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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 36 |
| 1889 | 77 |
| 1891 | 22 |
| 1892 | 98 |
| 1893 | 124 |
| 1894 | 156 |
| 1895 | 227 |
740 stories matching reason
- A Republican Orator Tames a Crowd in Yakima
Andrew F. Burleigh wins over a skeptical Yakima audience with cool reasoning, effectively silencing a People’s Party heckler.
- The Great Debate of Reason vs. Revelation
Seattle's Armory hosts a week-long verbal brawl between a Christian minister and a secularist skeptic over the role of the Bible in modern life.
- A Case of Reasonable Doubt
Salvador Pecani, once sentenced to hang for a brutal crime, is set free after the Supreme Court rules the evidence against him purely circumstantial.
- The Auction Mania in Seattle
A jewelry merchant's retirement sale sparks a reflection on the city's obsession with bargain hunting and the reality behind the storefront liquidations.
- The Iron Heart of Seattle: New Steel Mills Promise Wealth and Work
As the city prepares for a population boom to 20,000, local leaders celebrate the arrival of heavy industry that will define Seattle's economic future.
- The Argument for a Railroad Commission
Advocating for constitutional oversight of rail monopolies to curb corporate influence in Washington politics.
- A Quiet Seattle Prospector Dies in a Hotel—and There Will Be No Inquest
John B. Conrad was found dying at the Grand Hotel; a friend from Seattle could offer no reason for suicide, and the case was closed without an inquest.
- The Man Who Wasn't Mad: A Civil War Veteran’s Battle for Sanity
James A. Balch, a tall, soldierly old man in a faded uniform, was held at the King County Insane Asylum for five years despite being lucid. His family fought him through habeas corpus, and today, the superintendent admitted he had recovered his reason.
- City Council Faces Backlash for Ousting Fire Chief Kellogg
Citizens and taxpayers are protesting the dismissal of the popular fire chief, alleging the Democratic council is prioritizing partisan control over public safety.
- The Shackled Sailors of the Karoo
A federal judge in Tacoma intervenes to protect a crew 'inveigled' onto a British ship, exposing a brutal system of forced labor and maritime exploitation.
- Who Owns the Shore? The Fight for Salmon Bay's Tide Flats
State land commissioners hear five contests over tide lands at Ballard, where railroads, mill companies and upland owners all claim the right to buy the waterfront.
- The Name That Never Was: How Washington Stole Its Identity
A furious editorial in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer defends the state's name against a congressional proposal to rename it 'Tacoma,' arguing that the people’s attachment to their home is sacred.
- The Fight for a State Prison
Senator Watson C. Squire pushes for federal funds to build a Washington penitentiary, arguing the state has been left behind while Dakota and Montana received their due.
- James J. Hill’s Vision for a Trans-Pacific Flour Trade
The Great Northern president met with local merchants to discuss establishing a permanent steamship line between Seattle and Hong Kong.
- The $1,000 'Good Faith' Check That Became a Prisoner of Its Own Terms
Seattle’s streetcar pioneers petition the City Council to return their forfeited deposit, arguing the project stalled due to circumstances beyond their control. The paper argues they have no moral right to reclaim the money.
- The Man Who Owned the Earth
A laborer from Redmond is committed to an asylum after a mental break convinces him he holds the deed to the entire planet.
- The Struggle to Free the Snoqualmie Pass
King County files suit to condemn a privately owned toll road that had fallen into dangerous disrepair.
- Tragedy at the Depot
A railroad worker takes his own life inside a company car in Everett.
- The Seattle School Board's Fight for Independence
In 1891, Superintendent Frank D. Barnard sought to sever Seattle’s school examinations from county oversight, a move that echoes modern debates over local versus state control in education.
- Acquitted in Five Minutes: The Girl Accused of Poisoning a Child
A packed Seattle courtroom erupts when Hildegard Rundberg is cleared of murdering little Richard Parker with 'Death to Rats' rat poison — the jury needing barely five minutes to set her free.
- Arson Attempt Targets Ballard Hotel
A suspicious fire at the Ballard Hotel was thwarted by a night watchman, raising alarms about safety in the burgeoning mill town.
- The Last Stand of the American Flag in Samoa
Secretary Bayard’s dismissal of Consul Reesell sparks outrage over U.S. surrender to German bullying in the Pacific.
- Fired for Being 'Dutch' on a Lake Union Street Crew
A laborer's attorney asks whether an Irish foreman drove a family man off a city water job; the superintendent says he simply couldn't keep up.
- The $5,000 Price of a Farmer’s Freedom
In January 1891, Seattle Judge Humes upheld an excessive bail for George Watkins, sparking a legal debate over whether justice should be measured by wealth rather than guilt.
- Domestic Abuse in the Kinnear Block
An arrest follows a brutal domestic assault in a prominent downtown building.