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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday November 12, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for October 1901, Part I
Found in West Virginia; Travels to New Jersey and Points East
From The Indianapolis Journal of October 2, 1901:
SECRET MEETING IS HELD
————-LEADING UNITED MINE WORKERS
AT PARKERSBURG, W. VA.
——-
PARKERSBURG. W. Va., Oct 1.-The leading representatives of the United Mine Workers of America from all the coal-mining States have been in session at Van Winkle Hotel here for two days and left to-night with the secrets of their sessions well kept….
It is said that President Mitchell could not be present on account of sickness, but even this could not be confirmed by any of those who were in attendance. It is generally believed here that plans were considered for the relief of the Thacker district, in West Virginia, where trouble between the miners and operators has existed for some time.
Among the delegates present were “Mother” Jones, of Chicago; F. C. Reinhardt, Pittsburg; John H. Walker, Danville, Ill.; Thomas Burke, Springfield, Ill.; Chris Evans, Nelsonville, O.; G. W. Purcell, Terre Haute, Ind. [and other officials]….
“Mother” Jones, recognized by the union as one of its best organizers, and Chris Evans, the oldest labor organizer in the country, and other organizers have been working in West Virginia since the first of the year, organizing the miners. It was decided at the last miners’ convention to give special attention to organization in that State.
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From the New York Worker of October 6, 1901:
MOTHER JONES HAS BEEN INVITED to address a convention of oil workers that meets in New Baltimore, O., on Oct.9. Then she goes to Virden, Ill., where she addresses a memorial on Oct. 12.
From the Hazleton Plain Speaker of October 11, 1901:
“Mother” Jones Will Speak.
“Mother” Jones, the well known lady organizer of the United Mine Workers, will be one of the speakers at the third annual celebration of the battle of Virden, at Illinois, on October 12. A number of miners were killed by armed deputies at that place while they were marching from one colliery to another in order to induce men to quit work.
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From The Illinois State Journal of October 14, 1901:
LECTURE BY “MOTHER” JONES.
————-Woman Prominent in Labor World
Speaks at Arion Hall.Members of the local United Mine Workers’ organization and other workingmen of the city turned out yesterday afternoon to listen to the lecture of “Mother” Mary Jones, the well known lecturer, who spoke at Arion hall. The audience was not so large as had been anticipated.
Secretary James D. Ryan of the local U. M. W. A. introduced the speakers. President John Mitchell, of the U. M. W. A., accompanied Mother Jones and preceded her on the platform with a short address. Secretary Ryan then introduced the speaker of the day. Mother Jones dwelt at some length on the influence wrought by women in the labor agitation of the day. Her address was received with frequent demonstrations of approval upon the part of her auditors.
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From the New York Evening World of October 24, 1901:
‘MOTHER’ JONES TOURING JERSEY.
—————
Arranges for Mass Meeting on Monday Night
and Leaves for Phillpsburg.
—————“Mother” Jones, the famous Pennsylvania labor agitator, arrived in Paterson from West Virginia this afternoon. She was met at the railroad station by President Thomas Morgan, of the Silk Weavers’ Association, and was driven at once to the house of Thomas Steevans, the secretary of the association, at No. 135 Grand street.
Mrs. Jones’s object in visiting Paterson was to confer with the leaders of the United Broad Silk Weavers and arrange for a mass meeting there on Monday night at which she will make a public address.
The conference was held at Mr. Steevans’s house. Mrs. Jones left late this afternoon for Phillipsburg, N. J. where she is to organize a local union of silk weavers to-night.
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From the Paterson Evening News of October 24, 1901:
[INTERVIEW WITH MOTHER JONES
-as continued from page 11.]“We want everybody in the local labor world to attend the meeting on Monday evening. The lady workers are desired as well as the gentlemen and we will convince them that organization is the strong weapon. Do away with long hours. Make eight hours a working day. Why the poor miners in Pennsylvania are worked to death. Their children are worked to death before they see the glorious light of day. I tell you it makes my heart ache to see the poor slaves how they are oppressed and downtrodden by the heartless grasping mine owners. They never see money because they must pay for everything at the company stores. They are charged three dollars for a doctor’s visit, whether the doctor calls or not, and I know that the burial fund is a fake, because I saw dead miners buried for about $6, while the owners pocketed the difference.
I learned about the labor question at my father’s knee. I was born in Canada, where I often heard the sad stories told and retold, and I vowed to take up the work of bettering the laborers condition. My brother is Dean Harris, of the Diocese of Toronto. I was educated in Canada and am well known all over the United States, among the miners; you know they are a roving class of people, poor souls.
Many suppose that I began my work with the big strike in Pennsylvania but that is not not so. But my most prominent work has only been going on for a short while, perhaps two or three years, as a young woman could not do what I am able to do among the miners. They love me and affectionately named me “Mother” Jones, but my name is Harris Jones and my family is well known in Canada.
“The conditions among the miners today are a sad indictment against the age and the country because they are kept down, enslaved, over-worked and under paid. I met a miner one day who told me with the tears streaming down his face, that he had worked steadily and industriously at a mine for thirty-two years and age compelled him to stop. He was penniless. The mine owners had his money and he must die a pauper.
“I am a Socialist. I believe in social economies, that is I believe in scientific Socialism, I have been watching the capitalistic class for the last fifteen years and I want to say that the changes have been rapid and startling to one who has kept an eye open all the time. The capitalists looked about for more markets for their goods and they saw China and the Philippines. When these and the other markets became clogged up, as they will some day, the laborers will say to the capitalists “we will not make any more goods until there is a demand for them and then only on our own terms.” The capitalists will have to share with the laborers, and then will come the social change. That, in my opinion, is but fifteen years distant.
“I am very glad you called,” said she in conclusion, “and I pray God that the Stars and Stripes will some day wave over my beloved country with the laborer freed from the oppression of capital. Good day sir.”
Mother Jones would never tire any audience. She is intensely interesting and earnest and those who are fortunate enough to hear her next Monday night will never regret the time spent within the sound of her voice.
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones WV Miners Conditions, ISR p179 , Sept 1901
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/isr/v02n03-sep-1901-ISR-gog-Princ.pdf
The Indianapolis Journal
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
-Oct 2, 1901
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1901-10-02/ed-1/seq-2/
The Worker
(New York, New York)
-Oct 6, 1901, page 3
https://www.genealogybank.com/
The Plain Speaker
(Hazleton, Pennsylvania)
-Oct 11, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/96624287/
The Illinois State Journal
(Springfield, Illinois)
-Oct 14, 1901, page 6
https://www.genealogybank.com/
The Evening World
(New York, New York)
-Oct 24, 1901
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1901-10-24/ed-1/seq-12/
Paterson Evening News
(Paterson, New Jersey)
-Oct 24, 1901
Note: Long interview with Mother Jones on pages 1 and 11. Sadly, page 1 very difficult to read.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/524750869/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/524750998/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Drawing, SDH p4, Mar 9, 1901
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/social-democratic-herald-us/010309-socdemherald-v03n38w140.pdf
See also:
Tag: UMW West Virginia Organizing Campaign of 1900-1902
https://weneverforget.org/tag/umw-west-virginia-organizing-campaign-of-1900-1902/
Tag: Battle of Virden 1898
https://weneverforget.org/tag/battle-of-virden-1898/
Autobiography of Mother Jones
CH Kerr, 1921
https://archive.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/
William Richard Harris
-Roman Catholic priest and author:
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/harris_william_richard_15E.html
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Harris%2C%20William%20Richard%2C%201847%2D1923
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The Children of Mother Jones – Pete Duffy