The Midnight Drills of Seattle’s Citizen Militia
Complaints of noisy midnight military exercises spark tension in the city, pitting neighborhood quiet against the pride of the National Guard.
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 loud and persistent complaint has been made in Seattle that another person, military-minded, has trespassed upon the quiet of the city. A number of the residents who are annoyed by the nocturnal drill of Company B, National Guard of Washington, have suggested that the practice be moved to a more secluded spot. The company drills every night from 10:00 to 11:30 at the Armory. The grievance is that the noise of the martial exercises, in midnight hours, is not in keeping with the repose to which the city is entitled. One complainant said: 'I can’t sleep for the noise, and if it continues, I will appeal to the city council.' Captain Joseph Green, the officer in charge, said he had heard of no official protest, and that the drill is necessary for the company’s efficiency. 'If the people complain,' he said, 'I will take my men to a field in the country, but this is the only time the men can meet.'
“I can’t sleep for the noise, and if it continues, I will appeal to the city council.”
The tension between the 'martial' growth of a city and the desire for neighborhood quiet is a perennial Seattle struggle. Just as 1886 residents chafed at the sound of boots and drums at 11:30 PM, modern Seattleites often balance the necessity of urban infrastructure and public safety services against the realities of high-density living.
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