Where Are They Now from 1907

In December 1907, the San Francisco Chronicle released an article on where the top 19^th Century professional wrestlers were living and employed. The article also stated that all the wrestlers listed were still hale and hearty at the time of the article.

According to the article, J.H. McLaughlin was 64 years of age and a railroad conductor. One of the top three collar-and-elbow wrestlers during the 1870s, McLaughlin worked as a railroad conductor throughout his professional wrestling career.

William Muldoon ran his health sanitorium at White Plains, New York. The 61-year-old Muldoon would be one of the first chairmen of the New York State Athletic Commission.

Evan “Strangler” Lewis, America’s first great catch-as-catch-can wrestler, owned a farm and store in his hometown of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. The article said Lewis was 58 but Lewis was 47 years of age.

Joe Acton, a great catch wrestler, worked as a bridge keeper in Oregon at 60 years old. Edwin Bibby, his rival from England, swung a hammer as an ironworker in England at 66 years old. Another contemporary catch wrestler, Tom Connors, owned an inn that he ran at 64 years old.

Tom Cannon, 54-years-old, still wrestled professionally in Ireland specializing in Greco-Roman wrestling. Jack Carkeek, a 54-year-old mixed styles wrestler, was still wrestling in the United States. Duncan “D.A.” McMillan, 55-years-old, wrestled professionally in Australia.

The article said the 48-year-old Martin “Farmer” Burns worked as a farmer in Iowa. Burns may have owned a farm, but his primary profession was training professional wrestlers. Burns still trained Frank Gotch and continued training wrestlers until his wife died in 1930.

Theobaud Bauer, who took working to a whole new level in the 1870s, was a 70-year-old hotel and saloon keeper in Los Angeles. His old partner, Andre Christol, was 68 years of age and worked as a tailor in Paris, France.

Tom McMahon ran a gymnasium in England at 55 years of age. Antonio Pieri operated a theater in England. Pieri was also 55 years old. Duncan C. Ross, 55 years of age, and former police chief in Ontario, Canada, worked as a stone mason in England.

Only two wrestlers were retired. 63-year-old Greek George lived in Athens, Greece, while 64-year-old Captain Shields lived in Melbourne, Australia.

Looking at this list, you can see saving money was not only a problem for modern wrestlers. Despite the wrestlers making large sums of money during their wrestling careers, most wrestlers worked long into retirement instead of enjoying their golden years with their savings.

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Sources: San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) December 8, 1907, p.18