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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 2 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 5 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1899 | 1 |
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| 1903 | 1 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1911 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
43 stories matching cleric
- $10,000 for a Road, and Not a Shovel of Dirt Turned
A $10,000 appropriation for a Newport-to-Columbia road vanished into surveys and clerical work, The Miner charged, leaving Stevens County without a graded mile to show for it.
- The Eight-Hour Law Comes to the Depot — One Operator Hired, One Clerk Cut
The railroad averts a telegraphers' strike by yielding to the new federal hours law, assigning a second operator to Newport — then quietly trimming its clerical payroll to pay for him.
- The Price of a Clerical Error
A contractor’s slip of the pen costs him a major city street grading contract.
- Judge Greene Slaps Down Legal Nitpicking
A Territorial judge refuses to let a clerical error in the law strip working teamsters of their property exemptions.
- Postmaster Cuts Hours Over Low Pay
Seattle's post office will close earlier as the postmaster struggles with inadequate funding to support his staff.
- The Madison Street Assessment Mix-Up
A clerical error by the city has suddenly shifted the burden of sidewalk taxes, creating a financial mess for homeowners.
- A Bungled Case of Robbery and Bad Paperwork
A classic instance of municipal incompetence led to suspected robbers walking free after their bail money was returned due to a clerical error in the police department.
- The Bureaucracy of Abandonment
Olympia’s land office is paralyzed by backlogs, leaving settlers and their titles in legal limbo while officials in Washington, D.C. ignore local pleas for help.
- When Populists Ran the Courthouse, County Warrants Fell to 74 Cents
A cost-cutting order from Whatcom's Populist commissioners has clerks and deputies refusing to obey, while the county's paper warrants slide toward junk.
- The Ghost of a Property Blunder
Years after a land sale to the federal government for a Seattle lighthouse, officials find a clerical error that threatens the entire title to the property.
- The Political Ousting of a Postmaster
A Civil War veteran is pressured to resign his post so a G.A.R. member can take his place.
- The Battle for the Finley Road
A simmering local dispute over road quality, county spending, and bureaucratic transparency boils over in the press.
- The Manly Art of Boxing Gone Wrong
A local man's humorous attempt to improve his health through boxing with his younger brother leads to broken brackets and a bruised nose.
- The Eight-Hour Day: Who Gets It and Who Doesn't?
A definitive ruling clarifies that Washington’s landmark labor protections were intended for physical toil, not office work.
- The School Levy Arithmetic Blunder
A clerical error in West Seattle led to a tax rate ten times higher than intended, creating a fiscal headache for early property owners.
- The City Hall Salary Wars
Seattle's House of Delegates and the Board of Aldermen clash over deep budget cuts to city staff and police.
- The City of Experts
Walla Walla's local government is criticized for a wave of high-priced, unnecessary 'expert' consultants while local talent remains ignored.
- The Battle for the Courthouse Budget
Justice court clerks push back against a county consolidation plan that would slash their wages and merge their responsibilities.
- The Great Christmas Bread Mix-Up
When an anonymous delivery of 150 loaves of bread arrived at a charity dinner by mistake, the organizers turned a clerical error into a holiday miracle.
- A Treasurer's Patronage Promise Comes Due
Two bondsmen wanted John Grunkranz put on the county payroll, and they reminded Treasurer Maple that they had put up $15,000 on his word.
- The Swindling 'Boy Preacher' of Discovery Bay
A young con artist charms his way into the confidence of local ranchers with promises of land purchases and a wealthy mother, only to vanish without paying a cent.
- The Unfinished Business of Returning Home
The United States Veterans' Bureau launches an urgent appeal to Washington employers to secure livelihoods for disabled veterans completing vocational training.
- The Auditor's Ledger Scandal
After an investigation into King County's books, the county auditor is indicted for forgery following a chaotic attempt to clear the ledger before his term expired.
- The Seattle Legal Crisis of 1887
When an error in the law's title threatened to invalidate every court order in the territory, the Seattle Bar Association gathered to decide if the wheels of justice had ground to a halt.
- Wood & Osborne Bring Order to Washington Territory Deeds
As Seattle's property market surged, the city's premier title firm was forced to expand its operations to keep up with the frantic pace of land speculation.