Hellraisers Journal: Monument at Grave of Martin Irons Unveiled During Convention of Texas State Federation of Labor

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Quote Mother Jones re Martin Irons Sleeps, AtR p4, May 11 1907—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday May 19, 1911
Bruceville, Texas – Monument Unveiled at Grave of Martin Irons

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of May 17, 1911:

Monument Grave of Martin Irons, erected Sept 5, 1910 by MO F of L, unveiled May 17, 1911LABOR FEDERATION UNVEILS MONUMENT
———-

Memory of Late Martin Irons Honored
at Bruceville-Missouri Editor Speaks.

WACO, May 17.-Addresses were heard at morning session of the [Texas] State Federation of Labor convention today, delivered by D. J. Bell of Bells, Grayson county: Secretary-Treasurer J. T. Smith of the Missouri State Federation of Labor, and others. Most of the delegates went to Bruceville today at noon, where a monument to the memory of the late Martin Irons was unveiled the address being delivered by E. T. Behrens, editor of the Liberator at Sedalia, Mo…..

———-

[Photograph and emphases added.]

Note: The monument was erected at the grave of Martin Irons on Labor Day, September 5, 1910. The dedication inscribed thereon reads:

Martin Irons, Oct 7, 1827-Nov 17, 1900
Leader Gould Southwest Railroad Strike 1886
Fearless Champion of Industrial Freedom
Erected by the Missouri State Federation of Labor
     and Affiliated Unions
Labor Day Sept 5, 1910

1910 Labor Day Ceremony at Graveside Monument to Martin Irons
-photograph taken by Fred Gildersleeve: 

Grave of Martin Irons, Labor Day by Fred Gildersleeve 1910, LOC

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Hellraisers Journal: Martin Irons Passes Away in Bruceville, Texas; Led Great Southwestern Railway Strike of 1886

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Quote Mother Jones re Martin Irons Sleeps, AtR p4, May 11 1907———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday November 25, 1900
Bruceville, Texas – Martin Irons Passes Away; Led Railway Strike of 1886

From Alabama’s Brewton Laborer’s Banner of November 24, 1900:

IRONS PASSES AWAY.

——-
Years Ago He Was the Leader
in a Great Strike.

——-

Martin Irons fr Harpers p236, Apr 10, 1886, LoC
Martin Irons

Houston, Tex,, Nov. 18.-Martin. Irons, who was once leader of the union labor organizations and was director of the great Missouri Pacific strike in the eighties [Great Southwestern Railway Strike of 1886], with headquarters in St. Louis, died yesterday at Bruceville, twenty miles south of Waco, on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad.

Irons came to the country three years ago, and, stopping with Dr. G. B. Harris, the then populist county chairman at Bruceville; he found congenial company and began organizing social democratic clubs. Anti-money rent was the slogan used to arouse the tenant farmers and in the course of a few months the entire south border of McLellan, east port of Bell and northwest portion of Falls counties were organized into clubs. The agitation extended in the east side of the Brazos river.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones, the Stormy Petrel, Interviewed in Washington D.C., Remembers Martin Irons

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Quote Mother Jones re Martin Irons Sleeps, AtR p4, May 11 1907———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 25, 1910
Washington, District of Columbia – Mother Jones Remembers Martin Irons

From The Labor Argus of June 23, 1910:

Labor Progressing, Says Mother Jones
—–

Workers of Today Do Their Own Thinking Declares
“Stormy Petrel” In Special Interview
—–

Mother Jones, ed Cameron Co PA Prs p1, Apr 7, 1910

Washington, D. C., June 22.-“The workingmen of this country are at last beginning to think for themselves.”

These significant words came from the lips of Mother Jones, the gray-haired labor agitator, who for the last thirty years has participated in every labor struggle of any prominence, whose presence on the field of action inspires courage and hope among the workers, and strikes terror in the hearts of the masters.

[Said Mother, as she is fondly called by the millions of her boys:]

In the years gone by, the workers were absolutely helpless and dependent on the ability and loyalty of the leaders. Today the leaders are absolutely helpless and dependent on the strength and intelligence of the rank and file.

The work of the old warriors of the labor movement, who have blazed the way with sacrifices for a cause that burned their souls, is bearing fruit. The workers are at last fired with the spirit of revolt and religiously and industrially they are working out their own salvation.

With the force and strength characteristic of the “Stormy Petrel,” and with a sudden brightening of her kindly face, she transmitted to her interviewer the thoughts that were stirring her soul when she uttered, “They are working out their own salvation.”

[Continued Mother Jones:]

There are any number of plain workingmen, who for clearness and logic in analyzing and understanding economic questions can give cards and spades to any Senator and Representative in Washington.

