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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1893 | 5 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 6 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1911 | 2 |
22 stories matching cumbersom
- The Struggle to Fix Seattle's 'Cumbersome' City Charter
Mayor J. T. Ronald argues that Seattle's government is too costly, fragmented, and better suited for a city many times its current size.
- The Call to Abolish the Jury System
A territorial editor argues that the jury system is a cumbersome obstacle to justice in a lawless frontier.
- Too Much City Hall
Mayor Ronald calls for massive municipal restructuring to trim a 'costly and cumbersome' city government.
- The Price of a Vote: Seattle’s 1884 Election Costs
A look back at the surprisingly high cost of democracy in early Seattle, where administrative overhead, printing, and legal red tape turned local elections into a financial burden for the growing town.
- The Struggle for a Streamlined Seattle
Mayor Phelps calls for a total overhaul of the city charter, arguing that the existing system is far too expensive and cumbersome for Seattle’s rapid growth.
- Democrats Rally to Break the Pierce County Republican Stronghold
Delegates gather at Germania Hall to nominate a full slate of candidates, hoping to disrupt the Republican dominance of Pierce County politics.
- The Circus Comes to Town
Despite a drenching rain, Campbell Brothers Circus brings a spectacle of animals and acrobats to Walla Walla.
- Rewriting the City's Rulebook
Seattle officials and citizens gather to overhaul the municipal charter, seeking to clarify the responsibilities of the Mayor and the City Council.
- Secret Police Powers
A labor critique of the 'wholesale granting' of secret police stars to strike-breakers at the local iron works.
- The River Giant: A Record-Breaking Log Boom
The steamer Beaver successfully navigated a massive log raft into the harbor, a logistical feat that left the waterfront stunned.
- The Electric Quack of the Arlington Hotel
An elderly traveler narrowly escapes a predatory ‘doctor’ who attempted to encase her in ‘electric’ metal shields under the guise of a miracle cure.
- The Blame Game on the Sound
A schooner and a steamer collided in the dark of Puget Sound; the court’s decision offers a rare look at the chaos of maritime navigation in 1893.
- The Shadowy Policing of Sumner's Iron Works
Everett labor organizers discover that local police badges were secretly handed out to strikebreakers, sparking a call for commission government.
- The Sunnyside Canal's New Problem Was Too Much Water
Farmers who once feared the canal could never water the whole valley are now drowning in seepage — so a private company has been chartered to drain the land before the state district can get its paperwork done.
- The Aldermen Tried to Keep Public Documents Secret. The City Clerk Objected.
After a bribery accusation leaked, Seattle's board ordered documents withheld. The clerk and corporation counsel said the public had a right to see them.
- McGraw to Olympia: Cut Spending, Fix the Courts
With Washington $1.5 million in debt and revenues falling, the governor calls for retrenchment and warns that court costs shut the poor out of justice.
- City Hall Showdown: Council and Reformers Clash Over Charter Revision
A heated joint meeting of the city council and civic organizations debates whether to call a special election for a new city charter, with accusations of bullying and claims of wasted taxpayer money.
- The Rose Thief of James Street
A Seattle gardener threatens to deploy a bulldog—or forty—after midnight raids carry off her prize roses, including the star-crossed Baron and Baroness.
- A Judge Takes Aim at Seattle's Charter Reformers
Judge Orange Jacobs mocks the men who promised a new city charter would cure every municipal ill — and doubts any document can make people honest.
- King County Lawmakers Want to Cut the Budget—and Railroad Rates
Ahead of the 1901 legislative session, King County’s representatives outline a shared agenda: slash state expenses, abolish useless commissions, lower railroad freight and passenger rates, and create a state grain inspector to protect farmers from brokers.
- The 1893 Plan to Untangle Seattle’s Government
A powerful city official wanted a stronger mayor, a one-house council, and fewer commissions—arguments Seattle still has today.
- Seattle’s Post-Panic Pep Talk: Canals, Steel and Paved Streets
On New Year’s Day 1895, Seattle’s mayor and aldermen promised economy, railroad terminals and a Lake Washington canal—and insisted the Panic of 1893 was finally fading.