Railway Porters’ Club, Friday 9 December 1904 Former lacrosse champion Lige Scurry opened a social club for black people on East Hastings on the site that would later be home to the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret. He called it the Railway Porters’ Club because that was one of the few occupations open to black men in Vancouver and porters could rent rooms there if they were from out of town or new arrivals. Black women also frequented the club, including those working in the sex trade. The club was nicely done up, according to the Province newspaper, and “its dozen or more handsomely-fitted rooms include billiard and card parlors, and a bar sumptuously furnished.” It wasn’t long before police raided the club, claiming it was a front for prostitution. Whether it was or not, police failed to produce any evidence and those arrested in the raid were released except for Lige Scurry. At his trial, Scurry’s lawyer argued that it was nothing more than a social club: The women went to Scurry’s premises merely for the innocent purpose of getting their meals in a house that was open to colored people and to colored people only … All classes of people in Vancouver had their various resorts. For the well-to-do there were the better class clubs. For those who liked that sort of thing there were various tea rooms, and for those who were inclined that way there were the Y.M.C.A. and the Y.W.C.A. In light of the lack of evidence, the judge ignored the claim that the Railway Porters’ Club operated as a brothel. Instead, he convicted Scurry of selling liquor without a licence and sentenced him to three months hard labour and a $50 fine. Source: Vancouver Daily Province, via Past Tense Vancouver on Wordpress
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Railway Porters’ Club, Friday 9 December 1904

Former lacrosse champion Lige Scurry opened a social club for black people on East Hastings on the site that would later be home to the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret. He called it the Railway Porters’ Club because that was one of the few occupations open to black men in Vancouver and porters could rent rooms there if they were from out of town or new arrivals. Black women also frequented the club, including those working in the sex trade. The club was nicely done up, according to the Province newspaper, and “its dozen or more handsomely-fitted rooms include billiard and card parlors, and a bar sumptuously furnished.”

It wasn’t long before police raided the club, claiming it was a front for prostitution. Whether it was or not, police failed to produce any evidence and those arrested in the raid were released except for Lige Scurry. At his trial, Scurry’s lawyer argued that it was nothing more than a social club:

The women went to Scurry’s premises merely for the innocent purpose of getting their meals in a house that was open to colored people and to colored people only … All classes of people in Vancouver had their various resorts. For the well-to-do there were the better class clubs. For those who liked that sort of thing there were various tea rooms, and for those who were inclined that way there were the Y.M.C.A. and the Y.W.C.A.

In light of the lack of evidence, the judge ignored the claim that the Railway Porters’ Club operated as a brothel. Instead, he convicted Scurry of selling liquor without a licence and sentenced him to three months hard labour and a $50 fine.

Source: Vancouver Daily Province, via Past Tense Vancouver on Wordpress

Source: pasttensevancouver.wordpress.com

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    Railway Porters’ Club, Friday 9 December 1904 newspaper report.
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