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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 64 |
64 stories
- Colfax's Endless Search for Pure Water
City council members push for an expensive shift from unreliable pumps to an artesian gravity system to secure the town's health.
- The Auditor Who Paid Himself
A former Whitman County official cashed a cancelled warrant for his own campaign expenses years after he left office.
- The Collapse of a Grain Empire
After a massive embezzlement scheme depleted thousands of bushels, a local warehouse company is forced into liquidation.
- The Northwest Flour Trust Proposal
A representative from Boston attempts to organize local millers into a regional trust to control prices for the Oriental market.
- A Shaming Serenade Gone Wrong
A citizen writes to the editor to defend a newly married couple from a violent, unwanted 'charivari' performance.
- The Peril of the 'Patent Knocker'
A rancher's squirrel-extermination device explodes, nearly ending his life.
- The Outlaw and the Neckties
After months of eluding sheriffs across the Pacific Northwest, a horse thief and burglar is captured in Spokane, but his case leads to a messy legal feud back in Colfax.
- The Forger in the Warehouse
A local farmer-turned-carpenter exploited casual access to grain elevators to swindle regional banks out of hundreds.
- County Commissioner Quits Over Business Conflicts
The lone Populist on the Whitman County board steps down, claiming the demands of public office are bad for his bottom line.
- The 'Astonishing Weakness' of the Whitman Democratic Ticket
A scathing critique of local party nomination tactics, accusing the Democrats of poaching 'turncoats' and rejected candidates.
- The Wild Primaries of Whitman County
Local republicans staged a high-stakes, chaotic series of caucuses to select delegates for the county convention, with some contests decided by a literal flip of a coin.
- The Colfax Sack Elevator
A local inventor creates a machine designed to eliminate the back-breaking labor of stacking grain in regional warehouses.
- End of the Old Mill Street School
A historic landmark, the Mill Street schoolhouse, is reduced to ash by a spark from a neighboring sawmill.
- The Anti-Saloon League Mobilizes in Colfax
Local church leaders and temperance activists hold a preliminary meeting to launch a campaign against the town's liquor trade.
- Mayor Orders Crackdown on Vice
Colfax officials scramble to collect fines from gambling dens and 'the half world' as the city council seeks to boost revenue.
- The Failed Fusion of Whitman County Politics
The local Democratic convention suffers a crushing blow after Populist delegates reject a proposed merger.
- The Chain Gang Escapee
A petty thief learns the hard way that jumping from the chain gang in Buck's Canyon only results in a much longer stay in the county jail.
- The Political Funeral of Whitman County Populism
Local reformers attempt to bury the Populist party and replace it with a new, direct legislation movement.
- The Postal Money Order Swindle
A former hostler finds himself in federal custody after allegedly intercepting and cashing a woman's mail.
- The Paperwork Revolution
Whitman County updates its land records to end a legacy of confusion and 'egregious errors' in tax assessment.
- Railroads Begin Farming Their Own Forests
Facing a national timber shortage, western railroads turn to industrial-scale tree planting to secure a future for their own infrastructure.
- The Tariff Struggle Against Steel Monopolies
New government statistics reveal a massive spike in iron and steel imports, challenging the power of domestic trusts to set prices.
- The Circus Day Swindle
A pair of local men fall prey to traveling confidence men operating under the cover of the circus.
- Convicted Embezzler Sentenced to Prison
After a heated argument by counsel, William Clifford is sentenced to three years in the Walla Walla penitentiary for stealing two carloads of barley.
- Master Magician Laurant Dazzles Opera House Crowd
Laurant's performance of illusions and tricks at the Colfax opera house last night left the audience delighted, with comparisons to Hermann and Keller. The magician announces a new program for tonight.