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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 7, 1913
Colorado Strike Zone – Policy Committee Issues Statement; Mother Jones Speaks
From the Trinidad Chronicle News of September 26, 1913:
In a general statement issued last night the district policy committee of United Mine of America composed of Frank J. Hayes, John McLennan, John H. Lawson and E. L. Doyle declared their position as follows:
We desire law and order above all things. We shall try to conduct this strike in such a way to command the respect of the public and civil authorities. A man who commits or talks violence as a means to win this strike is not properly representing the mine workers’ organisation.
We depend for success on the justice of our cause. We request the operators to warn their imported gunmen to respect the law and to cease their intimidation of union miners.
We have cautioned our people in this respect and we ask the operators to do likewise. Our responsibility in this matter is the same and we ought to meet it like men.
There is no occasion for the alleged purpose of protecting property. It is an evidence of weakness on the part of operators and is a reproach to all law abiding citizens. There is no need for the operators or their agents to ship hundreds of rifles into this region as they are doing at present for the purpose of intimidating peaceful lawsabiding people. We propose to the beet of our ability to protect life and property and to safeguard the liberties of our people by lawful means.
The strike is complete in every particular. The best in the history of our organisation, notwithstanding statements to the contrary, and the miners of Colorado will remain out of the mines until their rights are fully recognized.
At the scene of the Segundo tragedy [September 24th killing of C. F. I. “Marshal”]…Mother Jones [yesterday, September 25th] delivered another impassioned speech to miners, urging the men to remain on strike until the operators meet the full demands. No illusion was made to the killing of Marshal Lee…..
[Photograph and emphasis added.]
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From The Rocky Mountain News of September 27, 1913
Strikers congregated in front of the town hall, where more than 3,000 listened to “Mother” Jones and other strike sympathizers (“Mother” Jones in the center).
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From Denver’s United Labor Bulletin of September 27, 1913:
Miners’ Strike Now On…..
More than ten thousand coal miners in Colorado now out on strike. According to schedule, the order was issued last Tuesday [September 23rd] and there was a ready response. While the mine operators had confidently expected a majority of their employes to remain in slavery, at least 90 per cent of all coal miners in the state quit work to sustain union demands and humane conditions. Every man and his family who quit work is being taken care of by the 450,000 members of the United Mine Workers of America and will be until a settlement is reached, which is only upon signing union conditions. Colorado is now the battleground of organized labor for the entire nation……
[September 23rd-The Exodus]
From the numerous coal camps about Trinidad they came in droves to the tent stations. Miners and wives and children crouched pitifully on top of high-piled little wagons, bending low in futile effort to avoid the rain…..
But the hope of all these stolid men and women who have dedicated their lives to digging coal shined brightly through the sheets of rain at Sopris and Ludlow yesterday when Mother Jones and Frank Hayes talked to them.
There was no mistaking the enthusiasm, the confidence of the strikers. Things had gone well at these mines. Only 40 were left at work at Sopris, Tuesday. Two hundred of the Sopris miners were gathered for the beginning of the meeting; 50 more came trooping down the hill from the mine while the meeting was in progress; five men joined the union on the grounds…
There were a full thousand at the Ludlow meeting and again the women and children were in the front ranks, despite the rain, and cheered the speakers…..
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[Emphasis added.]
From the Chicago Day Book of September 27, 1913:
From the Trinidad Chronicle News of September 30, 1913:
Socialists Will Free Mother Jones If Arrested.
Denver, Colo., Sept. 30.-That there will be a storm of protest from the women of Colorado, should Gov. Ammons jail Mother Jones, is the firm opinion of Emma F. Langdon, state secretary of the Socialist party.
[She declared Saturday, September 27th:]
If they harm one gray hair on Mother Jones’ head, I shall issue a call for the good women of Colorado, organize them, and march on the city of Trinidad if necessary to free her.
