The morning is bright and all
are sleeping on the jungle grass,
with our arms for pillows,
and coats for covers.
-J. H. Walsh
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 22, 1908
Adventures of the Overall Brigade Enroute to Chicago
From The Industrial Union Bulletin of September 19, 1908:
[J. H. Walsh on the I.W.W’s Red Special, Part I of II.]
In my last article to the Bulletin, I concluded just as we were ready to get to the railroad yards, to take our “Special” en route to Chicago.
Well, we’re in the yards, gathered together at the water tank. In order to know if all are present, we have numbered ourselves. The numbers run from one to nineteen, Mrs. Walsh making twenty. A switchman is seen and he informs us where our “Special car” will be found. The train is late however, and we are delayed a few hours. “Fly Cops” are pretty busy in the yards. They are watching their master’s property that some hobo may not break a sacred seal and pile into a car where valuable merchandise is stored.
Two blasts of the locomotive whistle are heard and the train is starting on it’s journey, and simultaneously nineteen men, all dressed in black overalls and jumpers, black shirts and red ties, with an I. W. W. book in his pocket and an I.W. W. button on his coat, are in a “cattle car” and on our way.
In a short time a glim (lantern) appears and the breakman jumps into the car. His unionism is skin-deep. He belongs to the B. of R. T., but never heard of the class struggle. He is unsuccessful, however, in the collecting of fares, and we continue are journey.
Our first stop, where we expect to hold a meeting is Centralia, and when about half way there, “our car” is set out. There is only one now left in the train to ride on. It is an oil car, so nineteen men will be found “riding” on that car as soon as the train starts. Being delayed for a few hours again, while the train is being transferred across the ferry, we are hovered around the first campfire toward the wee sma’ hours of morning. At last two short blasts of the whistle are heard, and all are aboard. It is only a short distance to our destination and the train is whirling along at passenger speed. The morning is turning cold and spitting a little rain, but all are determined to stick to the car, when again, appears the brakeman and tells us we cannot ride since daylight has come, but he is informed that we must get to Centralia. He insists we’ll get off at the next stop, but we fail to get off, and in a few minutes we arrive at our first stop.
It is early Sunday morning, and we are off to get a cup of coffee, after which we will congregate around the camp fire in the “jungles.” The morning is bright and all are sleeping on the jungle grass, with our arms for pillows, and coats for covers.
About noon we are all up and wending our way toward the depot, here we meet Mrs. Walsh and the whole “bunch” congregates. The rubber necks of the little country city are all stretched on us. Later in the day the “To Night Bells” are distributed and at 8 p. m., we find a good crowd at the park to listen. They all like the songs and close attention is given to the lecture. The literature sales are fair, the collection fair and the songs sell like hot cakes.
We have finished our first propaganda meeting, and taking all in all, it is a grand success. Now, for the next date which is Tacoma. The train committee has ascertained that “our special car” will not leave until 2 a. m., so off to the camp fire again. The time has arrived for departure and we are again on our way. Another brakeman appears and after a conference he decides to let us ride. A few minutes later he appears again with two large watermelons. We are in an empty coal car, but the train is making passenger time. A long blast of the whistle tells is that we are near Tacoma. Now for a few blocks’ walk and we are at the I. W. W. hall. The bills are being distributed and a big meeting is expected. The street is packed and a great meeting is the result. The sale of literature is good, the collection is fair, and again the songs sell like hot cakes. Four new members are secured for the Tacoma local.
Having finished our work here, we are ready for a start toward Seattle. On arrival in the yards, we find a “train ready.” We are off, but on arrival at Meaker Junction, we find a walk in store for us of eight miles, in order to catch a train that will land us in Seattle in time for a propaganda meeting. The eight miles is undergoing repair work, and the Italians are on strike, so you can imagine what a beautiful roadbed we have to “hike” over in the night.
The trip has been made and luckily we strike another train ready to land us in Seattle. We find “our special car,” and several hobos are in it. They are telling of the bad “shack” (brakeman) on the train who packs a big gun and makes the “boes” get. The shack arrives with a big gun. He is a small man, but says in a gruff voice: “Get out of here! Every G– d— one of you,” and the strangers in the car all pile out. Three of our bunch step up to him to tell him that we are all union men, and desire to get to Seattle. He is not a union man and again gives the command that we must get off. At this juncture the whole bunch is awakened and told that we must get off and that the shack has a gun. The command is given, “call the roll” The roll is called, and as they sound their numbers from one to nineteen the brakeman turns white and meekly says: “I did not know this.” He piles out and we are on our way.
[Part I of II, to be continued.]
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SOURCE & IMAGE
The Industrial Union Bulletin
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Sept 19, 1908
(-also source for added newsclip.)
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iub/v2n24-sep-19-1908-iub.pdf
See also:
Tag: J. H. Walsh
https://weneverforget.org/tag/j-h-walsh/
Drift: Illicit Mobility and Uncertain Knowledge
-by Jeff Ferrell
Pages 91-93
(search: “overall brigade”)
Univ of California Press, Mar 16, 2018
https://books.google.com/books?id=We1JDwAAQBAJ
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