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Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 15, 1913
Southern Colorado Coalfields – Striking Miners Victims of Uniformed Tyranny
From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 13, 1913:
“Militia Makes Man [Andrew Colnar] Dig Own Grave”
“Soldiers Are Scabbing on Courts-Mother Jones”
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 14, 1913
Michigan Copper Country – MacNaughton’s Eye, Threats and Mob Rule
From the Michigan Miners Bulletin of December 2, 1913:
“Seen by the Search-Light” is a regular feature of the Miners’ Bulletin and refers to “MacNaughton’s Eye,” the giant searchlight that James MacNaughton, manager of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, has had erected on top of the main tower situated in the middle of the town of Calumet, Michigan. The searchlight roams about the streets of Calumet, keeping a watchful eye on strikers and scabs alike. It shines into windows of the homes of the residents, interfering with a peaceful night’s rest. Of course most of those streets, the houses, and the property upon which the town itself sits, is owned by C & H. Therefore, we suppose, MacNaughton has a perfect right to make of the town something resembling a prison.
Seen by the Search-Light
Senator James, in his office staring at the labor situation of the day, and concluding to remain silent; to draw the votes from both sides at election time.
James Torreana, the Laurium scab supporter, at mid-night when the Hyena walks around the graveyard walls, going to meet the modern Judas A. C. Marinelli, to furnish him with news of strike-breaking nature.
Mike Bargo, the Italian scab herder at the telephone, communicating some scabious news to the “Gazette.”
A small man with spectacles riding a bicycle, from West Portland St. to the office of “The Italian Miner” of Laurium, with a parcel of written matter for publication.
Paul Tinetti looking at Pietro Micca’s picture.
5th St.-The green grass growing in front of Keckonen store, but no other place for lack of pollen matter in the seeds.
[Emphasis added.]
Regarding the “green grass growing,” we will remind our readers that MacNaughton has vowed that “grass would grow in the streets” of Calumet before he would treat with the Western Federation of Miners. This kind man has also vowed to teach the strikers and their families how to eat potato pairings.
Poetry from Miners Bulletin of December 2, 1913:
THE WORKER
By Berton BraleyI have broken my hands on your granite,
I have broken my strength on your steel,
I have sweated through years for your pleasure,
I have worked like a slave for your weal.
And what is the wage you have paid me.
You masters and drivers of men?
-Enough so I come in my hunger
To beg for more labor again!I have given my manhood to serve you,
I have given my gladness of youth;
You have used me, and spent me, and crushed me,
And thrown me aside without ruth;
You have shut my eyes off from the sunlight,
My lungs from the untainted air;
You have housed me in horrible places.
Surrounded by squalor and care.I have built you the world in its beauty,
I have brought you the glory of spoil;
You have blighted my sons and my daughters,
You have scourged me again to my toil.
Yet I suffer it all in my patience,
For somehow I dimly have known
That some day the worker will conquer
In a world that was meant for his own!
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 13, 1913
The Keweenaw, Michigan – Government by Gunthug Starts Bloody War
From the Chicago Day Book of December 11, 1913:
Calumet, Mich., Dec. 11.-(Special.)-Bloody war has broken out in the copper country, and the battle has been waging since early this morning. It was precipitated by the Citizens’ Alliance, which has been making open threat for days that the union leaders would be forcibly driven from Houghton county.
Yesterday President Moyer of the Western Federation of Miners made application to Circuit Judge O’Brien for an injunction restraining members of the Alliance from interfering with officers and members of the Federation. The injunction was granted.
This morning about 2 o’clock gunmen deputies and members of the Citizens’ Alliance attempted to arrest striking miners who had barricaded themselves in their hall at South Range, about eight miles from Calumet. This started the fight.
Thirty-five armed strikers were arrested, and two special trains were sent out from Houghton loaded with reinforcements from the Alliance, one at 5 and the other at 9 o’clock.
In the battle Deputy Tom Driscoll of Houghton was shot and fatally wounded. Many others were wounded, although no list of them has been secured.
The fighting kept up all morning and before noon a total of 500 strikers had been arrested, including Victor Valimakki, Finnish organizer for the Federation, who is alleged to have confessed to the shooting of Driscoll, who was shot through the abdomen and the right arm.
