▁diver ting ▁capital ▁outside ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ▁and ▁decre asing ▁growth ▁and ▁invest ment ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁of ▁st agn ation , ▁un rest ▁was ▁pre val ent ▁among ▁the ▁area ' s ▁un emp loy ed , ▁who ▁became ▁victim ized ▁by ▁" job ▁sh arks ", ▁who ▁charged ▁a ▁fee ▁for ▁signing ▁up ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁logging ▁cam ps . ▁Job ▁sh arks ▁and ▁employ ment ▁ag encies ▁were ▁known ▁to ▁che at ▁it iner ant ▁workers , ▁sometimes ▁pay ing ▁b rib es ▁to ▁period ically ▁fire ▁entire ▁work ▁cre ws , ▁thus ▁generating ▁repet itive ▁fe es ▁for ▁themselves . ▁Crime ▁sp ik ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁with ▁er u ptions ▁of ▁violent ▁activity ▁involving ▁un ions ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Work ers ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁( I W W ), ▁or ▁" W obb lies " ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁often ▁known , ▁whose ▁free ▁speech ▁f ights ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁gar ner ▁national ▁attention . ▁Now , ▁with ▁gr iev ances ▁concerning ▁the ▁un eth ical ▁practices ▁of ▁the ▁employ ment ▁ag encies , ▁they ▁initi ated ▁a ▁free ▁speech ▁fight ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁by ▁pur pos ely ▁breaking ▁a ▁city ▁ordin ance ▁on ▁soap box ing . ▁With ▁I W W ▁encourag ement , ▁union ▁members ▁from ▁many ▁western ▁states ▁came ▁to ▁Sp ok ane ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁what ▁had ▁become