Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1919, Part I: Found Speaking to Steel Workers in Clairton, Pennsylvania

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Quote Quarry Workers re Mother Jones n GSS, Jr p2, Aug 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal –Thursday October 16, 1919
Mother Jones News for August 1919, Part I
Clairton, Pennsylvania – Mother Jones Stands with Steel Workers

From The Quarry Workers Journal of August 1919:

Mother Jones Crpd Women in Industry, Eve Ns Hburg PA p2, Jan 6, 1919

[T]he same spirit [of liberty] that impelled men to fight for freedom in other times is not dead now. Mother Jones, gray-haired, stooped and bent under the load of her 89 years of fighting for labor, but with a soul on fire and the flash of her eyes undimmed, hearing of the outrages [against union organizers] in North Clairton, sent a wire demanding that she be billed for a speech in North Clairton on Sunday, Aug. 10. Her offer has been accepted. Thousands of mine workers, in grateful remembrance of the many sacrifices Mother Jones has made for them, insist that they too are going to be in North Clairton and if she is going to be dragged to jail by the brutal Carnegie Steel Co police with the sanction of the municipal authorities, they want to be eye-witnesses’ to the depths to which corporate hirelings can sink.

The spirt of liberty still lives! The American Federation of Labor proposes to plant its banner in every steel center in western Pennsylvania. Other national figures in the labor movement will follow Mother Jones. Wires are pouring into the office of the national committee for organizing iron and steel workers announcing the names of men who wish to enlist “for the duration of the war.” North Clairton and other autocratic boroughs will have to back up. Democracy is on the ascendency. Justice for labor is the cry that is encircling the world and wise men will heed this cry.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for September 1909: Found in South Dakota Black Hills

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Quote John ONeill re Mother Jones Resting Place, Miners Mag p6, Sept 23, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 15, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1909:
-Found Speaking at Labor Day Celebration in Lead, South Dakota

From The Deadwood Daily Pioneer-Times of September 1, 1909:

Ad Mother Jones Labor Day, Dwd SD Dly Pr Tx p5, Sept 1, 1909

From the Appeal to Reason of September 4, 1909:

Mother Jones Doing Good Work.

Mother Jones is speaking in Texas and New Mexico in behalf of the accused [Mexican] revolutionists and is attracting great crowds of workers. Even the papers are compelled by the force of public opinion to speak well of her work. The Houston Chronicle recently devoted a column to her full of praise. It quotes her as saying:

I hope the time will come when the lead which is now used for making bullets will be used for making type to educate the masses.

Everywhere she goes she is greeted with large and enthusiastic audiences.

—–

Note: We last found Mother in Texas, speaking in San Antonio, on August 21st.

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Hellraisers Journal: From Butte Daily Bulletin: Steel Barons Seek to Discourage Strikers; 22 Workers Killed Thus Far

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Quote Mother Jones, Strikes are not peace Clv UMWC p537, Sept 16, 1919—–

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 12, 1919
News from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Steel Strike Headquarters

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of October 10, 1919:

GSS Casualties, BDB p2, Oct 10, 1919—–

STEEL BARONS ENDEAVORING TO DISCOURAGE STRIKERS
—–

LYING PAMPHLETS ARE NOW BEING CIRCULATED
—–

(Special United Press Wire.)

Pittsburgh, Oct. 10.-Charging distribution of unfair propaganda, leaders in the steel strike have protested against the circulation of handbills, in which the strikers are urged to collect benefits due them from strike headquarters. Union heads declare these pamphlets are being distributed by the operators in a frantic effort to create friction between the strikers and their leaders. Strike headquarters here announced that many foreigners in some districts, are storming the offices of their districts leaders in compliance with the circulars’ request.

Rioting broke out at Clairton, near here, this morning, when several foreigners it is alleged, expressed their intentions of returning to work. One man was shot and seriously wounded, three were stabbed and many were beaten, when state troops appeared on the scene and attempted to restore order.

—–

MORE BRUTAL THAN COSSACKS.

(Special to The Bulletin.)

Pittsburgh, Pa.-“More brutal than the German uhlans raiding Belgium! Worse than the Don cossacks in the days of the czars!”

