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Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 30, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for October 1900, Part V
Found Declaring Victory in Grand March on Panther Creek
From the Philadelphia Times of October 18, 1900:
THE MINE WORKERS STRONGER THAN EVER
———-(Written for Th Times by “Mother” Jones.)
Hazleton, October 17.
Our victory in closing the mines in Panther Creek, which have been working steadily for years and which have never ceased to operate during a strike, shows that the United Miners to-day are more powerful than ever and perfectly able to continue the struggle for mouths. The only possible solution of the strike is for the mine operators to make the small concessions asked.
There is no reason in the world why they should not do so, because coal is bringing higher prices to-day than ever before. Railroad rails are cheaper than they have been in years, making the profits of the operators double what they have been. Yet the mine workers have received no increase in pay nor benefit from this increased prosperity whatsoever. This means that the hard coal [anthracite] trust is getting richer every day while the workers are getting poorer. How the operators can refuse the concessions I cannot see.
Mary Jones.
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[Photograph added.]
From the Philadelphia Times of October 20, 1900:
MARKLE MINES ARE SHOT DOWN AT LAST
———-
Strikers March Upon Jeddo and Compel
the Breakers to Stop Work.From a Staff Correspondent.
Hazleton, October 19.
The boast made by John Markle, manager of the T. B. Markle properties, that his mines would be worked throughout the strike despite the United Mine Workers was upset to-day. Under the leadership of Mother Jones and Secretary John P. Gallagher, of the local onion, more than a thousand men from McAdoo, Coleraine, Hazleton, Freeland and elsewhere marched upon the Jeddo mines, at Oakdale, and after several exciting encounters effectually closed them.
When he heard of the march John Markle left his home and faced the strikers just outside of Oakdale. He demanded that they disperse, and gave the leaders a tongue-lashing. The men laughed at him and tried to capture twelve deputies who were guarding the property. The latter fled for their lives to the company store, where they barricaded themselves. The strikers then swarmed all over the property, driving out the men who had been at work and beating several of them severely. Sheriff Harvey was telephoned for and when he arrived he made an address to the men, threatening to call out the troops if there were any more such demonstrations. The strikers replied that they wanted the mines closed and that they would close them.
Absolute quiet prevailed around national headquarters to-day, but the jubilation of Wednesday had disappeared. The feeling was strong that the strike may not be settled by Monday or next week. The action of several of the operators in insisting upon introducing the powder question again has blocked negotiations. President Mitchell today said that he hoped the end of the strike had been reached, but that he could not say so. No steps had been taken to call a meeting of the executive board of district presidents.
H. B. D.
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From The Scranton Republic of October 22, 1900:
GIRLS INSISTED ON BEAUX
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Strike in Hotel Averted by Rescinding
of Obnoxious Order.HAZLETON, Pa., Oct. 21.-Manager Locket, of the Valley hotel, the United Mine Workers’ headquarters, was today compelled to rescind an order forbidding the female help from entertaining male friends in the hotel kitchen during the evening.
When the order was first issued the young women tried to deceive the manager and entertain their beaux unknown to him, but this plan nearly proved disastrous in several instances. The labor leaders implored “Mother” Jones to interfere, but she refused. Today 28 waitresses, chambermaids, and cooks gave the manager one hour to withdraw the order, and he capitulated.
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From the Philadelphia Times of October 23, 1900:
Special Telegram to The Times.
Hazleton, October 22.
The parade of miners in this city to-day was a demonstration unequaled in proportion in the annals of Hazleton. Fully 9,000 men were in line, and it was the most striking object lesson that the labor leaders could put forth to demonstrate the strength of the United Mine Workers in this region.
The marchers came from every town and hamlet within a radius of twenty miles. Besides the great number of men and boys who paraded thousands of people congregated in the streets and filled every vantage point to witness a demonstration that was unique, in that it probably could not be duplicated in any other city of the Union…..
The McAdoo girls, famous for their part in the raid on Panther Creek last week, formed a picturesque feature of the first division of the parade…..
Breaker Boys in Line.
The breaker boys were out in force and one band of the youngsters paraded in working clothes with lighted lamps in their greasy caps and their faces grimy and black with self-applied coal dirt. They were cheered and pitied both as they marched along, for many of the boys were mere children. Along the line of march the residents hung out flags in honor of the paraders, and one sympathetic business man fed a great multitude of the out of town strikers with sandwiches and coffee.
After the parade a great mass meeting was held in an open plot south of the city.
Organizer Benjamin James was chairman of the meeting. After short speeches by Mr. James, Fred Dilcher, Mother Jones and others, President Mitchell addressed the assemblage…..
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From the Philadelphia Times of October 24, 1900:
MONSTER DEMONSTRATION
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Nearly Five Thousand Miners Parade
at Pottsville-Addressed by Mitchell.Special Telegram to The Times.
