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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday May 12, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for April 1901, Part IV
Scranton Silk Strike Called Off; Smallest Girls Celebrate with Parade
From the Scranton Tribune of April 29, 1901:
At a general meeting of the employes of the silk mills of this city, held yesterday afternoon in St. Thomas College hall, the strike which has been on during the last three months was formally declared off and the announcement made that work will be resumed Tuesday morning.
This afternoon the younger girls will celebrate the end of the strike by holding a parade, and tonight a mass meeting will be conducted in College hall, at which Editor William Mailly, of the New York Worker; National Committeeman Frederick Dilcher, of the United Mine Workers of America, and “Mother” Mary Jones will make addresses…..
AN OPEN SESSION.
[Yesterday’s meeting] was open, and of very short duration. The announcement was briefly made that the strike was over, and all hands were ordered back to work Tuesday morning. “Mother” Jones then made a short address, in which she briefly mentioned the successful culmination of the long struggle, and then urged all of the younger girls to participate in today’s parade…
“Mother” Jones spent Saturday in Paterson. Trouble seems brewing there, and a general strike is threatened on account of difficulties with the ribbon workers.
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[Drawing added.]
THE YOUNG UNIONISTS.
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Bootblacks and Newsboys’ Union
Yesterday Were Dined at College Hall
-Several Speeches Made.
———-A unique, but pleasing, spectacle was presented yesterday afternoon, when between three and four hundred boys representing the youngest and newest union in this city filed into St. Thomas’ College hall and there listened to a number of addresses, ate and were merry.
It was the initial appearance of the Bootblacks’ and Newsboys’ union in the city streets and everywhere the youngsters were greeted with friendly and good natured smiles…
“Mother” Jones gave a hearty, cheerful address to the boys, in which she spoke of the necessity of organization and assured the lads of the benefits which would arise to them from their union. Reading rooms will be established for them, those of their number who are musically inclined formed into a band, instructors provided and other advantages secured.
William Mailly, editor of the New York Worker, also addressed the boys. He spoke along the same lines as “Mother” Jones, and, among other things, told of the recent strike of the New York newsboys…..
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From the Scranton Tribune of April 30, 1901:
Superintendent W. H. Davis yesterday morning opened the Sauquoit mill, and several hundred girls were present to resume work and thus stamp their seal of approval upon the statement made Sunday declaring the strike to be at an end. Other mills which resumed operations yesterday morning were Valentine Bliss’ Dunmore and Dickson City plants.
The strikers celebrated the end of their long period of idleness by a parade yesterday afternoon, in which only the younger members participated, and a mass meeting last night in College hall, at which William Mailly, of New York, and “Mother” Mary Jones made addresses.….
IN COLLEGE HALL.
It was 8.30 o’clock before the meeting started. On the platform were seated a number of members of the strikers’ executive committee, Editor William Mailly, of the New York Worker; “Mother” Mary Jones and Secretary George Gothier, of the Central Labor union. The latter acted as chairman of the night, and introduced Mr. Mailly.
The latter briefly told of the interest which the girls had aroused throughout the country by their three months’ strike, and congratulated them on returning to work at increased wages, and with better general advantages. He declared the victory deserved and the cause a just one, and paid a glowing tribute to “Mother” Jones for the work she did in the strikers’ behalf. He expressed his astonishment at seeing such young children in the afternoon’s parade, and being told that they were silk workers, and then passed into a discourse on unionism.
He was warmly applauded, and Chairman Gothier then introduced “Mother” Jones, who delivered one of her customary vigorous addresses. She in urged a continuance of the union meetings and union spirit, and warned the girls against disruption. In the course of her address, she bitterly denounced the state factory inspectors for neglect of duty, and declared,
In the future we propose to see to it that these fellows at Harrisburg either throw up their jobs or got out and attend to their business.
The parents who send their infant children to work in the silk mills were also sternly rebuked by the speaker, who moreover indulged in several caustic remarks on the subject of mill-owners who drag young girl strikers into court and on magistrates who enforce the law upon them.
AFTERNOON PARADE.
Yesterday afternoon a number of the smaller girls celebrated the end of the strike by parading the streets of the central city. They met at the armory, where they were joined by about one hundred and twenty-live members of the Bootblacks and Newsboys’ league.
At 4.30 o’clock “Mother” Mary Jones, who was acting as marshal, gave the signal and the procession started. There were about one hundred and fifty small girls in line, besides the boys, all of them marching by twos. First came “Mother” Jones and about a score of newsboy and then followed the girls, a number of whom carried American banners, while some of the standards carried at the parade which took place early in the strike were also in evidence.
The phalanx of bootblacks and newsboys in brought up the rear. An amusing feature of the parade was the presence of one tiny newsboy, known as “Micky,” who was carried along in a diminutive cart drawn by another news peddler. The parade proceeded from the armory to Linden street, and then the young marchers walked the city streets for about three quartets of an hour, after which they disbanded.
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Note: emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones, St L Lbr, Apr 13, 1901
The Speeches and Writings of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
University of Pittsburgh Press, 1988
-Page268 (290 of 361)
“The Strike in Scranton”
-from St. Louis Labor of Apr 13, 1901
https://books.google.com/books?id=vI-xAAAAIAAJ
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735035254105/viewer#page/290/mode/2up
Scranton Tribune
(Scranton, Pennsylvania)
-Apr 29, 1901
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026355/1901-04-29/ed-1/seq-5
-Apr 30, 1901
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026355/1901-04-30/ed-1/seq-10/
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:
Tag: Pennsylvania Silk Mill Workers Strikes of 1901
https://weneverforget.org/tag/pennsylvania-silk-mill-workers-strikes-of-1901/
Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for April 1901,
Part III: On Child Labor, Christian Sunday School Teachers and Civilization
William Mailly
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Mailly
The People & The Worker (1899 – 1908)
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/the-people-the-worker/index.htm
New York City Newsboys Strike of 1899
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsboys%27_strike_of_1899
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
U of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ2xAAAAIAAJ
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435
-pages 8-10 (58 of 415):
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435/viewer#page/58/mode/2up
Apr 1, 1901
To Mother Jones at Corning OH from John Mitchell at Scranton:
Mitchell states that UMWA District 1 will hold a convention at Archbald PA on Monday April 8 and that the people are anxious for her to attend.
Apr 5, 1901
From Mother Jones at OH to John Mitchell at Scranton:
Mother states she will be in Scranton in a day or two, will stop off at Pittsburg for a day or so.
Apr 6, 1901
To Mother Jones at Scranton fro Elizabeth C. Morris (Secretary to Mitchell):
Morris states that Mother’s letter to Mitchell, written from Ohio, was received.
Apr 13, 1900
From Mother Jones at Scranton to Mitchell:
Comrade Mitchell
The boys from St Louis have asked me to speak there on the 16th of June the anniversary of the murder of our boys last summer. I consented provided you did. Then at the same time I can go to Ohio-Now let me say that you can make your own arrangements for me without consulting me. I am always ready. You will not have to write for my consent.
The convention was o.k. The corporation tools were there. I went for them and laid them out in good style I want to say they took back water had little to say after that morning…..Let me know if I can go to St Louis then I will inform the boys. Keep up courage. Never mind what the tools of capitalism do. The time will come when right will prevail-take of your health.
fraternally yours
Mother
Note: The murders mentioned by Mother took place on June 10th, 1900, see:
St. Louis Streetcar Strikers Shot Down by Sheriff’s Posse;
Eugene V. Debs on Law and Order
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Babies in the Mill – Dorsey Dion