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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 3 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
15 stories matching drummer
- The Traveling Salesman’s Clever Ruse
A skeptical livery stable owner meets his match in a traveling drummer who refuses to pay for his own horse.
- Judge Strikes Down State Road Laws
A landmark superior court ruling declares the state's method for seizing private property for public roads unconstitutional, throwing years of county construction projects into legal limbo.
- The Drummer’s Deed: A Tale of Lost Blocks and Mutual Recrimination
A traveling salesman thought he’d scored a bargain on Seattle real estate, only to discover his deed was for the wrong lot—and his seller had no idea either.
- The Brutal Reality of the 'Sailor's Home' in 1886
A local reporter exposes the predatory labor practices and 'blood money' schemes targeting sailors in Seattle's waterfront boarding houses.
- The Mustard Plaster Misadventure
A traveler seeking relief from rheumatism accidentally treats the wrong man to a painful surprise.
- After the Great Fire, Seattle Faced a Crisis of Shelter
With the city center in ashes, temporary lodging became the most pressing demand for a bustling frontier town.
- A Telegraph Prank Turned a Boat Trip into an Armed Standoff
When someone wired Port Ludlow that a steamer carried smallpox, the town's 'commercial travelers' met a wall of shotguns — and a joke got out of hand.
- The Great Quarantine: Port Ludlow’s Armed Stand Against 'Commercial Agents'
In a rare display of local vigilante health policy, armed residents of Port Ludlow blocked a boat from Victoria, British Columbia, forcing it away after learning the passengers had smallpox.
- The Unmasking of 'Julius the Fugitive'
A small-town swindler’s life of crime finally catches up with him after a string of scams across the Pacific Northwest.
- The Paper War: Port Townsend vs. Seattle
In 1876, a small rival town accused Seattle of economic sabotage over who printed their business cards.
- The Trust’s Empty Wallet: How Monopolies Are Starving Seattle’s Hotels and Stables
As giant combines fire thousands of traveling salesmen to boost profits, the ripple effect hits local businesses hard—yet consumers see only higher prices.
- Why Seattle Is Quiet While Tacoma Booms
A comparison of economic philosophies reveals Seattle’s conservative approach to business and growth in 1886.
- The Eight-Year-Old Drummer Who Captivated the Band
A young Seattle boy, dressed in a fancy frock, stunned a visiting military band with his natural rhythm and command of the drums.
- The Counterfeit 'Rye Straw' Cigar Scam
Tobacco merchants discover a deceptive new counterfeit cigar wrapper made of chemically treated rye straw.
- The Smooth Stranger’s Trap: A Banker’s Warning Against the 'Get Rich Quick' Scam
In 1920s Kennewick, local banks warned citizens that 'smooth strangers' peddling investments were likely frauds, urging residents to keep their money in trusted institutions rather than chasing phantom profits.
Also about this, in other words
- The Musicians' Union Feud at the Fruit Fair
A local labor council boycott of a touring band crumbles after discovering the group had quietly unionized weeks earlier.
- The Midnight Musician of Second and James
A classic Seattle neighborhood dispute over a disruptive neighbor and his relentless cornet playing.
- The Deaf Dodge
A local drunkard tries to outsmart a judge by faking deafness, only to be tripped up by the prospect of a free drink.
- A Night at Turner Hall
Seattle’s athletic set gathers at Turner Hall for an exhibition match featuring lightweight pugilist Dal Hawkins.
- A Recruiting Tour of the Sound
P.E. Brewer, a member of the Puyallup tribe, travels the Sound to recruit students for the Chemawa Indian School.
- Rejected from the Front
A local young man's enlistment dreams are shattered by a minor physical disability just before his unit deploys for WWI.
- Dance Hall Rivalry Turns Violent
Jealousy over a courtesan leads to a public shooting outside a downtown boarding house.
- Prominent Pioneer Detained
A longtime city contractor suffers a mental health crisis at home.