The Carriage Rebellion of Seattle’s Debutantes
Tired of the crushing social pressure and financial strain of modern courtship, the young ladies of Seattle’s elite have organized a strike against the expensive tradition of the horse-drawn carriage.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Society is a phase of life more popularly criticized and less understood than any other. It has been the fashion of many to regard society people as entirely frivolous, extravagant, heartless and full of empty ceremony. That there are some such individuals in the social swim is true, but it is not a general truth as far as it applies to this community. The young ladies of Seattle who are in the habit of attending the successful affairs of the Seattle Cotillion Club have made up their minds to put a stop to what they regard as an extravagance and have agreed among themselves not to accept the invitation of any gentleman who insists upon using a carriage. A custom has grown up among the young men that it is the thing to do this and it became so expensive that, truth to tell, many stopped going out because they could not afford it. The young ladies, taking a sensible view of the matter, have adopted the rule above alluded to and deserve credit for their discretion in realizing the true situation and acting in accordance therewith.
“A custom has grown up among the young men that it is the thing to do this and it became so expensive that, truth to tell, many stopped going out because they could not afford it.”
This 1892 report highlights the immense economic pressure placed on social participation—a direct ancestor to today's 'cost of living' crisis. Just as Victorian Seattleites pushed back against the 'carriage tax' of their social lives, contemporary Seattle residents continue to fight against the escalating costs of basic participation in the city's increasingly exclusive economy.
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