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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1884 | 3 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1887 | 6 |
| 1888 | 4 |
| 1889 | 1 |
| 1891 | 3 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1894 | 6 |
| 1895 | 4 |
| 1898 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 3 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1917 | 1 |
57 stories matching messing
- A Spilled Bowl of Soup, a Fatal Shot at Camp Murray
A mess-tent quarrel between two young soldiers ended with Private Thomas Vandiver shot through the body and Private Frederick Stubbs in the county jail, claiming self-defense.
- The Thief Who Stopped for a Drink
A theft at a Cosmopolis mess house led to a pursuit across Grays Harbor and an unusual roadside discovery.
- The Water Belongs to the People—Not the Syndicates
A.M. Stevens of Ellensburg warns that handing arid lands to the states is the first step toward private control—and argues the federal government must build the reservoirs.
- The Unfinished Railroad to Nowhere
Construction on the Northern Pacific line stalls as contractors fire workers and shutter mess halls.
- The Community-Funded Battery
Kennewick rallies to outfit its local volunteer artillery unit with a 'mess fund' as they prepare for the trenches of Europe.
- The Political Mess of 1880
A biting, satirical critique of the factions coalescing around the Republican party's nominee, James A. Garfield.
- The Mud-Bound Stash
After stealing hundreds of dollars from a mess house in Cosmopolis, a thief uses a clever ruse involving a fake fall to bury his loot.
- The Railway Gold Rush: When Every Line Wanted a Piece of Seattle
In 1890, Seattle was the ultimate prize for three competing transcontinental railroads, leading to a tangled mess of franchise wars, tide flat terminal deals, and high-stakes corporate maneuvering.
- The Flight of a Crooked City Treasurer
When the city press exposed deep corruption in the treasurer’s office, Adolph Krug didn't wait for the trial—he fled.
- The Party Says Not Guilty—and Cheers the Man It Removed
Seattle Democrats put their scandal-scarred administration on trial at Haake's Hall, buried a First Ward delegate fight, and sent David E. Durie into the mayor's race while J.M. Wolfe got the ovation.
- The 'Industrial Army' Mobilizes at Mapel’s Hall
Unemployed men marching across Washington are shadowed by federal marshals and local militia as tensions rise over the threat of train seizures.
- The Street Commissioner's Bribe
A local man faces a libel charge after accusing a city official of soliciting a bribe in exchange for a municipal job.
- The Great Telephone Switchboard Fire
A tangled mess of high-voltage arc light wires sends fireworks cascading through the central telephone exchange, nearly incinerating the entire plant.
- Suspicion of Murder in the O’Brien Hop Fields
An Indigenous man is found dead in his cabin, sparking a desperate plea for justice from his grieving family.
- 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 Political Trading Floor in Mission
A backroom bargain in Chelan County pits local ambition against the governor's power, revealing the high-stakes chess game behind early 20th-century endorsements.
- 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.
- The Dream of a Seattle Ship Canal
Proposals to link Lake Washington, Lake Union, and the Puget Sound via canals promised to unlock vast timber and coal riches, but the path forward remains a tangled mess of congressional bills and engineering hurdles.
- Pike Street Runs Into a Lake: The Man Hired to Untangle Seattle's Eight-Named Streets
In 1895 the city handed City Engineer Thomson the worst street-naming mess on the Pacific Coast — five Cedar streets, three Adams, four Elliotts — and one road with eight different names. Then the ladies of Queen Anne Hill went to war over who got to be Highland Avenue.
- The Street Improvement Fiasco
Workers left penniless and street projects stalled as city contractors vanish without pay.
- City Engineer Fired Amidst Political Pressure
A storm of public indignation follows the board of public works' decision to remove the city engineer at the behest of shadowy political 'wreckers.'
- The Banker Caught in the City's Money Mess
As the corruption trial of Henry Fuhrman unfolds, his defense argues that his private financial dealings with the city treasurer were not criminal, but essential maneuvers to keep city payroll running.
- The Jury That Called Out King County’s Corruption
A scathing 1887 report from the Grand Jury exposes the mismanagement, dangerous roads, and broken record-keeping systems of pioneer-era Seattle.
- The Great Fourth of July Fireman’s Brawl
A celebratory fire competition in Tacoma turned sour as fire companies from across Washington Territory clashed over disputed rules and near-riotous crowds.
- The City Hall Scandal: A Contractual Nightmare in 1887 Seattle
City council members and contractors clash over botched public works, leaving taxpayers and laborers holding the bag in a classic tale of civic mismanagement.
Also about this, in other words
- Scandal and Manners at the Grange Hall
An April Fool's party gone wrong triggers a public airing of grievances regarding youth behavior and adult etiquette.
- An Eccentric Prisoner's Optimistic Dance
A man awaiting sentencing in a local court baffles reporters by dancing a jig and promising a champagne celebration upon his release.
- The North Bend Ducking Stool
When a man terrorized his family during a drunken rampage, his neighbors took justice into their own hands with an icy river dip.
- The North Bend Punch-Up
A grudge match between two former partners leads to a brawl and a trip to court.
- Admitting the Stagnation: The Commercial Club's Self-Critique
The local Commercial Club meets to dissect why their organization has stopped functioning, leading to a vow of manual labor on the roads.
- Predatory Behavior and the Messenger Boys
The arrest of a waiter reveals a pattern of abuse targeting A.D.T. messenger boys in the rooms above downtown saloons.
- Wash Tubs and Tin Cans: A Hover Serenade
When a group of friends arrived to serenade newlyweds in Horse Heaven, they realized they had forgotten their instruments.
- A Shaming Serenade Gone Wrong
A citizen writes to the editor to defend a newly married couple from a violent, unwanted 'charivari' performance.