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198 stories matching fare
- The 750-Page 'Blue Book' That Could Cost Seattle Its Customs Inspector
A federal official fights for his job as Washington weighs a massive volume of testimony — including a scheme to bill the government for steamboat rides he never paid for.
- The Steamboat Inspector's Reckoning
Capt. Bryant admits free rides, denies bribery, and trades accusations with the pilots and captains who want him removed from the Seattle inspection office.
- The Fern Hill Streetcar Siege
Residents of a Tacoma suburb blockade streetcar tracks for nearly 24 hours to protest a fare hike.
- The Mysterious Disappearance of L. Fare
A pioneer resident vanishes from his Keyport home, which was found burned to the ground; sheriff finds no evidence of a body in the ashes.
- The Price of Passage on Bellingham Bay
Passengers are protesting predatory fare hikes on local steamers, pitting citizens against boat operators in a fight over transit costs.
- Puyallup Commuters Organize for Cheaper Rail Fares
Local residents in Puyallup form a committee to challenge railway pricing on the new, shorter line to Tacoma.
- The Struggle for a Nickel Fare
Newly annexed residents demand transit equity from the Tacoma Railway and Power Company.
- The Day Seattle Forced the Chinese Out
When an angry mob corralled the Chinese community on a warehouse dock, a steamer captain navigated the line between keeping the peace and resisting a forced expulsion.
- The Judge, the Revolver, and the Impeachment Petition
A former judge tells Olympia that Judge W. W. Langhorne drinks on the bench, bullies lawyers, and has threatened to shoot him — and asks the House to remove him.
- The Day the Sloop Fired on a Federal Cutter
In 1860, twenty-four Port Townsend citizens chartered a sloop to save $5 on fares to Olympia. When intercepted by a revenue cutter, their captain opened fire with a brass howitzer—only to discover he’d just threatened the U.S. government.
- Steerage Passengers Stage an Armed Strike for Better Food
Twenty-five Texas cowboys on a steamship to Portland organized an armed takeover of the kitchen to force the captain to improve steerage rations.
- The Price of Small Change on the Rails
A passenger sued the Northern Pacific Railroad for $3,000 after being forcibly ejected for failing to provide exact change for his fare.
- A Steamboat Inspector on Trial, and the Men Who Kicked
A Seattle courtroom hears masters and pilots defend Capt. Bryant against charges of favoritism—and admit that the men who complain are often the incompetent ones.
- Tacoma’s North End Demands Cheaper Streetcar Fares
Local neighborhood club pushes for universal ticket sales on cars to lower costs for daily commuters.
- The Feather-Pillow Pregnancy That Fooled Centralia
A couple's plea for train fare ends with the town out the money and both travelers gone.
- The Great Seattle Streetcar Standoff
A proposed deal for a unified street railway system in Seattle hits a wall as Boston-based investors reject municipal demands for fair wages and affordable fares.
- The City’s Wallet vs. The Streetcar Barons: Seattle Votes on Who Owns the Rails
As fares rise and corporate power grows, Seattle councilmen debate a radical idea: municipal ownership of street railways to save taxpayers millions.
- The City Council Sets Rules for Seattle’s Streetcars
A new ordinance dictates how street railways will operate, mandating street paving, track maintenance, and fare standards to protect the public interest.
- A Steamboat Standoff on the Puget Sound
When a captain accused a passenger of skipping town on a fare, two witnesses stepped forward to detail a tense armed confrontation aboard the steamer 'Otter.'
- Railroad War in the Cascades
A power struggle between a superintendent and his replacement at the Northern Pacific construction front leads to threats, unpaid fares, and shotgun standoffs.
- The Fight for Control of the Sound
How local merchants and steamship operators are resisting monopolistic tactics in the Puget Sound trade.
- The Railroad That Threatened to Make Serfs of Us All
An 1884 open letter urges Democrats and independents to break the Northern Pacific's grip on land, taxes and the delegate election.
- A Federal Judge Takes Away Washington's Power to Set Railroad Rates
Judge Hanford rules in Seattle that the state railroad commission cannot fix freight and fares — and Governor Mead weighs a constitutional amendment and a special session to give it back.
- The Tragedy of a Guardian's Greed
A sick pioneer's recovery is threatened by the revelation that his own brother, who managed his affairs, billed him for everything from streetcar fares to tobacco for horses.
- The Streetcar Brawl at Ninth Street
A fare dispute turned violent when a Tacoma streetcar conductor armed himself with a heavy switch hook against a passenger, only to be beaten with his own weapon.
Also about this, in other words
- The Man Who Insisted on Paying His Fare
A Swedish immigrant creates a scene at the Northern Pacific depot by trying to pay back a debt to a railroad that didn't even want his money.
- Thrown Off the Train for Three Miles
A railroad conductor enforces a strict, rigid, and brutal fare policy against a weary worker in Centralia.
- The Steamship Fare War That Cut Seattle to San Francisco to $15
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company slashes cabin and steerage rates as a rival steamer forces a fight to the finish.
- Black Diners Challenged Seattle Café’s Dual Menu Prices
A local cafe owner faces legal action for enforcing a discriminatory pricing policy against Black patrons.
- The Price of a Free Ride
Seattle's press praises legislators who refused corporate-funded train passes, calling the practice a form of bribery.
- A $20-a-Month Alimony Bill, a Vow to 'Starve Out,' and a Warrant
Frank Heath, a Seventh Avenue line conductor, was wanted on a warrant after his ex-wife said he refused to pay $20 a month and vowed to 'starve out' rather than comply.
- An Indignant Patron
A Chinese man refuses a segregated ticket policy at a local circus.
- The Price of a Performance
Traveling theatrical manager Mattie Boyd pays a hefty $1,700 penalty to the Northern Pacific Railroad after a new interstate commerce law threatens to ruin her season.