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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 4 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 4 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 1 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1914 | 1 |
25 stories matching sleeper
- Tragedy at Eagle Gorge
A broken rail causes a catastrophic train derailment, leaving two dead and scores injured.
- The Tin-Can Alarm Clock Prank That Sent a Spokane Sleeper Racing Downtown at 1:30 A.M.
A prominent citizen rigged a string-and-tin-can wake-up call with the night watchman. Local pranksters pulled the string first—and he dressed and ran for a train that wasn't leaving.
- The Midnight Hold-Up Near Hot Springs
A masked trio halts a Northern Pacific sleeper, terrifying passengers and making off with $1,200 in cash and gold.
- The Municipal Rock Pile: Kennewick's Hard-Nosed Welfare Policy
Facing a winter spike in transient homelessness, the Police Chief mandates manual labor as the price of a meal.
- The Northern Pacific Railroad Promises a New Era of Travel
A traffic superintendent outlines ambitious plans for Pullman sleepers, dining cars, and transcontinental freight routes connecting Seattle to the East.
- Troops Take the Yards as Seattle Braces for the Great Railroad Strike
Regular artillery, deputy marshals and a nervous militia dig in across the city — even hauling the state's rifles up to the university for safekeeping — as the 1894 Pullman boycott reaches Puget Sound.
- Under Fire on the Way to Spokane: Seattle's Militia Rode Into a Rail War
Col. Joseph Green's detachment returns from Spokane after escorting a mutinied company through burned bridges, ambushes and striker country—and the city turns out to cheer.
- Jim Hill’s Tideflat Tactic
How a railroad magnate manipulated the City Council into a lopsided depot deal by trading away public bridge obligations for private land gains.
- The Chambermaid’s Lock: A Seattle Hotel Guest’s Brutal Mistake
When a wealthy Chicago businessman accidentally locked himself in his hotel room and then roughed up the maid who tried to help him, he found himself facing a $10,000 lawsuit for assault.
- 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 Great Earthquake of 1892
A morning tremor rattles Central Washington, stirring memories of the catastrophic 1874 quakes that reshaped the Columbia River valley.
- A Christmas Auction That Fell Short—and a Mother Sent Home
Donations expected to bring $600 fetch only $158.40, but the Bureau of Associated Charities still outfits 100 families and buys a destitute mother a ticket to Kansas City.
- The Midnight Escape from the Smallpox Ward
A star baseball player stages a daring rescue of his wife from a quarantine hospital to catch a train for a new job.
- The Trains Came Back—And Seattle's Mail Came With Them
With the Pullman boycott collapsing, Northern Pacific and Lake Shore trains returned to schedule in Seattle, non-union crews took the throttle, and three days of stranded mail finally reached the post office.
- Miraculous Escape as Overland Train Derails and Burns
A Northern Pacific train heading to Tacoma crashes near Buckley, destroying mail and express cars by fire, though passengers report no major injuries.
- The Claim-Jumper Who Hired a Man to Sleep on His Land
A wanted land locater near South Bend left his wife and children on a contested homestead and used a hired sleeper to guard three other claims—until neighbors called his bluff.
- A Boston Banker Tells Walla Walla to Hold Its Wheat
A capitalist touring the territory by rail — with $75,000 already sunk in Washington land — predicts high grain prices, a finished Northern Pacific, and scolds the town's 'sleepy' businessmen for taking their money elsewhere.
- Cole's Circus Parade Fills Seattle's Streets
Thousands of Seattleites flock to Belltown for the arrival of Cole's massive traveling circus.
- A Palace on Rails Arrives in Newport
Idaho Washington Northern's new Pullman coaches—steam-heated, electric-lit and brass-trimmed—began service out of Newport, promising a new through line to Spokane.
- The Burglar and the Sleeping Giant
An attempted break-in on the Hoquiam road ends in a bizarre failure when the thief discovers the occupant's surprising immunity to being disturbed.
- The Unstoppable Snorer of Judge Humes' Court
A man’s remarkably musical snoring brings the wheels of justice to a screeching halt, leading to a physical showdown with a bailiff and deputy.
- Great Northern Insists Seattle Won't Be a Branch Line
Portland's Oregonian claimed the railroad would demote Seattle to a spur. Company officials call it a 'canard' — but the fight over which city the rails terminate at is real.
- The Great Hair Heist of the Commuter Train
A love-struck suitor tries to claim a souvenir from his sleeping crush, only to accidentally shear her wig instead of her locks.
- Midnight Fire in the Livery Block
Volunteers prevent a catastrophic fire at H. L. Tucker's residence and adjacent livery stable.
- A Penny Dreadful for the Pioneer
A Seattle editor reviews a piece of pulp fiction, warning that if the author keeps killing off the population at this rate, there will be nobody left to read the story.
Also about this, in other words
- Trackside Nap Leads to Injury
A teenager working for the Great Northern Railway was struck by a train while waiting for a shift change near Leavenworth.
- The Midnight Roommate Mix-up
A night of drinking turns into a farcical brawl when two roommates accidentally wander into each other’s beds.
- A Deadly Nap by the Tracks
A store clerk near Mount Vernon meets a tragic end after falling asleep on a rail platform.
- A Nightmarish Journey on the Rails
A Seattle traveler describes the brutal conditions of the railway transit, where passengers were forced to endure freezing temperatures and indifference from company staff.
- A Fatal Nap on the Tracks
A tired freight brakeman, exhausted by days of overwork, pays the ultimate price after falling asleep on the job.
- A Thief Pulled From the I.W.N. Train
A sleeping guest is robbed at the Newport Hotel; Marshal Bennett catches one suspect aboard an outgoing train while two alleged accomplices head toward Spirit Lake.
- The Dreamer of the Lodging House
A laborer arrested for a barroom scuffle wakes in jail, convinced he committed a murder he only dreamt of.
- Sudden Death at South Tacoma Station
A night operator dies while on duty as the North Coast Limited arrives.