A Discharged Laborer Speaks Out
Patrick Lavan, a laborer dismissed from city water works, writes to the press to dispel rumors of violent threats and describe the hardship of supporting seven children.
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Patrick Lavan wrote to the Post-Intelligencer to deny he threatened the life of Jesse Cochran, a member of the board of public works, following his discharge. 'I desire to state that I have not seen Mr. Cochran to speak to him since August. I have at no time made any threats against his life. It is true that I have been for months far from pleasant, but this is due wholly to the fact that I have seven motherless children to support, and having scarcely any work to do, and with scarcely anything to feed my little ones upon, which you can readily see is enough to make anyone look far from pleasant.' Lavan stated that his public frustration was a result of poverty rather than malice.
“It is true that I have been for months far from pleasant, but this... is due wholly to the fact that I have seven motherless children to support.”
This letter underscores the deep economic vulnerability of laborers in early Seattle, where dismissal often meant immediate hunger for a family. The tension between the city's labor force and public officials remains a core component of the municipal struggle in the region.
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