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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 2 |
| 1895 | 1 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
15 stories matching decorum
- The Ledger Went Into the Furnace
A Tacoma courtroom heard how 94 company books were burned on orders from the assignee—while stockholders testified that minutes were falsified and $42,000 had vanished.
- Three Thousand Boosters Eat, Cheer, and Rebrand Tacoma
One night in February 1909: 3,000 boosters packed the armory, picked a new city slogan — 'You'll Like Tacoma' — and got sermons on land, liquor, and who should own the tide flats.
- Labor Congress Confronts the Legislature
A delegation of workers brings a broad platform of demands to the state house, sparking a heated debate over the treatment of labor and the dignity of the legislature.
- The Sheriff Who Arrested the Election Judges
At the opening of a Republican primary in Seattle’s First Ward, Sheriff Woolery had the judges jailed and then tried to pull police off the polls. A judge’s restraining order stopped him—barely.
- The Warden Fights Back: Prison Labor, Jute Sacks and a Seattle Newspaper Scandal
Accused of selling prison-made sacks to middlemen and brutalizing convicts, Walla Walla’s warden answers his critics with a detailed defense—and a challenge to inspect the prison.
- The Day Seattle Rode the Rails to Lake Union
In 1872, the completion of the Seattle Coal Company’s railway from the waterfront to the lake offered a thrilling, soot-stained excursion for a city eager to join the industrial age.
- The Street Parade That Scandalized Victorian Seattle
A boisterous variety theater's promotional procession—featuring 'bold and painted women'—ignited a fierce public outcry in 1892, highlighting the era's clashing views on morality and civic decorum.
- The Tavern Battle on Pacific Avenue
Tacoma business owners campaign to clear saloons from their block to improve trade and decorum.
- The 'Parliamentary Picnic' at Washington’s Constitutional Convention
When the delegates gathering in Olympia in 1889 grew bored, they turned the formal proceedings of the state's founding into a chaotic, hilarious session of mock motions and procedural pranks.
- The Governor-Candidate Who Handed Out His Own Petitions
In a display of political informality that shocked Olympia, a candidate for territorial governor took to the streets to personally solicit signatures, defying the expected decorum of the era.
- Mr. Palmer Urges Senate to Back Women’s Suffrage
Mr. Palmer takes to the floor in Olympia to argue for woman suffrage, dismantling tired objections and demanding a seat at the table for Washington women.
- The Legislative Prank That Backfired
A Washington Territory legislator’s attempt to play a humorous political trick on a colleague turns into a serious row over parliamentary decorum.
- The Church Usher Who Mistook a Fedora for a Faux Pas
A Sunday evening service at North Baptist Church ended in laughter after an overzealous usher attempted to enforce decorum on a woman in a Derby hat.
- Civic Disruption at City Hall
Mayor forces order after council members devolve into petty squabbles during public business.
- The Queen City Brass Band's High-Stakes Ballroom Dance
In an era of strict social decorum, a Seattle brass band hosts an 'apron and necktie' ball at the Court House, strictly barring 'disreputable characters' to fund their new uniforms.
Also about this, in other words
- An Invitation to a Celestial Feast
An 1877 dispatch offers a rare, albeit patronizing, glimpse into the intricate social etiquette and lavish dining culture of Seattle’s Chinese mercantile class.
- The Vulgarity of Legislative Gratuities
An editorial critique argues that tipping public officials during legislative sessions undermines the dignity of the state.
- The Great Table Etiquette Debate
An editorial scrap between the Intelligencer and the Post-Intelligencer over whether eating with a knife is a sign of 'vulgar' breeding.
- A Noisy Surprise for the Newlyweds
Local residents revive the old-fashioned 'charivari' tradition to celebrate a neighbor’s recent marriage with a cacophonous midnight parade.
- A Cultural Tableau in Fremont
Lake Union Lodge members stage an elaborate Japanese-themed wedding and fan drill to celebrate local community spirit.
- The House Rules of a Frontier Newspaper
An 1864 editor lays down the law for visitors to his office, covering everything from chewing tobacco to the frequent singing of 'John Brown.'
- A Grand Dedication at Codding Hall
The entire valley converged on White Bluffs to christen the town’s first modern amusement venue with a night of dancing and patriotic fervor.
- The Landlady’s Fourth of July Ultimatum
A boarding house owner demands that her tenant stop practicing his political speeches to keep the peace and the stair-rods intact.