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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 8 |
| 1897 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1915 | 1 |
40 stories matching funni
- Bill Nye’s Advice: Dig In, Don’t Look for Rail Lines
Humorist Bill Nye weighs in on the local obsession with railroad speculation in Fairhaven and New Whatcom.
- The Four-Inch Loophole
Everett officials reject an employment office application, citing a technicality that contradicts their own history of political maneuvering.
- The Battle of the Wishkah River Bridge
A city’s municipal gridlock and the bizarre arrest of a councilman over anti-bond propaganda.
- A Smuggler’s Brassy Boast at the Custom House
A smuggler brazenly enters the Seattle Custom House while intoxicated, bragging to officials about moving people into the country illegally.
- The Great Clothing Fiasco
A group of citizens in Cheney ordered clothing from a traveling salesman, only to find the garments were comically undersized.
- The Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay Interview
A rare glimpse into the life of the sensational English stage star Lottie Collins, who candidly discusses the exhausting reality of performing the world's most popular song.
- The Widow, the Boy, and the Seduction Case That Backfired
A packed Seattle courtroom heard James Deedy say the widow seduced him—and Justice Caldwell ruled there was intercourse but no seduction, freeing the young man.
- The Eight-Hour Day Fight
Everett labor organizers call out local manufacturers for 'calamity howls' and fear-mongering regarding the movement for shorter workdays.
- Turning Gravel into Gold
Local skeptics are proven wrong as experiments with flax and wheat on Spokane's rocky soil show surprising success.
- The Ten Thousand Union Democrats That Weren't
A political correspondent mocks the failure of a planned 'Union Democrat' meeting in Vancouver, where thousands were promised but only a handful appeared.
- The Town's Elite Take Up Knee-Breeches
A satirical poem mocks Aberdeen's socialites for adopting the latest high-fashion trend.
- The Great Dosewallips Panic
Exaggerated reports of forest fires in the Dosewallips Valley lead to a humorous scene of local panic.
- A Printing Office Blunder
A romantic visit to a printing office turns disastrous for a typographer when his fiancée accidentally destroys his hours of labor.
- The Shadowy Death of Charles Smith
A suspected opium smuggler dies by his own hand in the Puyallup reservation jail, leaving behind a cryptic note that hints at corruption and a hidden fortune in contraband.
- A Vashon Island Farmer Stumbles on 80 Pounds of Smuggled Opium
A boy’s shout over a “funny box” on the beach leads customs inspectors to a sloop and an Italian sailor accused of running opium from British Columbia.
- The Pugilist Who Panned the Performance
When legendary heavyweight John L. Sullivan took a turn on the Seattle stage, his performance was less 'histrionic' than 'fighting drunk.'
- The Bathtub Comedy That Saved the Day
A struggling young couple in a Seattle play find their only salvation in a piece of furniture that isn't quite what it seems.
- The True Cost of a Working Family's Survival
A Spokane laborer’s wife shares a harrowing account of household expenses, revealing that despite steady employment, her family is left with nearly nothing for clothing or healthcare.
- The Man Who Walked the Entire Union
A formerly enslaved man recounts his epic, cross-country trek to the Puget Sound, fueled by a simple curiosity to see the nation for himself.
- Variety and Hilarity at Frye’s Opera House
A packed house in 1888 Seattle revels in everything from German mimicry to 'dashing soubrettes'—with one notable exception.
- The Town That Wouldn't Sleep: Snohomish’s Fourth of July Overflow
When the steamers arrived with guests from Seattle and upriver, two hotels couldn't hold them all. The town celebrated with a reading by a woman, a poem by a local man, and a boat ride that nearly capsized on the Skagit.
- The University of Washington’s First Alumni Reunion
A modest gathering of nineteen graduates reflects on their time at the young university with essays, music, and an unexpected appearance of the next generation.
- A Gun-Toting Guard at the Liquor Store
A store owner hires a guard to protect his liquor supply, leading to a dangerous and accidental discharge of a firearm.
- Kennewick’s Saloon Keepers Pivot to Soft Drinks
As Washington State approaches prohibition in 1916, local bar owners prepare to trade spirits for sodas, card tables, and light lunches.
- The Secret Lunch of the Frugal Merchant
A chance encounter in a 'tough' neighborhood restaurant reveals the hidden economic anxieties of Seattle's business class during a local recession.