The Seattle-Tacoma Cockfighting Syndicate
A high-stakes cocking main in North Yakima ends in a victory for a combine of birds from Seattle and Tacoma.
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 great cocking main came off at North Yakima on Saturday night, February 11, between North Yakima on one side and a lot of birds from Seattle and Tacoma on the other. The main was a most interesting and exciting one as far as battles went. It lasted from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., and was not decided until the very last fight. The score stood 5 to 5. The last fight then began between a black quarter Jap cock owned by Joe Brand, of Tacoma, and a North Yakima bird. This fight lasted forty-five minutes and was finally won by the Tacoma bird, deciding the main in favor of the Seattle-Tacoma combine. The winnings were divided among all the Seattleites and Tacomans.
“The last fight then began between a black quarter Jap cock owned by Joe Brand, of Tacoma, and a North Yakima bird.”
While blood sports are heavily regulated today, these events were once central social and wagering hubs in early Washington towns. The cooperation between Seattle and Tacoma residents here highlights the interconnectedness of regional rivalries and local pastimes in the 1890s.
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