100 years ago in Spokane: Women’s group boycotts turkey, ducks and geese and country deals with rising food prices

From our archive, 100 years ago

The Spokane Federation of Women’s Organizations, representing over 2,000 clubwomen, resolved on a boycott of high-priced groceries. They were reacting to a nationwide rise in food prices that had alarmed many Americans.

The clubwomen pledged themselves “to use as little butter and eggs as possible during December” and further resolved that we “purchase no turkey, ducks or geese at the present high prices.”

This resolution was approved only after vigorous debate. One woman questioned why the resolution should single out turkeys, ducks and geese, which she considered luxuries, and didn’t mention the items most working families really relied on, potatoes and flour.

However, the women finally settled on including the items whose prices had become most “outrageous.”

From the maritime beat: The “old sea dogs” on the Portland docks warned that it would be a mistake to launch the auxiliary schooner Alpha by smashing a bottle of loganberry juice on the hull. They said the traditional champagne should be used, but the temperance forces won out and Myrtle Knudson, 14, launched the ship with juice.

Within seconds, the sea dogs were saying, “I told you.”

With a grating noise, the Alpha “came to a dead stop and stuck tight.” The engineers were still trying to figure out a way to get the Alpha unstuck.

The sea dogs did not blame young Myrtle – they said the fault was all in the juice.