Railroad Agent Hanged in Effigy
Public anger against the Northern Pacific Railroad boils over in Yakima County, leading to the symbolic execution of a company agent.
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.
A Captain J. H. May, in the interest of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, went over to Yakima County and circulated a protest against the forfeiture of the land grant to that company. As soon as it became known that such a petition was being circulated, there was great excitement, and a counter petition was prepared. Much bitter feeling was engendered at this attempt of the railroad company to make it appear that the people of Yakima County are averse to Congressional legislation, and the result was that on Monday night, March 3rd, this agent of the company was hanged in effigy in Yakima City.
“Much bitter feeling was engendered at this attempt of the Railroad Company to make it appear that the people of Yakima county are averse to Congressional legislation.”
The tension between railroad expansionism and the rights of local communities defined early Washington politics. Hanging a corporation's agent in effigy highlights the deep-seated distrust of 'the growth machine' and land grabs that still persists in debates over infrastructure and development.
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