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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 24, 1903
Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1902, Part II
Found Organizing in West Virginia for the United Mine Workers
From the Clarksburg Daily Telegram (West Virginia) of December 27, 1902:
“MOTHER” JONES VISITS CLARKSBURG
———-
Upon Her Return From the New River District
-On Her Way to Tunnelton
to Make an Address to Miners.
———-Talked Freely of Strike Conditions
in Other Sections of the State
-Compliments Jackson but Has no Flattery for Goff.
“Mother” Jones, the noted strike and labor agitator, arrived in the city Friday evening on No. 12 from the New River district. She reports conditions in that field unsettled and the strike unended. Many miners are residing in camps and there is considerable suffering. She paid her compliments to both Judge John J. Jackson and Judge Nathan Goff. She thinks Judge Jackson has a tender spot in his heart but entertains a different opinion of Judge Goff. Her remarks about the latter were not at all flattering. She left Saturday morning for Tunnelton to address a mass meeting of miners there Saturday night.
She believes the Roosevelt commission’s work will be of much benefit to the miners’cause, especially in the way of moulding public opinion. She also thinks that some beneficial legislation will result from the investigation of the commission. She expressed herself as gratified with what she termed a more liberal spirit on the part of the press toward the miners.
She reviewed briefly prevalent conditions in some sections of the southern part of this state. She says the miners are allowed the regulation weight and the short ton and they have the privilege of buying at the pluck-me store as she terms it or elsewhere. There is nothing compulsory about it. She thought under those circumstances that the strike had been beneficial to the miners.
Inquiry was made by her as to what was doing around here. She made no comment when informed that all was quiet and we were running along in the even tenor of our ways.
“Mother” Jones was in her usual splendid health and was quite talkative and courteous.
While in the city she was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. D. W. McGeorge in Glen Elk.
[Photograph added.]
From the Duluth Labor World of December 27, 1902:
MITCHELL THE HERO
GREAT HOME WELCOME
Fifteen thousand people of Spring Valley, Ill., and surrounding towns welcomed John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers of America, to his home on Monday last [December 15th] after a six month’s absence in the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania. Two thousand coal miners, representing nine unions, plowed heedlessly through the mud, behind the carriage of the labor leader, while other thousands, including women with bedraggled skirts and numerous children with and without headwear, lined the sidewalks and cheered as the procession passed along beneath arches dripping with the colors of faded decoration.
The day was a general holiday. Every mining town in that section of the state was represented by large delegations, making the most notable celebration ever held in the Spring Valley region. Almost every nationality on earth was likewise represented…..
Before reaching Spring Valley delegations from various towns and valleys had entered the train to shake the hand of the man of the hour. His two young sons, Richard and James, were brought into the coach at one of the stopping places, and immediately their father took one on each knee.
“Mother” Jones was in the same seat. Others in the accompanying committee were Thomas I. Kidd, vice president of the American Federation of Labor; W. D. Ryan, secretary of the Illinois Mine Workers; William B. Wilson, secretary of the United Mine Workers, and many local leaders from Joliet and neighboring cities…..
Mrs. Mitchell and the two youngest children, Robert and Marie, were in a carriage awaiting the head of the household when the train steamed into Spring Valley. Every avenue leading from the depot to the streets was blocked with people, and the roar of cheers that went up as Mr. Mitchell descended from the train were comparable only to the hosts that shook the Coliseum “houseless walls” in the days of ancient Rome…[After a grand parade] Mr. Mitchell was driven to his home to receive an affectionate greeting from his wife and four children…..
The exercises at which the formal addresses of welcome were delivered were held in the Reinke opera house instead of out of doors on account of the downpour…..
[Many speeches were made, including one by Mr. Mitchell in which he stated that in the last four years he had seen the mine workers and their people rise in the scale of citizenship.]
“Mother” Jones created great enthusiasm and amusement by one of her characteristic speeches in which she described a miner’s snack in West Virginia as six boards, four shingles and two nails.
This is what the coal, operator refers to as “one of my houses.”
[Later that evening, Mr. Mitchell again spoke in the opera house.]
He closed his address by saying the recent anthracite coal miners’ strike terrible as it had been, undoubtedly had served to strengthen the cause of the working man.
From The Philadelphia Inquirer of December 28, 1902:
ORGANIZING IN WEST VIRGINIA
———-Special to The Inquirer.
CHICAGO, Ill., Dec. 27.-West Virginia promises to be the next scene of action for President John Mitchell and his lieutenants of the United Mine Workers of America.
President Mitchell left the city to-day to resume watching the progress of the Board of Arbitration.
A special effort is to be made by the mine workers to push the work of organization in West Virginia.
“Mother” Jones and other organizers have been sent to that State and President Mitchell may go there.
“I cannot say when I am going to West Virginia,” he said to-day, “but we intend to keep up the work of organization there. Conditions in West Virginia are very bad. They might be compared with the conditions existing in Southern Illinois some years ago. I do not know whether it will be necessary to have a great struggle in West Virginia, but if it is necessary it will have to come.”
Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones, God s Cause, Scranton Tb p1, Aug 7, 1902
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026355/1902-08-07/ed-1/seq-1/
Clarksburg Daily Telegram
(Clarksburg, West Virginia)
-Dec 27, 1902
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85059715/1902-12-27/ed-1/seq-1/
The Labor World
(Duluth, Minnesota)
-Dec 27, 1902
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn78000395/1902-12-27/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn78000395/1902-12-27/ed-1/seq-3/
The Philadelphia Inquirer
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
-Dec 28, 1902
https://www.newspapers.com/image/168364905/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Socialist Spirit p19, Aug 1902
https://books.google.com/books?id=wIcuAAAAYAAJ
See also:
Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1902, Part I
W. V: Saved from Suspicious Hotel Fire; Ill: Attends Celebration for Mitchell
See Duluth Labor World of Dec 27, 1902:
-full article which describes at length the celebration,
in honor of John Mitchell, held at Spring Valley, Illinois, on Dec 15th
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117225370/dec-27-1902-the-labor-world-spring/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117225577/dec-27-1902-the-labor-world-spring/
Tag: West Virginia Coalfield Strike of 1902-1903
https://weneverforget.org/tag/west-virginia-coalfield-strike-of-1902-1903/
Tag: Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902
https://weneverforget.org/tag/great-anthracite-coal-strike-of-1902/
Tag: Anthracite Coal Strike Commission of 1902
https://weneverforget.org/tag/anthracite-coal-strike-commission-of-1902/
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With a spirit strong and fearless, she hated that which was wrong;
She never gave up fighting until her breath was gone.
May the workers all get together to carry out her plan
And bring back better conditions for all throughout the land.