Workingmen of today exchange ideas and discuss important problems in the workshops, at their union meetings, and in their ever growing labor press. These are the most promising signs of the times.

Mother Jones has spent the last ten days in Washington, doing her utmost to secure a congressional investigation of the persecution of the Mexican political refugees in this country. When she was called upon to testify at the hearing on Representative Wilson’s resolution for an investigation of these outrages before the House committee on rules, Chairman Dalzell asked her to state the place of her residence.

I live wherever the workers are fighting the robbers,” she replied to the surprise and embarrassment of a number of corporation men who are members of the committee.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Speaks in Cleveland to Delegates of Convention of United Mine Workers of America, Part III

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Quote Mother Jones, UMWA Until We Win, Clv UMWC p618, Sept 17, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 19, 1919
Cleveland, Ohio – Mother Jones Speaks at U. M. W. A. Convention, Part III

Mother Jones addressed the convention once again during the afternoon of Wednesday September 17th, the seventh day of the convention. She urged the miners to unite behind the steel workers in their upcoming battle against the Steel Trust:

I beg of you for the sake of the heroes that are going to break into the war Monday [September 22nd] for a better civilization, to bury the hatchet and come together, regardless of what may happen. Let the enemy see that we are a solidified army and ready for the war if they want it.

From Stenographic Report by Mary Burke East:

ADDRESS OF MOTHER JONES.

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

Now, boys, I have got to go; I am called away. I don’t know whether it will ever be my privilege to attend another of your conventions. The battle of ages is on; we have got to fight it and it has got to be won. In an hour or so I will leave for the steel strike in Pittsburgh. I have no doubt the bonds of those poor steel workers will be broken before we end. It has been a long struggle, but it is going to come to an end.

Now, I am going to say a few words to you, and I want you to pay attention to what I say. Don’t forget the men and women who gave up their lives for this movement in Utah, Colorado, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This movement was founded on the blood of men who tramped the weary pathway at night, often hungry and cold, to carry the message of a better day to you. Some of you remember the awful day at McCray’s School House, when you walked forty miles, hungry and worn out, to attend that meeting. The fact of your meeting here today is due to the work of those men who are in their graves.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for May and June, 1908-Found on Tour in Texas, Speaking for Socialist Party

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EVD Quote re Mother Jones, AtR, Nov 23, 1907
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 16, 1908
-Mother Jones News Round-Up for May and June, 1908
–Found in Texas on Tour for the Socialist Party of America

During her tour of Texas, Mother was found speaking in the city of Austin where she spoke for two hours and touched on the evils of Child Labor.

From The Austin Statesman of June 17, 1908:

MOTHER JONES LECTURES.
—–
She Speaks of Economic and
Child Labor Conditions.
—–

Mother Jones, Fort Worth Telegram, Apr 26, 1907

An attentive audience heard Mother Jones last night at the East Austin Fire hall. The lecturer spoke for two hours, dealing in the main with the economic conditions of the country as she has found them, a science of hunger and misery.

She made her topic realistic by picturing experiences in the mines, shops and fields.

Mother Jones is most familiar with the child labor situation. She has worked with the “babies” and is cognizant of their struggles and the impossibility of helping these toilers under the present system. She said that she has faith in the people, and that the laborers are realizing that they must own the tools of production in order to be self-supporting and independent.

Tonight Mother Jones will speak at the court house. She is here under the auspices of the socialist local in this city, and the lecture is given free to those interested in the movement.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for May 1907: Found in Texas and Arizona

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Martin Irons sleeps and in
God’s good time his name will be revived,
the contumely will be effaced
and his memory will shine resplendent
in the galaxy of agitators, pioneers and warriors
who died to make man free.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday June 13, 1907
Mother Jones News for May: Visits Grave of Martin Irons

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

During the month of May 1907, Mother Jones was found active as a speaker for the Socialist Party in Texas, and, in Arizona, she was found in Bisbee, assisting the Western Federations of Miners. While in Texas, Mother paid a visit to the grave of Martin Irons. An account of that visit can be found below, along with a tribute to the Pioneer Labor Hero, Martin Irons.

From The Dallas Morning News of May 1, 1907:

“MOTHER” JONES WILL SPEAK.
—–
Chicago Woman, Speaker on Socialistic
Topics, Is Here.

“Mother” Jones of Chicago, a lecturer whose advocacy of Socialism has made her well known throughout the United States, will speak tonight at 8 o’clock in the Woodman Hall at the corner of Corinth and Wall Streets, near the cotton mills. Tomorrow night she will speak in the City Hall auditorium, and both addresses will constitute part of the campaign for municipal positions of the local Socialist candidates.

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