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wrestling continued to remain high for years to come among the Finns of Duluth.
In the spring of 1910 there arrived in Duluth one Emil Haikola, and in him the Finns found a long-sought director for their gymnastics and track teams: a formal organization, the
Duluth's Finnish American Athletic Club basketball team. Seated: Rynne
Mäki, Toivo Erickson, captain, Tad MacDonald. Standing: Jack Longsio,
Arvo Hakala, Jack D. Salo, coach, Victor Leino, John Nordberg.
Könttyrä, was promptly born, and many fine young men joined up to spend their free time in this healthy and profitable way. Their first performances for the public were held in the church hall, where they also practised, and since the ceiling was a low one, the pyramids they were able to show in their program evenings in the same place were but low ones. When it became known that the socialists had rented for themselves a big hall on Lake Avenue, which would permit large-scale shows and really fine pyramid displays, the gymnasts did not hesitate long: many of the club's members had already become sympathetic with socialism in Finland, so it was not difficult now for the Könttyrä to join the Duluth socialists as an auxiliary group, under a new
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