The women of this state will not stand for a repetition of the reign of Peabody as it was enacted during the horrible days of the Cripple Creek strike, but it appears that Governor Ammons is headed in that direction.
Mother Jones was deported from this state during those terrible days and no more dastardly crime was ever committed by a public official than was that act of Peabody’s.
The women remained silent then but these are different days and the women have not forgotten the sting of that thrust at suffrage.
I have listened to the addresses of Mother Jones at intervals for the last 10 years and I never heard her make a statement that would have a tendency to inflame the minds of workers.
It is folly to think of imprisoning her. The workers of this great country would know of it within a few hours, and the storm of wrath that would fall down on this community would be overwhelming.
[Emphasis added.]
From the Chicago Day Book of October 1, 1913
From the Denver United Labor Bulletin of October 4, 1913:
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SOURCES & IMAGES
Quote Mother Jones re CO Gov Ammons, wont stop talking,
–Day Book p11, Sept 27, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1913-09-27/ed-2/seq-11/
The Chronicle News
(Trinidad, Colorado)
-Sept 26, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051521/1913-09-26/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051521/1913-09-26/ed-1/seq-4/
-Sept 30, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051521/1913-09-30/ed-1/seq-8/
The Rocky Mountain News
(Denver, Colorado)
-Sept 27, 1913
https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A12C601A5C4B97518%40GB3NEWS-147800661CD5F928%402420038-14775522DA311400%402
United Labor Bulletin
(Denver, Colorado)
-Sept 27, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn91052295/1913-09-27/ed-1/seq-1/
-Oct 4, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn91052295/1913-10-04/ed-1/seq-1/
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Sept 27, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1913-09-27/ed-2/seq-11/
-Oct 1, 1913
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1913-10-01/ed-1/seq-4/
IMAGE
CO Strike 1913-14, UMWA Policy Com, Ludlow Massacre Fink 1914
https://archive.org/stream/ludlowmassacrere00finkrich#page/68/mode/1up
See also:
News Round-Up from the Southern Colorado Coalfield Strike:
Company Town “Marshal” Killed
Trinidad Chronicle News of Sept 24, 1913
-re Killing of “Marshal” Bob Lee about noon of Sept 24th
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051521/1913-09-24/ed-1/seq-1/
Much of the article in United Labor Bulletin of Sept 27th is word for word the same as that written by Don MacGregor in the Sept 24th Denver Express. I believe this is a reprint of that article, although MacGregor’s name does not appear. If so, this is a great find as the Denver Express cannot be found online at this time.
Hellraisers Journal – Sept 25, 1913
Don MacGregor of the Denver Express Describes the Great Exodus of Striking Miners and Their Families from the Coal Camps of Southern Colorado
Tag: Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1913-1914
https://weneverforget.org/tag/colorado-coalfield-strike-of-1913-1914/
Google Map: Walsenburg to Ludlow to Trinidad to Sopris to Segundo
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Walsenburg,+CO/Ludlow,+CO/Trinidad,+CO/Sopris,+Trinidad,+CO/Segundo,+CO/@37.3682547,-105.2958016,117235m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x87115bd1b7a8432d:0x61fb1b675a3d97dd!2m2!1d-104.780403!2d37.6227357!1m5!1m1!1s0x87111419f6c52d49:0x615733550a264e7d!2m2!1d-104.583318!2d37.3333493!1m5!1m1!1s0x87111b6317b14511:0xe67a149990f618db!2m2!1d-104.5005407!2d37.1694632!1m5!1m1!1s0x87110501187930b1:0x48a0d0e38caeb701!2m2!1d-104.4937366!2d37.1689229!1m5!1m1!1s0x8711216bf90d4671:0xa001b0a507da68d1!2m2!1d-104.723198!2d37.12228!3e0?authuser=0&entry=ttu
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The Union Forever – Colorado Strike Song
(ερμηνεία: μουσικό σχήμα “Ρωμιοσύνη”) / Χαλυβουργία Ελλάδος