Just before noon a third special train carrying gunmen, deputies and vigilantes was sent to the South Range district, a distance of 27 miles from Houghton.
The fire bells were rung in Calumet and Houghton this morning summoning all members of the Citizens’ Alliance.
Thousands are being held in reserve ready to be sent to any part of the county. The fighting today followed a night of terror throughout the strike district. Two of the gunmen deputies who were shot down yesterday are not expected to live.
Labor leaders predict that wholesale arrests will be made of members of the Alliance for violating Judge O’Brien’s injunction, issued yesterday.
Federation Hall, at South Range, where for more than eight hours today half a hundred striking copper miners battled desperately against a mob of vigilantes and deputy sheriffs, was surrendered by the miners into the hands of the Citizens’ Alliance at noon today. All the defenders of the hall were arrested. Thirty rifles and great quantities of ammunition were confiscated and will be thrown into Portage Lake.
As far as could be learned early this afternoon Deputy Sheriff Driscoll at Houghton was the only person to be fatally injured in the fighting. He was shot through the abdomen and cannot recover, it was stated this afternoon. Henry Koski has confessed to shooting the deputy, the authorities asserted. Koski’s wife is also held for complicity.
[Deputized Company Gunthugs]
The fighting deputy sheriffs are gunmen imported from New York by the Waddell-Mahon strikebreaking agency of 200 Fifth avenue, New York city. They were sworn in by Sheriff Cruse and armed with guns and deputy’s badges.
Waddell said himself that many of them were ex-members of the New York police department. Others were imported from Chicago and other cities, but most of them from the East.
The entire county has been under control of the mining companies, through the sheriff’s office and the Waddell thugs, ever since the strike began last July.
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 12, 1903
Trinidad, Colorado – Funeral Held for De Santos and Vilano, Mother Jones Attends
From The Denver Post of December 11, 1903:
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 11, 1903
Chicago, Illinois – John Mitchell Expects Peace in Southern Colorado
From the Chicago Inter Ocean of December 9, 1903:
Speculation that John Mitchell would fire Mother Jones for her part in delaying the separate settlement of the northern coal miners has not yet been realized. The following is an interview published in the Inter Ocean:
John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers, is at McCoy’s hotel. He came directly from Colorado.
“I regard the situation there as hopeful,” he said. “I believe a settlement will be reached, and I do not expect to have to return there. ‘Mother’ Jones and some of our best organizers are on the spot.
“The public mind, I believe, is somewhat confused concerning the troubles in the silver mines in Colorado. Many think that the United Mine Workers are concerned with them. Our men are coal miners only, and have had nothing to do with bringing about martial law. We have secured satisfactory settlements in the northern part of the state, and expect solid peace soon in the southern.”
[Emphasis added.]
Mitchell’s lack of concern for the metal miners is stunning. This lack of concern by Mitchell for these striking metal miners, now oppressed under military despotism, is another bone of contention between Mother Jones and her boss. Mother has shown all the Solidarity possible with the metal miners; she advocates unceasingly for unity between the United Mine Workers of America and the Western Federation of Miners.
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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday December 10, 1903
Denver, Colorado – R. E. Croskey Interviewed, Does Not Fear Bullpen
From The Denver Post of December 9, 1903:
[Photograph of Croskey added.]
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 9, 1903
Denver, Colorado – W. F. of M. Executive Board Addresses Colorado’s Labor Conflicts
From The Denver Post of December 5, 1903:
[Photograph added. Note: James Kirwin replaced T. J. McKean on the Executive Board during November.]
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 8, 1913
Colorado Federation of Labor Issues Call for State Convention
From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of December 6, 1913:
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 7, 1903
Polly Pry Pays Her Respects to Mother Jones, “The Hideous Hag”
From Goodwin’s Weekly of December 5, 1903:
From the Duluth Labor World of December 5, 1903
-Mother Jones, Lioness, Miner’s Angel and Patron Saint:
[Photo from Denver Post of November 22, 1903]
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday December 6, 1913
“The Miner” by Charles A. Winter
From the International Socialist Review of December 1913:
