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83 stories matching inferior
- The Asphalt Monopoly on Pacific Avenue
Tacoma’s city government faces pressure as questions arise over paving specifications that seem designed to benefit a massive asphalt trust.
- The Gender Brain Debate of 1892
At a Tacoma church social, four young men took to the stage to debate whether women’s brains were fundamentally superior or inherently inferior to men’s.
- Whistleblower Exposes Shoddy Work on County Almshouse
A veteran bricklayer alleges that the new county building was built with inferior materials and covered up with paint to deceive inspectors.
- The High Cost of Railroad Monopoly
Central Washington farmers argue that exorbitant freight rates are strangling the local economy, forcing residents to buy inferior California produce.
- A Low Bidder Cries Foul Over Tacoma’s New Water Pipes
Charges of inferior material and work outside the contract were briefly cleared—until affidavits from a lower bidder forced a fresh council inquiry.
- Why is the City Buying Eastern Hydrants?
A citizen questions why the city administration is shipping tax money to Michigan for inferior equipment when local iron workers remain idle.
- The Strawberry Wars: Can Kennewick Growers Cooperate?
An editorial plea for local strawberry growers and marketing agencies to standardize their pack and stabilize pricing before the season collapses.
- The Salmon Shortage: A Territorial Plea for Survival
In May 1877, a local nurseryman and fishery advocate wrote to the *Northern Star* urging the U.S. Fish Commission to intervene, arguing that Puget Sound’s inferior salmon could not compete with Columbia River catches without urgent government aid.
- Railway Accidents Plague the Northern Pacific
Repeated train wrecks near Yakima raise questions about the quality of the railroad's equipment.
- The Fever for Puget Sound Land
A traveler reports a 'bewildering' rush of immigrants, leaving little land available as settlers quarrel over every acre.
- The Court-Martial That Laughed Up Its Sleeve
In closed sessions at Olympia, Col. J. C. Haines faces charges of foul and abusive language—but his supporters say the fix is already in.
- The Wandering Numismatist
Police arrest a man from Fidalgo City carrying a century-old coin collection and a concealed weapon.
- How Tacoma Beat Seattle for the Railroad—and Who Paid for It
An Eastern paper says Northern Pacific officials picked an inferior Tacoma site because it let a small coterie profit from townsite speculation, while Seattle refused to hand over its waterfront.
- Brush Fire Consumes Hay and Hog Pens at Costello Ranch
A routine cleanup of orchard waste turns into a local disaster when a sudden wind catches the rancher's winter feed supply.
- Seattle Dealers Deny the Great Yakima Potato Swindle
A Yakima farmer accused commission merchants of palming off inferior spuds as Yakima stock and skimming the profits. The city’s leading produce houses say the real culprits are fly-by-night operators.
- Forty Thousand Bricks Rejected at the New Courthouse
Superintendent Rogers refused to let nearly 40,000 soft bricks from a Westside yard go into Olympia's new courthouse, warning contractors that the specifications would be enforced.
- Broken Rails and Broken Promises
A construction company sues the Canadian Pacific Railway for failing to deliver materials on time, causing a project to stall.
- Sewer Graft Scandal Hits Ballard
A contractor linked to Walla Walla infrastructure is accused of corrupting a massive sewer project in Ballard.
- The Economic Case for Civil Rights
An editorial from 1886 argues that Northern labor interests depend on ending the exploitation of Black workers in the South.
- The Crumbling Sidewalk Scandal
Taxpayers are fuming as newly laid city cement walks crack and crumble, revealing a lack of oversight on public works contracts.
- Tacoma Labor Fights a British Granite Contract
The Trades Council says a Port dry-dock job is shutting out American stone and American workmen.
- The Political Price of Statehood
A biting critique of territorial delegate Voorhees and the onerous conditions proposed for Washington's entry into the Union.
- City Left in Dark After Gas Tank Explosion
A major receiving tank failure leaves Tacoma without illuminating gas, forcing citizens and local businesses to scramble for alternatives.
- The Union Frisking Committee
Everett union members turn to direct enforcement of the union label, fining fellow workers who wear non-union clothing.
- The Birth of Mount Rainier National Park
Federal officials move to secure the mountain's forests and glaciers for public preservation, setting the stage for a new national treasure.