That’s how John Fitzpatrick, lender of the great steel strike, describes the Pennsylvania state constabulary.

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Hellraisers Journal: “Woman Prolongs Miners’ Strike” -Agitator Mrs. Mary Jones Arrives at Arnot, Pennsylvania

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Quote Mother Jones, Raising Hell, NYC Oct 5, 1916———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 11, 1899
Arnot, Pennsylvania – Agitator Mrs. Mary Jones on Scene of Miners Strike

From the Philadelphia Times of October 9, 1899:

Mother Jones, Arnot Strike, Elmira NY Dly Gz p5, Oct 7, 1899
Elmira Daily Gazette and Free Press
October 7, 1899

MINERS EVICTED
FROM THEIR HOMES
—–
Blossburg Miners Are Facing
Starvation by Reason
of Their Strike.
—–

WILL NOT YIELD A POINT
—–

Special Telegram to The Times.

Arnot, October 8.

The strike situation hereabouts is becoming serious, and the sufferings of the miners will be severe if an agreement is not soon reached with the Blossburg Coal Company. During the past week the company has discharged its superintendent, ordered the mules sold and made preparations to close down the mines permanently.

Although the strikers have been out sixteen weeks, and are facing certain starvation, they are as determined as ever not to “cave in” to the company, as they term it. The action of the miners in deciding to return to work, and then changing their minds after hearing the harangues of Mrs. Mary Jones, a woman labor agitator of Pittsburg, has apparently aroused the ire or the officials of the company.

Evicted Their Tenants.

As soon as the intention of the miners to remain out became known the company took steps to evict the men who occupied houses belonging to the company for non-payment Thus far thirty-six families have been forced from the houses which they have occupied for years. The evictions were effected by Sheriff Johnston and a force of deputies from Wellsboro. There was no show of force. Those who had no place to go were taken in by neighbors who own their own houses, and are therefore out of reach of the company’s eviction process.

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Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “Victory at McKees Rocks” by Louis Duchez, Part II

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Quote EVD to McKees Rocks Strikers, Aug 25, Butler PA Ctzn p1, Aug 26, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 10, 1909
Louis Duchez on Victory of McKees Rocks Strikers, Part II

From the International Socialist Review of October 1909:

IWW McKees Rocks, Victory by L Duchez, ISR p289, Oct 1909

[Part II of II.]

—–

On August 15th, the I. W. W. advertised a mass meeting to be held on Indian Mound. Large posters printed in five different languages were displayed. Eight thousand men attended the meeting—nearly all strikers, and many railroad men and trade unionists and laborers from Pittsburg.

William E. Trautman first addressed the meeting in English and German, after which the men were parcelled off in lots. Nine different nationalities were spoken to—besides these two—and to each man his own tongue.

To Ignatz Klavier, a Polander and member of the Socialist Party who speaks five languages fluently, much credit is due for enlightening the McKees Rocks strikers on the principles of industrial unionism. It was Klavier who, during the second week of the strike, brought out clearly the distinction between the A. F. of L. and the I. W. W. He was ably assisted by Henyey, a Hungarian, and Max Forker, a German.

A wonderful spirit of solidarity was shown by the trainmen of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and Chicago and on the Pittsburg and Lake Erie roads—the only railroads running into McKees Rocks, when the trainmen refused to haul scabs to the plant. This is the first time in the history of labor troubles in the United States that this has been done. This was another example of the tactics of industrial unionism directly due to I. W. W. propaganda and education. Not only did the railroad men lend their aid to the strikers but the crews on the two company steamers, “The Queen” and “The Pheil,” refused to haul the scabs. This also is due to the work of the Unknown Committee and the great wonderful spirit of solidarity that is spontaneously stirring the wage slaves of the world. Even the school children of “Hunkeytown” refused to attend school until the strike was settled.

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Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “Victory at McKees Rocks” by Louis Duchez, Part I

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Quote EVD to McKees Rocks Strikers, Aug 25, Butler PA Ctzn p1, Aug 26, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 9, 1909
Louis Duchez on Victory of McKees Rocks Strikers, Part I

From the International Socialist Review of October 1909:

IWW McKees Rocks, Victory by L Duchez, ISR p289, Oct 1909

[Part I of II.]

