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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1862 | 1 |
| 1876 | 1 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1878 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 3 |
| 1893 | 2 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 1 |
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| 1903 | 2 |
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23 stories matching verg
- Riot in Port Townsend: Citizens vs. Sailors on the Verge of Violence
A tense standoff erupts as local citizens arm themselves to prevent Coast Seamen's Union members from boarding the steamer Sumatra, leading to arrests and imminent bloodshed.
- The House of the Good Shepherd Faces Foreclosure
A sanctuary for wayward girls and orphans, run by sisters who have struggled for four years, is now on the brink of losing everything to an overdue mortgage.
- The City That Couldn't Pay Its Bills: Seattle’s Fiscal Crisis and the Fight for Expansion
Mayor Moran and Councilman Dane plead with citizens to understand why street paving is stalled and sewer plans are shelved—not from laziness, but because state law caps the city's debt just as the population doubles.
- A Miner's Last Spree: The Newcastle Suicide That Shocked a Coal Town
August Sanders, a veteran Newcastle coal miner, shot himself after a drinking spree and the Coal Creek fire left him broke—an intimate glimpse of life and despair in Washington's coal country.
- The Banker’s Debt
A wealthy philanthropist discovers that his own neglect of small bills drove a local shoemaker to attempt suicide.
- The Divine Sarah Bernhardt’s Theatrical Meltdown in Seattle
When the legendary French actress discovered her grand stage at the Columbia Theater had been booked for a minstrel show, she didn't just walk off—she unleashed a legendary, multi-lingual tantrum.
- Seattle’s Japanese Neighbors Answer the Call of War
In August 1894, Japanese residents packed a Jefferson Street hall to send money, flour and volunteers to the First Sino-Japanese War—while Chinese Seattleites predicted Japan’s defeat.
- The End of an Era for Dayton's Timber
After twenty years of supplying local lumber, a veteran mill operator packs up for the Coast as the region’s timber supply dwindles.
- Breach-of-Promise Suit: Mary Smith Says Starvation Forced Her to Sign Release
In the latest filing in the Smith-Fisher case, Mary H. Smith claims Elmer H. Fisher took advantage of her poverty to get her to sign away her claims.
- Racing the Iron Horse on the Trestle
A man’s late-night walk toward the city turns into a desperate sprint for life against an oncoming train.
- The Man Who Found Gold on the McMillan
C.P. Osborne returns from the Yukon with tales of rich placer deposits and starving travelers, predicting a new gold rush rivaling Klondike.
- The Populists Assemble in Tacoma
Dr. Fred L. Goddard secures the nomination for Mayor on a platform of municipal reform and worker protections.
- Walla Walla's Baseball Future Hangs in the Balance
After struggling with poor attendance and low ticket revenue, the local manager warns that the team will disband unless fans step up their support.
- The Last-Minute Rescue from a Broken Marriage
A mother on the verge of eloping finds her way back to her family when her young son falls dangerously ill.
- Passenger Train Derails Near Walla Walla
An engineer is severely scalded after a train crashes through a bridge near Riparia, prompting insurance agents to offer a reward for arsonists.
- A Prisoner’s Descent Into Delusion in Everett
A man awaiting extradition for murder in the Everett jail claims to be under a 'divine' sentence, prompting local officials to question his sanity.
- The City's Indifference to Religious Debate
A week-long debate on religion at the Armory draws apathy from a changing Seattle.
- The Star System: How Actors Made Millions (and Squandered Them)
A detailed breakdown of theatrical salaries reveals that while some stars like John E. Owens amassed fortunes through prudence, others like Edwin Booth lived on the edge of bankruptcy despite earning thousands a week.
- The View from the Frontier: How the Old World Saw Pacific Coast Science
A visiting British scientist praises American ingenuity, from the innovative naval mapping of the Pacific depths to the reliable accuracy of 'Old Prob'—the precursor to modern weather forecasting.
- The Tale of Jonathan Homespun's Granary
A cautionary tale of a farmer who learned the hard way that 'everybody's business' is nobody's business.
- The Boom That Built Seattle: A City on the Verge of Explosion
As the new year dawns, Seattle’s leaders are boasting of unprecedented growth—new schools, hotels, and blocks rising from the mud, fueled by lumber wealth and a population that refuses to stay small.
- The Hoarding of Wealth in 1885 Seattle
While storehouses and granaries overflow, a letter to the editor questions why the economy stays starved of currency.
- The Professional Pessimists of Early Seattle
A 19th-century editorial takes aim at the 'croakers'—the local doomsayers who claimed the town's prosperity was always on the verge of collapse.
Also about this, in other words
- The 'Fagin' System Comes to Lake Street
A bold gang of burglars, aided by a small child, strips a local family home of everything from baby shoes to Sunday dinner.