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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 16 |
| 1883 | 79 |
| 1884 | 45 |
| 1885 | 88 |
| 1886 | 47 |
| 1887 | 50 |
325 stories matching paye
- The High School's Secret Salary Scheme
A Seattle school board trustee was caught in a tangled web of pay-roll falsification, revealing a bizarre scheme involving a military instructor and a city official's confusion over government pay.
- Firecrackers and Guard Duty for the New Year
As the Chinese community celebrates, the City Council forces them to pay for their own police watchmen.
- The Justice Who Made the Complainant Pay
When a man filed an assault charge in the local courts, a sharp-witted justice turned the tables on him—and sent him to the county boarding house.
- Indigenous Labor Strike at the Canneries
Native workers on the Northwest coast initiate strikes for better pay as the salmon season begins.
- The Burden of the Land Monopoly
A critique of how the Northern Pacific Railroad’s land grants forced local settlers to subsidize wealthy corporations.
- The Price of Heat: Challenging the Seattle Coal Monopoly
An editorial analysis exposes how a concentration of control in the coal industry is gouging Seattle residents while stifling competition.
- The Taxman Cometh: A Seattle Pioneer Defends His Reputation
Prominent settler George Kinnear clarifies his position after appearing on a list of delinquent taxpayers for street improvements.
- The Sheriff vs. The Railroad
When the Northern Pacific Railroad refused to pay taxes in 1882, the local sheriff didn't just file a complaint—he seized their locomotives.
- The Street Contractor’s Gamble
When the city of Tacoma failed to pay up on street improvements, a contractor was left holding the bag—and a pocket full of worthless paper.
- Ninety Thousand Acres, Not a Cent in Taxes
An Orcas Island correspondent blames railroad-linked land companies for hoarding the island while residents carry the county tax burden.
- The Fight Over Unpaid Rail Taxes
A new Congressional bill aims to force Pacific railroads to pay taxes on their vast land grants, closing a loophole that left farmers shouldering the civic burden.
- The Price of Hospitality
Walla Walla's city council debates how much it should pay to entertain railroad tycoon Henry Villard.
- The Woman Who Refused the Judge
A Seattle woman stands her ground in municipal court, calling out a judge's election fraud and choosing jail over a fine.
- The Teachers' Pay Gap
An editorial from 1887 argues that Seattle’s teachers are overworked, undervalued, and paid significantly less than city laborers.
- The City vs. The Citizens: A Sewer Standoff
Property owners refuse to pay for city improvements they claim were botched, poorly contracted, and overpriced.
- The Rent Crisis at the Renton Coal Mines
Striking miners face eviction as company-owned housing turns into a weapon against organized labor.
- A Laborer's Grievance Over Skimpy Wages
A worker on the Madison Street grade reports that his contractor is withholding pay, sparking a debate on fairness and city debt.
- The Battle Over Sidewalks: When Seattle's Poor Were Forced to Pay for Progress
In 1885, a divided City Council grappled with whether to tax struggling residents for public infrastructure or use the city's general fund.
- Carpenters Plan Strike for Shorter Hours
Local woodworkers demand a nine-hour workday without a reduction in pay.
- Why Seattle Is Quiet While Tacoma Booms
A comparison of economic philosophies reveals Seattle’s conservative approach to business and growth in 1886.
- The Wage-Theft Struggle of 1887 Seattle
Working women in the late 19th century fought back against exploitative employers who withheld pay, turning to labor unions to recover their stolen wages.
- City Hall's Construction Contractor Fails to Pay Up
Creditors are circling the new city building on Third Street as liens are filed against the project.
- The Battle of the Kittitas Toll-Gate
A road construction project in the mountains has sparked a local rebellion, pitting frustrated residents against the private toll-road operators.
- Seattle's Saloon Keepers Face the 'High License' Squeeze
As 1885 begins, the city cracks down on liquor sellers, leaving many owners struggling to pay their bonds—and prompting some to consider an honest day's work instead.
- The Toll-Gate Runaway
A young woman's flirtation with danger and a reckless dash through a toll-gate causes a family scandal and the loss of a suitor.