—–

Letter I, ISR p289, Oct 1909N this article the writer is not going to give much space to a recitation of the crimes of the capitalist class at McKees Rocks and the other strike points in Pennsylvania. It is unnecessary. The capitalist press has done that more effectively—regardless of the motives that may have prompted them—than he is able to do. The class struggle is a historic fact and the diametrically opposed interests have long ago been proven. Such practices as were exposed during the last few weeks are only the logical result of the capitalist system of society at this stage of working class activity.

Readers of the Review want something more than a mere account of the cruelties of the Pressed Steel Car Company. They want to know something about the spirit and growth of solidarity and industrial organization among the striking wage slaves in Pennsylvania.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks to Striking Steel Workers of Buffalo: “The Revolution Is On and Nothing Can Stop It.”

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Quote Mother Jones GSS American Liberty, Bff Eve Tx p4, Oct 3, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 8, 1919
Buffalo, New York – Mother Jones Speaks to Striking Steel Workers

Mother Jones spoke Thursday evening, October 2nd, at Miller’s Harmonia Hall and said in part:

The revolution is on and nothing can stop is now. Old George III didn’t think the Americans would rise and lick h— out of him, and Gary thinks the same way. They call me an agitator well, the United States was founded on agitation by radicals, and we will make no apologies for that name if that is what they want to call us until we clean the whole lot of them out. American liberty was bought not by the money of men like Gary, but by the blood of men like you, who have left you that glorious emblem, the Stars and Stripes, of which the first stripe is red the color of the blood they shed.

The labor union represents the only Christianity of the present time. The labor union has done more of humanity than all the churches, universities, Y. M. C. A. and other institutions of capitalism. When the miners’ union took the children out of the mines and put them into the school the cry of anarchy went up. The master class has a new word now-Bolshevism-for those who do not agree with the capitalists. If Bolshevism makes the world any better for the workers, I am for the Bolsheviki. I want the spies who have followed me all day today to know this.

—–

GSS Mother Jones, WZF, NY Dly Ns p2, Oct 1, 1919

[Photograph added is from New York Daily News of October 1, 1919.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Buffalo Labor Journal: “Steel Strikers Holding Firmly” & Message from William Z. Foster

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Quote Mother Jones, Strikes are not peace Clv UMWC p537, Sept 16, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 7, 1919
Buffalo, New York – Steel Strikers Standing Firm as Gibraltar

From Buffalo Labor Journal of October 2, 1919:

STEEL STRIKERS HOLDING FIRMLY
—–
Propaganda in Sunday Papers Fails in Desired Effect
-Gunmen Modest in Their Retirement
-Big Mill and the Assessors

GSS William Z Foster, Binghamton Prs n Ldr, p11, Oct 1, 1919

A flood of printer’s ink and a mountain of good white paper was utterly wasted in the campaign of propaganda which the barons of the Steel Trust and their affiliations poured forth in last Sunday’s papers of this good, old America of ours.

According to the writings of the lads employed by Kaiser Gary and his entourage, the gates of the big mills would be choked on Monday morning with the men, eager to bend their backs to the crack of the driver’s whip

Their fond anticipations failed to realize and there was no response to the weasel voice of the hired scribblers. The men are standing as firm as the rock of Old Gibraltar.

None went back-divel the wan.

In all this pyrotechnical display of the propagandists we fail to catch the sonorous voice of our old friend, False Alarm Donner. In the first week of the strike Donner could be heard with his discordant bray over the thunderous voices of both master and men. That lad made a high mark for himself as the Grand Claimant of All. He spouted interviews like a Texan oil gusher.

They have put the soft pedal on Donner and the atmosphere no longer vibrates with his amazing prognostications.

So much for friend Donner; now for the big mill with its company houses, its Moses Taylor hospital, its Smokes Creek and its favored assessments. All are interwoven closely with its desire for welfare work and its Oh! Be Joyful efforts at uplifting.

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