The Great Stuck River Jam: A Battle Over Water and Land
In a tense standoff on the White River, Pierce County cattlemen illegally dammed the waterway to protect their pastures, forcing King County officials to ride out with Winchester rifles to avert a violent conflict.
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.
TROUBLE IS BREWING ON WHITE RIVER.
A lot of citizens from Pierce county came over into the precinct of King county this week, in a quiet and stealthy manner, in the night time, and placed jams in the Stuck river at the bluff, five miles south of Slaughter, and removed the obstructions from White river, so that the water which formerly found an outlet through Stuck and Puyallup rivers, is now forced to find its way to the sea through the White river valley, and in case of high water, great damage will ensue from overflowed fields and hop yards.
When the White river farmers learned what had been going on, they telegraphed to Sheriff Hill who left by yesterday morning's train for accompaniment by Prosecuting Attorney Donald and his deputy, Mr. S. H. Ellis, and Attorney Pickett. He also took along several Winchesters and plenty of ammunition.
WAR AVERTED. Pierce County Intruders Place Jam in Stuck River and Retreat Before Prosecuting Attorney Has Seen and His Forces Appear.
Trouble is brewing on White river. A lot of citizens from Pierce county came over into the precinct of King county this week, in a quiet and stealthy manner, in the night time, and placed jams in the Stuck river at the bluff, five miles south of Slaughter, and removed the obstructions from White river, so that the water which formerly found an outlet through Stuck and Puyallup rivers, is now forced to find its way to the sea through the White river valley, and in case of high water, great damage will ensue from overflowed fields and hop yards. When the White river farmers learned what had been going on, they telegraphed to Sheriff Hill who left by yesterday morning's train for accompaniment by Prosecuting Attorney Donald and his deputy, Mr. S. H. Ellis, and Attorney Pickett. He also took along several Winchesters and plenty of ammunition.
This 1890s dispute over river diversion highlights the intense, often violent, competition for water rights in the Pacific Northwest—a struggle that continues today as climate change and development pressure strain Washington's shared water resources. The 'stealthy' night-time sabotage by cattlemen to protect grazing land mirrors modern conflicts between agricultural interests and environmental or residential needs for flood control.
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