Jim Kershner’s This day in history » On the Web: spokesman.com/topics/local-history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Women, who had just won the right to vote in Washington, converged for the first time on polling places all over the city.

“The fair sex justified every expectation,” reported The Spokesman-Review, which said the women’s vote was heavy in this city commissioners’ election.

Not only that, the “women proved the more intelligent voters,” according to the male members of the election boards. Some men tried to vote the pink and yellow sample ballots and made other mistakes. But not a single woman did.

“I have been surprised today, too, to see so many of the married women come to the polls by themselves,” said one election official. “I have reason to believe that many of them are not voting as their husbands are.”

From the theater beat: Spokane was eagerly awaiting the arrival at the Auditorium theater of “the funniest woman on stage”: Marie Dressler.

Dressler, described as “hefty and bulldog-faced,” had made a name playing comic harridans. She was coming to Spokane to play what would later be considered her most famous role, Tillie, the drudge who dreams of better days, in “Tillie’s Nightmare.”

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1917: The U.S. Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.