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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday July 10, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1900, Part I
Found Marching with Striking Miners of Georges Creek Coal District
From the Baltimore Sun of June 1, 1900:
THE MINERS’ STRIKE
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Mother Jones Rallies The Union Men
At Knapp’s Meadow.(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
CUMBERLAND, Md., May 31.-“Mother” Jones, the noted woman organizer of Punxsutawney, Pa., arrived in the George’s creek mining region today accompanied by District President Allan Barber. They had been attending the miners’ celebration at Dubois, Pa. Mother Jones was accorded great honors. She at once took hold of affairs, Organizer William Warner and Thomas Haggerty becoming secondary in importance.
This afternoon over three hundred miners from Frostburg, Eckhart and Vale Summit, headed by Mother Jones, who is regarded as a Joan of Arc in the present struggle, started on a march to Knapp’s Meadow, one mile from Lonaconing, where a meeting had been called today. The circular call was supposed to have been issued from non-union sources and the union men proceeded to capture the meeting. Mother Jones rode in a carriage and Organizers Warner and Haggerty followed on foot. The procession marched to music from a bass drum, a fife and a horn. A number of banners were carried bearing inscriptions demanding 60 cents a ton. The procession marched and countermarched through the main streets of Lonaconing. But few miners of Lonaconing participated in the parade and but few attended the meeting at Knapp’s Meadow.
Mother Jones was the first speaker, followed by Organizers Warner and Haggerty. Resolutions were adopted denouncing those who have been trying to end the strike and particularly “the action of disorderly characters who are trying to create disturbances, which tend to lead to riot and bloodshed; and we desire to call the attention of the public and peaceable law-observing citizens to the fact,” the resolutions continue, “that those disorderly characters are receiving encouragement from the coal companies and money from unknown sources. We hereby express our desire that the strike shall be conducted peaceably throughout and be governed in all our actions by the votes and will of the majority of miners of George’s creek.”
It is said that miners of the George’s Creek Coal and Iron Company, the New Central Coal Company, the Lonaconing Coal Company and the American Coal Company will resume work on Monday.
The organization claims that the dissatisfied miners who desire to return to work are non-union men and live in and about Lonaconing; that the miners at Frostburg, Eckhart, Barton, Pekin and Midland are almost solid in favor of continuing the strike.
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[Photograph addad.]
From the Washington Evening Times of June 2, 1900:
AROUSING THE WOMEN
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“Mother” Jones Struggles to Keep Alive
the Maryland Strike.CUMBERLAND, Md., June 2-“Mother” Mary Jones, the woman organizer of miners, from the Brady House porch, Lonaconing, addressed a meeting of 1,500 people last night. Today she will speak at Frostburg. Daniel Young presided at Lonaconing meeting, at which Organizer Warren also spoke. It is “Mother” Jones’ purpose to organize the wives, daughters, and sisters of the miners into a union to assist in keeping up the strike. Over fifty women attended the Knapp’s Meadow meeting Friday and cheered “Mother” Jones.
The executive committee of the miners organization took no action toward declaring the strike off by 6 o’clock last evening as requested by the Lonaconing miners, nor did they send any word to the committee of the Lonaconing men who met last evening. The demand that the strike be declared off was made through this committee.
The Lonaconing miners will hold a meeting this afternoon when they propose to declare the strike at an end as far as they are concerned. The delegates from the New Central Coal Company to the Frostburg convention, at which the strike was ordered, it is said, declared that if the majority of miners of the company decide in favor of returning to work they will order the strike off as far as their company is concerned.
The meeting at Frostburg today will be held at Braddock Park, and besides “Mother” Jones, National Organizer Thomas Haggerty will speak. The Frostburg miners are still firm in their resolution to maintain the strike, but resumption is expected at Lonaconing by Monday.
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From the New York Sun of June 3, 1900:
“MOTHER” JONES STOPS A STAMPEDE.
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Begged [Pennsylvania] Miners to Continue
Their Strike and They Yielded.CUMBERLAND, Md., June 2.-The advent of Mother Jones into the Georges Creek mining region saved the day for the organization and prevented the strike from being called this afternoon. The miners at New Central, Maryland, American and Georges Creek companies were to meet at Lonaconing at 2 o’clock to call the strike off, but when that hour arrived not one miner reported. They had all gone to a mass meeting being addressed by Mrs. Jones. When at the head of 500 striking miners, she marched through the region on last Thursday, winding up by delivering an eloquent appeal for them to out, she set the miners wild, and even the miners wives and daughters, who had been pleading for the men to return to work, were won over to her side.
Last night she addressed 1,500 miners and 500 women, the latter applauding the to echo. This afternoon she talked to 4,000 miners for more than an hour, nearly every woman in the region turning out. Before she went into the region on last Thursday it was estimated 70 per cent of the miners wanted to return to work. Now they are all determined to bold out.
A coal operator said to-night that Mother Jones had won the day, and that now the strike would last all summer. She will organize the women before leaving the region.
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From the Baltimore Sun of June 6, 1900:
MOTHER JONES AT WORK
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How She Encourages Mine Strikers To Hold Out.(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
CUMBERLAND, MD., June 5.-“Mother” Mary Jones, the woman organizer, addressed a large meeting at Midland tonight. She spoke to 400 miners at Carlos last night. “Mother” Jones says she will remain in the region until the strike is won. Her talk last night was very severe on the miners at Lonaconing, who last week voted to go to work. She said she was talking to a man the other day who buried carcasses. He said he charged $4 to bury a horse, $2 for a calf, but that he would bury a Lonaconing “blackleg” for 50 cents.
Samuel Gompers and Eugene Debs will arrive in the region later. The reports from that section today were that the strike is tighter than it ever has been since it commenced, about eight weeks ago. It is said that 105 miners left Barton yesterday for other fields.
