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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 31 |
| 1891 | 16 |
| 1892 | 54 |
| 1893 | 60 |
| 1894 | 100 |
| 1895 | 148 |
429 stories matching sum
- Washington's Insane Asylums Need Nearly Half a Million Dollars
A legislative committee reports that the state's two insane asylums require $459,757.55 for maintenance, new buildings, and deficiencies — a staggering sum for 1893.
- The Tragedy of a Lonely Laborer
A Norwegian laborer, recently arrived in Port Townsend with a large sum of money, commits a desperate act of self-strangulation while in city jail.
- A Captain's Midnight Wrestle With an Armed Robber
Capt. W.W. Gardner loses a small sum but saves his watch after a holdup at Thirteenth and I streets—part of a burglary wave police cannot seem to stop.
- The City Goes After Its Missing $5,381 — and the Bondsmen Who Signed for It
Seattle sues ex-City Treasurer W. L. Ames over unaccounted street-assessment money, naming ten prominent citizens who pledged $10,000 each. Ames is conveniently away on Whidbey Island.
- The 'Orting Bank Thief' Libel Case
A political war of words between Populists and the establishment leads to a dramatic arrest for criminal libel in Tacoma.
- Seeking Redress for the Snake River Conflict
A Hillhurst man prepares a government claim for losses sustained during the Indian wars of 1851.
- The Great Seattle Gamblers' Bailout: How the City's Elite Let Off the Hook
In a crowded courtroom, dozens of men accused of running illegal gambling rings were released on massive bonds, while the sheriff’s office scrambled to account for thousands in cash.
- Tacoma Votes to Expand City Infrastructure
Citizens approve a massive bond issue to fund a new City Hall and retire outstanding warrants.
- The Price of a Steamboat Collision
Federal Judge Hanford orders the steam collier Willamette to pay $30,000 for a fatal 1892 collision with the steamer Premier.
- The Great County Treasury Heist
After fleeing to Whidbey Island, a disgraced ex-treasurer remains at large while investigators uncover a web of missing warrants and forged securities.
- The Senator’s Lament: Puget Sound vs. the Columbia River
In 1892, Senator Watson Squire sparred with his colleagues over federal infrastructure spending, arguing that sinking millions into the Columbia River served only Portland while neglecting the burgeoning commercial potential of Puget Sound.
- Seattle Longshoremen Fight to Save Their Union
Workers speak out against a Pacific Coast Steamship Company lockout intended to dismantle their collective bargaining power.
- A Brutal Robbery at a Wealthy Fruit Farm
After withdrawing a large sum of money for wages, a fruit farmer in the Hall’s Prairie area was shot by intruders in his own home.
- A Militia Captain Cleared—Then He Quit
Company D's investigators found no missing money and called forgery charges a 'malicious lie,' but Capt. Elmer R. Brady still handed in his resignation.
- The Bid for Seattle’s First Dedicated High School
Voters face a critical decision on May 6th to fund a new building and land for Seattle's expanding secondary education system.
- The Widow Clapsadle's Second $10,000 Proposal
After settling her first breach-of-promise suit for $150, Mary E. Clapsadle is back in court, demanding either marriage or $10,000 from Charles W. Eastabrook.
- The Whispered Land Grab in Whitman County's School Lands
A state land official reports that valuable school lands were leased for 'trifling sums' through a secret arrangement involving county commissioners, a Colfax lawyer and a banker—but stops short of naming names.
- The School Board Rejects a World's Fair Scheme
Seattle school board members debate fundraising for a 'baby building' at the Chicago World's Fair.
- City Leaders Accused of Financial Mismanagement
A critical report on how city funds are being held in 'favored banks' while the city pays interest on its own debt.
- The Treasurer-Elect Can't Find Bondsmen for a $400,000 Bond
J. W. Maple's search for sureties exposes a quiet fight over King County's swelling public funds—and the commissioners say they actually let him off easy.
- Seattle Raises a Half-Million to Cut a Canal to the Sea
In a dreary year, the Queen City's newsboys, millionaires and merchants finished a voluntary $500,000 subsidy for the Lake Washington ship canal—proof, admirers said, that Seattle could fight its own battles and win.
- How Seattle Raised $50,000 for Its Canal — Bootblacks Included
A San Francisco paper marveled that Seattle's Lake Washington canal fund came in small donations from rich and poor alike, a civic-spirit story with a Puget Sound lesson.
- The Mayor's Veto: A Battle Over City Bonds
Mayor J. T. Ronald blocks a city council ordinance requiring a bond from a waterworks cashier, citing legal advice from the city's corporation counsel.
- Seattle’s Million-Dollar Water Gamble
Facing a growing population and urgent infrastructure needs, city leaders propose a massive bond measure to build a municipal water system, aiming to secure control over the city's future.
- The Price of Political Patronage
A prominent Seattle Democrat finds his wallet on the line after his protégé, a municipal court clerk, vanishes with nearly a thousand dollars in public funds.