—————
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday July 11, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1901, Part III
Found Speaking to Mine Workers of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
From the Wilkes-Barre Times of June 11, 1901:
National Board Member Fred Dilcher and “Mother” Mary Jones returned to Scranton yesterday morning from Lykens and Williamstown in Dauphin county where they made a number of addresses to Mine Workers on Friday and Saturday. They will remain here during the week.
[Drawing of Mother Jones added.]
From the Wilkes-Barre Record of June 11, 1901:
PRESIDENT MITCHELL IN SCRANT0N.
President John Mitchell of the United Mine Workers arrived in Scranton yesterday afternoon from Indianapolis. President Mitchell’s visit to Scranton is for the purpose of appearing as prosecutor in the case of criminal libel against Richard Little, the editor of the Scrantonian, and which is on the trial list for to-day.
District president Nicholls, Fred Dilcher and “Mother” Jones also arrived in Scranton and will confer with President Mitchell during the week with reference to labor questions.
From the Scranton Tribune of June 11, 1901:
HE MAY NEVER BE TRIED
———-
Libel Case Against Richard Little Will Not
Be Called Today. Conference Last Night.
—–The libel case against Richard Little, editor of the Scrantonian, in which President John Mitchell, of the United Mine Workers, is the prosecutor, will not be tried today. It is possible It will never go to trial.
A conference for the purpose of effecting a compromise was held last night, at the St. Charles, in President Mitchell’s room. It was arranged for during the afternoon.
The conference lasted from 8 o’clock until 2 o’clock this morning. There were present President Mitchell and his attorney, Joseph O’Brien, and Editor Little and Attorney John F. Scragg.
About 11 o’clock the door of President Mitchell’s room was opened and all the assembled labor leaders invited in. In response to the invitation came National Organizer Fred Dilcher, “Mother” Mary Jones, President T. D. Nichols, of District No. 1; President Thomas Duffy, of District No. 9; Secretary John Dempsey, Organizers Robert Courtright and Nicholas Burke, Committeemen Henry Collins and J. J. Kearney, of District No. 1; Martin D. Flaherty, of the American Federation of Labor, and D. J. Keefe, president of the International Association of Longshoremen, who is now developes is the mysterious “Mr. Guernsey” of last fall.
Nothing would be given out from the conference except that the case would not be tried to-day…..
From the Shenandoah Evening Herald of June 11, 1901:
“Mother” Jones, accompanied by two Philadelphia newspaper men, visited the county jail Sunday afternoon, and spent some time with the Oneida rioters.
From Tower City’s West Schuylkill Herald of June 13, 1901:
THE U. M. W. PARADE AND DEMONSTRATION A SUCCESS.
———-
The Occassion Brought Many Strangers to Town.
-Many Prominent Labor Leaders present.
-Mother Jones Delivered a Speech.The parade and picnic held under the auspices of the U. M. W. of A., of Tower City and adjoining towns, on Saturday last, was a success and fully came up to expectations. The day opened up with cloudy, cool weather, but this did not dampen the spirits of the people. The sun came out later, however, and brought good cheer with it. People began pouring into town as early as 7 o’clock in the morning. From that time on every incoming train brought hundreds of people. Many also came in vehicles and on foot. At the noon hour conservation estimates placed the total number of people in town at 5,000…..
THE PARADE.
Owing to some unavoidable delay the parade, which was to form at 10 o’clock did not get started until after 11 o’clock, and it was probably on this account that so many Mine Worker’s did not get into the ranks, but viewed the parade from the sidewalks…..
At two o’clock in the afternoon an immense throng of people gathered around the grand stand in [Tower Park] to hear the exercises of the day….
The exercises began with a selection by the Glee Club…Then cam Mother Jones…..[who] was the main attraction of the day…..
Note: Emphasis added throughout.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones, UMWC Ipl IN, Jan 25, 1901
MJ Speeches, Steel, p13
https://books.google.com/books?id=vI-xAAAAIAAJ
Wilkes-Barre Times
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
-June 11, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/390976089/
Wilkes-Barre Record
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
-June 11, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/85828214/
Scranton Tribune
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-June 11, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/72169582/
Evening Herald
(Shenandoah, Pennsylvania)
-June 11, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/448051606/
West Schuylkill Herald
(Tower City, Pennsylvania)
-June 13, 1901
https://www.newspapers.com/image/363566469/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Drawing, SDH p4, Mar 9, 1901
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/social-democratic-herald-us/010309-socdemherald-v03n38w140.pdf
See also:
May 10, 1901, Scranton Tribune-Little indicted on charge of libel preferred by UMW Pres Mitchell
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81040095/may-10-1901-scranton-tribune-little/
Oct 13, 1900, Wilkes-Barre Weekly Times-Oneida Riot, Full Account from Hazleton Standard
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80992353/oct-13-1900-wilkes-barre-weekly/
Pennsylvania. General Assembly. House of Representatives
Pennsylvania, 1903
(search: oneida riot pardon)
https://books.google.com/books?id=NnNDAQAAMAAJ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Working Man – Welshman David Alexander
Lyrics by Rita McNeil