Andrew Gillespie, Jr., a union miner, was fined $10 and costs by Justice C. S. Murphy at Lonaconing for assault on Arthur Hamilton, another union miner. Hamilton was one of the committee that signed the papers declaring the strike. After the suspension he went to Pennsylvania to secure work, but not satisfied with conditions there, returned. In the lodge room of the Pekin local union he is said to have made a remark that work ought to be resumed here. This provoked an animated controversy between Hamilton and Organizer Haggerty, resulting in Hamilton being ordered from the room. Gillespie and several ethers followed. Hamilton was struck from behind by some one and then Gillespie struck him in front. Robert R. Henderson, acting State’s Attorney, appeared for the prosecution and David J. Lewis for the defense. The trial created great interest. Mr. Henderson said in his address that if any man wanted to go to work he had the whole State of Maryland back of him. Mr. Lewis contended that there was less lawlessness during a strike on the average than when all were working.
Organizer William Warner had William Barry, of the Lonaconing Star, arrested for alleged assault. Barry blamed Warner for having him discharged as a newspaper correspondent and called to see him about it. A heated discussion took place in Warner’s room at his hotel. Barry prayed a jury trial.
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From the Baltimore Sun of June 7, 1900:
COAL MINERS’ STRIKE
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“Mother” Jones And Ex-Governor Lowndes
On The Situation.(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
CUMBERLAND, MD., June 6.-“Mother” Jones addressed a meeting of miners in Barton tonight. While in Cumberland today she stated that she was a socialist, and that in her opinion the labor problem can only be settled as in New Zealand, where the courts encourage labor organization and all disputes are settled by arbitration. She is fairly idolized by the miners in this region and proposes to “organize” everyone in the region, men and women, before leaving. She says she is arranging for a meeting in Cumberland one night next week, when she and other leaders of the strike will speak. The miners’ organization and miners generally have an idea that there is much opposition to their cause in Cumberland, and this meeting, which is to be held in the Academy of Music, is for the purpose of trying to overcome the supposed opposition.
Speaking of the mining situation, ex-Gov. Lloyd Lowndes, president of the Union Mining Company, who also is interested in coal mining in this region and has just returned from Baltimore, where he attended the annual meetings of several of his companies, said:
“I find that notwithstanding not a ton of coal has been mined in the George’s Creek region for eight weeks there has been a great decline in the price of coal and coke. Our operators are supplying their regular customers with coal mined at Meyersdale and Clearfield…..
“I believe the strike will end the moment our people realize that the influences working here for the continuance of the suspension are influences controlled by those who are interested in other regions and who are benefited by stoppage of our miners. I met gentlemen of prominence, who are not interested in coal matters, who expressed the greatest surprise that the George’s Creek miners, who are recognized as the most intelligent in the world, should be controlled by outsiders who are not looked upon as being their equals in intelligence and worth.”
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From the Baltimore Sun of June 11, 1900:
COAL MINERS’ STRIKE
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Relief Fund Said To Be Sufficient
To Support The Strikers.(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
CUMBERLAND, Md., June 10.-District Union President Allan Barber, of the United Mine Workers, says the miners are getting sufficient aid to continue the George’s Creek strike indefinitely. He says their needs are all promptly met. The solicitors in the Pennsylvania region have been meeting with considerable success. It is proposed to solicit aid in ail regions. A number of members of the organization conferred with President Dolan, of the United Mine Workers. In Pittsburg and arrangements were made for a systematic presentation of the claims of the George’s Creek strikers for aid…..
A large meeting of miners on Davis Mountain, near Vale Summit, yesterday afternoon was addressed by “Mother” Jones and Daniel Tonng, a member of the district executive board. A long procession, composed of miners of Vale Summit, Carlos, Eckhart and Frostburg, headed by a band, went up to the mountain meeting. “Mother” Jones is to speak in Ravenscraft’s Opera House, Frostburg, tomorrow night. She is to be at Cumberland later in the week.
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From the Baltimore Sun of June 16, 1900:
In And Around Piedmont.
(Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.)
PIEDMONT, W. Va., June 15.-“Mother” Jones and Organizer Thomas Hagerty addressed over 300 persons here last night from the platform of J. C. Orrick & Son Company’s wareroom. Rain broke the meeting up, but both gave notice that another meeting would be held soon to uphold the George’s Creek striking coal miners. Quite a number of women attended the speaking.
Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
Quote JA Wayland, Mother Jones, AtR p1, Mar 17, 1900
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/appeal-to-reason/000317-appealtoreason-w224.pdf
The Sun
(Baltimore, Maryland)
-June 1, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/365276496/
-June 6, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/365277645/
-June 7, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/365277985/
-June 11, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/365280138/
-June 16, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/365281312
The Evening Times
(Washington, District of Columbia)
-June 2, 1900
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024441/1900-06-02/ed-1/seq-1/
The Sun
(New York, New York)
-June 3, 1900
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1900-06-03/ed-1/seq-3/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Kenosha Ns WI p7, June 26, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/595263678/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal – Monday July 9, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for April and May of 1900
Found Speaking to Coal Miners at Windber, Pennsylvania
Baltimore Sun June 4, 1900
Mother Jones Saves Georges Creek MD Coal Strike
of 1900, Speeches, parades Frostburg, Lonaconing.
Tag: Georges Creek MD Coal Strike of 1900
https://weneverforget.org/tag/georges-creek-md-coal-strike-of-1900/
-for more re Mother Jones on field of battle:
The Autobiography of Mother Jones
CH Kerr, 1925
https://archive.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/
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The Spirit Of Mother Jones – Andy Irvine