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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 10, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for February 1901, Part II
Found Speaking to Striking Silk Mill Workers in Scranton, Pennsylvania
From The Philadelphia Inquirer of February 16, 1901:
Special to The Inquirer.
SCRANTON, Pa., Feb. 15–The hard silk workers held a meeting this afternoon at Carpenter’s Hall, at which announcement was made of the coming of “Mother” Jones, of the United Mine Workers, on Monday evening next, when she has agreed to address a mass meeting of silk workers at St. Thomas’ Hall. She comes here at the request of the United Mine Workers. It has been twice announced and twice officially denied that she was coming, the leaders of the silk workers not being aware of the wires being pulled by Secretary Dempsey, of the United Mine Workers…..
From the Philadelphia Times of February 18, 1901:
Special Telegram to THE TIMES.
Scranton, February 17.
All the strikers are waiting the coming of “Mother” Jones to-morrow with great eagerness and many are speculating as to the tenor of her remarks and what her advice will be.
It is a well-known fact that she has a peculiar policy in connection with non-union workers and it is presumed that, she will pay due attention to the forewomen who persist in remaining at work in the mill of Reilling, David & Schoen. These girls refused to go out when the others struck and have since persisted in working.
So far no attempt has been made by the strikers to molest them, but the coming of “Mother” Jones, who has a fondness for marches against non-union work, may change the programme somewhat.
All the strikers are as firm as they were two weeks ago and say that they cannot help but win. They have commenced the fight and their only hope is to keep it up. The mill owners on their part do not see any ready solution of the strike. They claim to have gone the limit and say they will let their mills lay idle for months before they will give in. There the situation stands.
Both sides are hanging on for grim death and neither will grant the other a concession, although the girls are anxious and willing to meet their employers half way.
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From the Philadelphia Times of February 19, 1901:
Special Telegram to THE TIMES.
Scranton, February 18.
Scranton’s great silk strike took on added interest to-day by reason of the appearance on the scene of “Mother” Mary Jones, the remarkable woman organizer and representative of the United Mine Workers, who came to advise with the striking girls and assist them in bringing their battle to a successful issue. She was greeted at the depot on her arrival by a large number of the striking girls and escorted to the St. Charles, where she will make her headquarters during her stay in the region.
She comes to this city at the instance of the silk workers in Paterson, N. J., who solicited her services from the Mine Workers for this particular purpose. They are not unselfish in their request, for they are aware that if the present strike in the Pennsylvania region goes against the mill workers that they will have to enter in a struggle to preserve what they have already gained, hence their request that “Mother” Jones be sent here.
Will Stay Three Days.
When asked how long she would stay in this field Mrs. Jones said that she was only supposed to remain here three days, being on her way to West Virginia to take an active part in organizing the miners in that district. Should she consult her own desires in the matter she would remain here until the strike was settled and take an active part in bringing the obdurate mill owners to terms, if it took all summer.
She admitted that a movement was on foot to give her at least two weeks here, and President Nichols, of the Mine Workers, who was present, said that he should do all in his power to keep her here. To night she addressed a mass meeting of girls in the large auditorium of St. Thomas’ College, and never before in the history of Scranton has such a gathering been seen. Packed into the hall were three thousand girls, while fully a thousand were turned way, being unable to even find standing room in the hall.
Chances Good to Win,
Her address was along general labor lines. After congratulating the girls on the determined stand they had taken, she spoke of the chances they had to win the fight, and advised them to stick to it if it took all summer, promising them all the aid the miners could give them. She then addressed them on the subject of forming women’s auxiliaries of the Mine Workers’ Union, a majority of them being the daughters of the underground toilers. At many stages of her address she was interrupted by outbursts of applause. T. D. Nichols, president of the Mine Workers of District No. 1, was also one of the speakers of the evening and his remarks were along similar lines.
“Mother” Jones will go to Wilkesbarre to-day, where she will address the striking silk workers this afternoon, going to Pittston in the evening to speak to the strikers there. Wednesday she may make an effort to draw out some of those who are still working in this vicinity, notably the mills at West Pittston, Avoca and Carbondale, but this has not been determined upon yet.
An unofficial announcement was made tonight that all the mills would be started up next Monday morning and that all those who are now out would be given an opportunity to go back to work and nothing would be said. Those who fail to go back to work will be without employment in the future, and other help would be secured to operate the mills. This could not be confirmed.
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SENT WORDS OF CHEER
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Silk Weavers at Wilkesbarre Hear
From Mother Jones.Special Telegram to THE TIMES.
Wilkesbarre, February 18.
“Mother” Jones sent the following telegram from Scranton to the striking silk weavers in this city to-day:
Be of good cheer. Stand firm. I will be with you to-morrow.
Mother Jones is booked to address the girl strikers in B. I. A. Hall to-morrow. She will be given an enthusiastic reception. There was no change in the situation to-day. The girls feel confident that they are going to win.
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Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES & IMAGES
Quote Mother Jones, Hzltn Pln Spkr p4, Nov 15, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/98099248/
The Philadelphia Inquirer
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
-Feb 16, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/168042629
The Times
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
-Feb 18, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/53401049/
-Feb 19, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/53401061
See also:
Feb 19, 1901, Philly Times-Mother Jones Takes Hold of Scranton Silk Workers’ Strike
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73117295/feb-19-1901-philly-times-mother-jones/
Tag: Pennsylvania Silk Mill Workers Strikes of 1901
https://weneverforget.org/tag/pennsylvania-silk-mill-workers-strikes-of-1901/
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 9, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for February 1901, Part I
Found Speaking in Cleveland, Ohio, at Labor Lyceum Meeting
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Working Girl Blues by Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard