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Quirky tale #4:
Notching another official Seattleite
On Oct. 7, 1937, the front page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer showcased this cheeky photo. In it, cigar-chomping Eddie Rivers, a popular PR and advertising man for Seattle’s Hamrick-Evergreen Theaters, chose a unique way to announce the birth of his third child. Named after a popular song, Rivers’ daughter Charmaine was, he insisted, a “first-class attraction” appearing for a “long-term engagement some five weeks ago.” He credited the booking to “A. Stork.”
Eddie Rivers was the real deal. Originally from Walla Walla, the popular Seattle “theatrical man” promoted Hollywood movies with humor and charm. Lured away by out-of-state movie chains in 1942, he ended up selling real estate in Southern California. But the state highway sign contains a mysterious goof. Between 1930 and 1940, Seattle’s population hovered at 365,000, considerably less than the indicated 412,853. And when the photo ran in the P-I (see below!), the number was doctored, with the “3” X-ed out and topped by “4.” So 87 years later, we’re revealing multiple April Fool’s fibs.
