The Ghost Funeral of Old Tacoma
When the municipal board of the newly consolidated Tacoma decided to spend their final surplus on a booze cruise to Seattle, the 'Queen City' prepared a mock-funeral reception that never materialized.
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.
The final meeting of the Board of Trustees in the First Ward of Tacoma, turning over affairs to the council of the consolidated towns, resulted in some fun. After bills against the city were paid, it became known that $250 was still on hand. The trustees decided to charter a steamer, proceed to Seattle on Saturday, and after a banquet at the Brunswick, take in the Bijou Theater. This piece of news created a stir in Seattle, and preparations were made to receive the 'funeral cortege' of Old Tacoma, to be enshrouded in good fellowship and buried deep in champagne. However, the mourners came not. Whether the corpse came to life or the funds ran out, we know not. No funeral guests arrived, the Bijou went on as usual, and the champagne still sparkles in undisturbed beauty.
“It would open the eyes of the good people of the Queen City to see a steamboat load or two of Tacomaites sailing into the harbor in proud evidence of the fact that no municipal debts exist and the city has money left for fun.”
Municipal consolidation and the tension between Seattle and Tacoma have defined regional politics for over a century. This story captures a rare moment of civic theater where the rival cities engaged in a dark, boozy satire of administrative death.
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