The Benefit Smoker for Striking Switchmen
Everett workers filled Fraternal Hall for a night of wrestling and boxing to support switchmen during their long-running strike.
The athletic smoker for the benefit of the striking switchmen was held in Fraternal Hall Wednesday night. Six fast bouts were performed without delay. Young Toler and George Johnson wrestled for twenty minutes, and Hunky Hines refereed the match. Six fast boxing stunts followed. Tracy Solomon served as the third man in the ring. Two fighters provided the evening's entertainment, with one comic performer who kept the crowd howling. Kid Shingle and Kid Long mixed it for four rounds, as did Spider Kelly and Kid Harris. Kid Ward, claiming to be the lightweight champion of Northern California, and Cyclone Smith held a friendly exhibition of skill that was considered the cream of the bill. Reynolds and Rossert closed the night with a hard-fought, evenly matched three-round contest. A ring announcement confirmed that Hunky Hines and Ballenger would meet for a wrestling bout in Everett within the month. A neat sum was cleared for the benefit of the switchmen, who have been holding the line for four long months.
“The switchmen, who have stood the gaff for four long weary months.”
In 1910, labor unions in Everett frequently used community athletic events—or 'smokers'—to build solidarity and raise strike funds. Today, while the venues have changed, the practice of using local events to sustain workers during industrial disputes remains a hallmark of regional labor organizing.
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