Pottsville, October 23.
Nearly 5,000 strikers, members of the United Mine Workers of America, of the Ninth anthracite district, participated in a demonstration held here this afternoon. The town was filled with over 25,000 visitors, representing all parts of the territory between Shamokin and Pottsville and as far west as Williamstown…..
At the head of the procession was carried a W. B. A. banner, dating from 1868, a relic of a labor organization that flourished here shortly after the civil war.
President Mitchell, who was the guest of honor, rode in a richly caparisoned barouche drawn by two black horses. With the national president were his private secretary, Miss Elizabeth Morris, of Indianapolis; Fred Dilcher, of Nelsonville, Ohio, member of the national executive board, and John Fahy, president of District No. 9.
A second carriage contained W. R, Fairly, of Alabama; George Purcell, of Indiana, members of the executive board; Paul Pulaski and Organizer Harris, of Mahanoy City.
“Mother” Mary Jones, of Chicago, occupied a third carriage.
After the parade President Mitchell and the other visiting officials of the Mine Workers, with “Mother” Jones, addressed a crowd numbering over 6,000, in the court house square. President Mitchell intimated in his address that the strikers will all go back to work in a day or two.
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[Paragraph breaks added.]
From the Hazleton Plain Speaker of October 25, 1900:
Great Labor Rally [at Freeland].
A great labor rally was held at the Grand Open House last evening. When Hank Palmer and his colleagues were shouting the triumphs and glories of the Republican party at Yannes’ Opera House the now famous ”Mother” Jones was dissecting and roasting Republicans and Democrats alike, before a crowded house at the Grand. Earnest speeches were made by Organizer Slusher and Mr. Frailey, the Alabama representative on the Mine Workers Executive Board.
The speakers congratulated the miners on their bard fought battle and ultimate victory and when Frailey announced that a definite statement would be issued from headquarters today the applause was deafening. The speakers bent their whole efforts to impress the large audience with the urgent necessity of maintaining their organization after the struggle is over and won.
“Mother” Jones, the high priestess of the new crusade, was received with tremendous applause as she stepped before the footlights. She made a rattling address and won unstinted applause from the large audience from start to finish. The frail looking old lady, who has gained so much notoriety in the present struggle, made no effort to conceal her mission and purpose. Her speech was a bold and able exposition of the underlying principles of state socialism. She advocated public ownership of the mines, the implements of production and the avenues of distribution. She told of the memorable midnight march to Coal Dale and the contact with the state troops. Sheriff Toole was denounced in scathing language and the men who voted for him were treated to a dose of her fiery sarcasm.
In pleading tones she appealed to the young men to study the labor problem from an economic stand-point and in the redemption of the human race from industrial thraldom that varies only in degree from chattel slavery. She promised to make Freeland another call sometime in the future and expected to see some results from her present efforts.
Note: emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
The Times
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
-Oct 18, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/53783435/
-Oct 20, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/53783457/
-Oct 23, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/53783515/
-Oct 24, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/53783527/
The Scranton Republic
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-Oct 22, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/48110201/
The Plain Speaker
(Hazleton, Pennsylvania)
-Oct 25, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/501622551/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Scranton Tx p1, Oct 13, 1900
https://www.newspapers.com/image/534727906/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday November 29, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for October 1900, Part IV
Found with Strikers and Army of Mining Women Marching on Panther Creek
Tag: Great Anthracite Strike of 1900
https://weneverforget.org/tag/great-anthracite-strike-of-1900/
Workingmen’s Benevolent Association of Schuylkill County
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workingmen%27s_Benevolent_Association_of_Schuylkill_County
Workingman’s Benevolent Association (WBA)
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/workingmans-benevolent-association
Note: re fahy/fahey. Have not been able to determine which is correct spelling. Have settle on “fahy” for now, since used most often, however, find the two spellings used interchangeably, even w/i Proceedings of Mine Workers Conventions, see searches:
-fahy president district 9 “united mine workers” proceedings
https://www.google.com/search?q=fahy+president+district+9+%22united+mine+workers%22+proceedings&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&sxsrf=ALeKk02cwTs0zvREu5rnriRrhaAQWAKD5w:1606757894070&source=lnms&tbm=bks&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjeh5DM56rtAhX-SjABHReiBXcQ_AUoAXoECAcQCw&biw=1032&bih=756
-fahey president district 9 “united mine workers” proceedings
https://www.google.com/search?q=fahey+president+district+9+%22united+mine+workers%22+proceedings&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&sxsrf=ALeKk01meHNecVBr0Pe2r5Z2Rotze9QkvA:1606757781671&source=lnms&tbm=bks&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH5sOW56rtAhWIZM0KHY2AChQQ_AUoAXoECAcQCw&biw=818&bih=756
Note: Opera houses of Freeland PA
https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/opera-houses.html
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Which Side Are You On? – Billy Bragg