Hellraisers Journal: Great Anthracite Strike Ended; Miners Agree to Accept Judgement of Roosevelt’s Commission, Part II

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Coming of the Lord, Cnc Pst p6, July 23, 1902—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 25, 1902
Pennsylvania Anthracite Strikers Ordered to Resume Work, Part II

From the Scranton Tribune of October 22, 1902:

HdLn re Great Anthracite Strike, Miners to Resume Work, Scranton Tb p1, Oct 22, 1902

[Part II of II]

REJOICING AT SHENANDOAH.
———-
Eighteenth Regiment Band Leads
the Parade of Miners.

By Exclusive Wire from The Associated Press.

John Mitchell, The Columbian, Bloomsburg PA p2, Oct 23, 1902

Shenandoah, Pa., Oct. 21.-News that the convention declared the strike off reached Shenandoah at 12 o’clock, and almost simultaneously every bell in the town was ringing and the whistles of every factory and breaker pealed joyous notes. There was a spontaneous outpouring of people and ten minutes after the good news reached town the streets were crowded.

At Mahanoy City and elsewhere in the anthracite field the news of the strike settlement was received with wild enthusiasm. There was blowing of whistles and ringing of bells, and almost the entire population of the towns assembled in the streets. In some localities there were impromptu parades, in which the fire departments and other organizations joined in some instances.

Pathetic scenes were enacted as the men, who have been idle and under great strain for nearly six months, rushed off to prepare for work.

Colonel Rutledge sent the Eighteenth Regiment band into town this afternoon to take part in the strike settlement celebration. The band marched through the streets at the head of a mine workers’ parade and was wildly cheered all along the line. Nearly every building in the town is decorated with flags, and the people in general appear almost insanely happy. Besides the soldiers’ band, two other bands took part in the demonstration.

—————

PRESIDENT ACTS PROMPTLY.
———-
He Summons the Members of Commission
to Meet on Friday.

By Exclusive Wire from The Associated Press.

Washington, Oct. 21.-Shortly before 3 o’clock this afternoon, President Roosevelt received a telegram from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., informing him that the convention of miners had declared off the anthracite coal strike. The telegram was signed by John Mitchell, chairman, and W. B. Wilson, secretary of the convention, and was identical with that made public at Wilkes-Barre before noon today.

Immediately on receipt of this Information, the following telegram was sent to Mr. Mitchell:

White House, Washington, Oct, 21, 1902

Mr. John Mitchell, Chairman of Convention, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.:

Upon receipt of your telegram of this date, the president summoned the commission to meet here on Friday next, the 24th instant, at 10 a. m.

George B. Cortelyou, Secretary.

News of the termination of the strike was received by the president with great satisfaction. Before the formal telegram from Mr. Mitchell had reached him, he had been informed through the Associated Press of the convention’s favorable action. Soon afterwards, Colonel Carroll D. Wright, commissioner of labor, the recorder of the arbitration commission, gave to the president the information contained in telegrams which he had received from Wilkes-Barre.

Already telegrams have been sent to the members of the commission notifying them of the first meeting to be held in this city on Friday morning, and summoning them to be present.

The meeting probably will held in the office of Commissioner Wright in the department of labor. After the commission had effected its organization, the members will call in a body on the president to pay their respects. At that time, it is expected, he will embrace the opportunity to give the commission such verbal instructions as he may care to present to it. Besides, he may prepare a formal letter of instructions. That is the method pursued at the time of the appointment of the Pullman strike commission, of which Colonel Wright was the president.

It is understood that few meetings of the commission will be held in Washington. After the work of the commission has been mapped out, the first step will be to take the testimony of the miners, who may be regarded as plaintiffs in the case. Notification will be sent to all interested parties that, at certain specified times, the commission will hear evidence to be presented. The parties to the inquiry will be permitted to be present at the hearings, either personally or by counsel.

It is probable that the first sessions of the commission at which testimony will be taken will be held in Wilkes-Barre, as that city will be most convenient for the miners’ representatives. Other meetings will be held in Philadelphia or New York, or in both cities.

Whether the sessions of the commission will be open to the public is a question the commission itself will have to determine, but it is regarded as quite likely that at all sessions when testimony is taken, representatives of tho press will be admitted.

How long the hearings will continue, nobody can foretell. At their conclusion, each member of the commission will be supplied a copy of the testimony adduced and will consider it at his leisure. Subsequently, the commission will reconvene, perhaps in this city, to formulate its report for presentation to the president.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES & IMAGES

Quote Mother Jones, Coming of the Lord, Cnc Pst p6, July 23, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/761305973/

Scranton Tribune
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-Oct 22, 1902
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026355/1902-10-22/ed-1/seq-1/

IMAGE

John Mitchell, The Columbian, Bloomsburg PA p2, Oct 23, 1902
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83032011/1902-10-23/ed-1/seq-2/

See also:

Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 24, 1902
Pennsylvania Anthracite Strikers Ordered to Resume Work, Part I

Report on the Chicago strike of June-July, 1894,
-United States. Strike Commission.
Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1894
https://www.loc.gov/item/07032229/
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t9b57qb6t&view=2up&seq=7
http://moses.law.umn.edu/darrow/documents/Report_on_the_Chicago_Strike_of_June_July_1894_appendices.pdf
Testimony of Eugene V. Debs, Aug 20, 1894
https://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1894/94-reportonchicagostrike.pdf

“Report to the President on the Anthracite Coal Strike
of May-October, 1902″
-United States. Anthracite Coal Strike Commission
-Submitted to President Roosevelt, Mach 18, 1903
U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903 
https://books.google.com/books?id=LkowAAAAYAAJ

Tag: Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902
https://weneverforget.org/tag/great-anthracite-coal-strike-of-1902/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Working Man-The Men Of The Deeps
Lyrics by Rita MacNeil