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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1877 | 1 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 2 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1889 | 4 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 5 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1929 | 1 |
41 stories matching pencil
- The Transformation of Seattle's 'Pencils'
A beloved local street vendor and Civil War veteran receives a surprise wardrobe upgrade from a local merchant, sparking a reflection on Seattle's unique local legends.
- The 'Artillery Insanity' Defense Wins Arson Acquittal
A man accused of burning his own store to collect insurance walks free after his lawyer claims a war-era head injury rendered him mentally incapable of controlling his actions.
- Arson Trial Reveals a West Seattle Cover-Up
A grocery store owner on trial for burning his own shop admits to paying 'hush money' to witnesses after becoming 'confused and crushed' by his losses.
- Railroads Drew Pencil Lines to Claim Millions of Acres
A scathing official report exposes how railroad corporations in Washington Territory and beyond used fraudulent land maps and 'pencil-line' routes to displace settlers and hoard public resources.
- The Street Characters of Old Seattle
A profile of the city's unofficial icons, including 'Old Pencils' and the newsboys 'Limpy' and 'Red,' revealing a glimpse into the gritty, vibrant life of Front Street.
- The Midnight Schoolhouse Heist
A persistent, one-legged burglar left a trail of cane marks and cork-foot prints across the Kennewick High School, making off with hundreds of pencils and pens.
- The War on the Hatpin
Legislators move to curb the 'menace' of oversized fashion accessories in public spaces.
- The City Editor Who Answered a Threat With His Fists
A druggist’s seduction scandal sent an angry stranger into the Telegraph newsroom. Joseph Costello met him with a windmill of punches.
- The Great Seattle Hoax: How a 'Captain' Fooled the Press with a Phantom Ship
A con artist named Captain John Brown sold a wild tale of a treasure-laden voyage to a local newspaper for $10, only for customs officers to discover the vessel didn't exist.
- The Bold Jewelry Store Heist
Burglars bypass a safe to clear out a downtown shop's gold and timepieces.
- A Runaway Horse, Two Fence Splinters, and a Hotelkeeper’s Fearless Daughter
Mary Eirby is gravely hurt near Fort Steilacoom—the same woman who once held a robber at gunpoint in her father’s hotel.
- The City Council's Chaotic Brawl
Yakima’s local government descends into insults, filibustering, and open hostility during a session regarding city spending and official conduct.
- The Strange 'Living' Well of Port Townsend
A dry well dug in an addition to Port Townsend acts as a natural, pneumatic barometer, baffling local scientists.
- Everett Women Launch Their Own Labor Column
Defying the male-dominated press of 1911, union women declare their space will be for social and economic activism, not domestic advice.
- Seattle Voters Break the Boss's Grip
An Olympia editor tells Republican boss John H. McGraw that Seattle's election was a rebuke to machine politics, not a Democratic triumph.
- The Butter Sculptor of Snohomish
How a farmer's wife from the Arkansas wilderness used humble tools to carve her way into the art world.
- The Treasurer’s Bond Had a Hole in It
Seattle’s treasurer-elect filed a $90,000 bond, but wives’ names were penciled in, signatures were missing, and one backer wanted out.
- The Human Cost of Efficiency
Labor leaders speak out against the 'Taylor system,' arguing that industrial time-management schemes treat men like machine parts and lead to physical decline.
- The Silent Advocate for Labor
A deaf mute worker seeks a union shop, shaming non-union men with his commitment to organized labor.
- The Fashion Reporter's Dilemma: Keeping Secrets in the Social Column
A Seattle newspaper correspondent reflects on the moral tightrope of reporting on local scandals while trying to maintain the trust of society figures.
- The Orchardist’s Hard Lesson in Elevation
After a devastating May freeze wiped out his peach crop, a local grower shares a hard-won lesson on the importance of topography and variety selection for Pacific Northwest fruit farming.
- University Social Honors Professor Lee and Retiring Professor Bradley
A celebratory gathering at the university president's home marks the return of a faculty member and the departure of another to his farm.
- The Shadow of the Noose: The Murder Trial of O.B. Miller
A gripping courtroom drama unfolds in Seattle as O.B. Miller faces his third trial for the 1887 murder of two men on Lake Washington.
- The Unruly Fourth: A Snohomish Independence Day
A look at the chaotic, whiskey-fueled celebrations of 1878, where the lack of 'dueals' (money) was the only thing standing between the town and total revelry.
- Seattle Filipino Businessmen Launch Scholarships at the University of Washington
For the first time, Filipino students at the University of Washington could compete for prizes funded by local Filipino entrepreneurs.