention, King County's demand for a canal plank turned the floor into a shouting mob — and the vote flipped twice in a single night.