The Sheriff’s Engine
Snohomish County authorities seize a locomotive from the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway to force payment of delinquent property taxes.
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.
SNOHOMISH, May 29. — A logging engine belonging to the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway is tied up in the yard here, having been distrained by County Treasurer Lawry in lieu of the personal property taxes of the railway company in this county for the year 1891. The tax amounted to over $1,300. Superintendent Nadeau has been here today inquiring into the matter, and it is expected that the tax will be paid at once.
“A logging engine belonging to the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern railway is tied up in the yard here, having been distrained by County Treasurer Lawry.”
Public agencies today rarely seize high-value infrastructure like trains to settle tax disputes, opting instead for long-term litigation or liens. In the 1890s, however, the direct physical seizure of property was a potent and common weapon for local governments looking to hold powerful railroad monopolies accountable.
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