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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 13, 1901
Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1901, Part II
Found at Carbondale, Pennsylvania, Golden Jubilee Celebration
From the Scranton Tribune of September 4, 1901:
BIGGER even than that of Monday was the crowd thronging Carbondale yesterday, when Labor held sway in the semi-centennial celebration.
All the industries and most of the stores were closed and their thousands of employes turned out en masse to participate in the jubilation. The mines in Carbondale and from Forest city to Archbald were idle for the third day in succession and the minters in consequence were rife for a march.
It was in fact a miners’ celebration for they composed three of the four divisions of the parade; it was their leaders who were the distinguished guests, and nearly all the events of the day had a mine flavor.
Quite appropriately it might be called “Mitchell Day.” The president of the United Mine Workers was far and away the feature of the day. He was the chief guest of honor, the principal speaker at the labor mass meeting, the honoree of the evening reception and everybody wore a Mitchell badge…
The weather was of the same delightful character as that of yesterday except in spots, and one of these was a very aggravating spot. Just as President Mitchell was warming up to the principal address of the meeting, the rain commenced to fall heavily.
The crowd seemed bent on weathering the storm but President Mitchell abruptly terminated his speech, with regrets that the meeting was interrupted…..
The first event of the day was the reception of President Mitchell and the other labor leaders who came up from Scranton on the 8:30 D. & H. train. A delegation of the Central Labor union escorted them from the station to the Harrison house and introduced to them the hundreds who were assembled to give them greetings.
The remainder of the morning was given over to the labor parade. There were nearly twenty thousand in line, including many of the most celebrated of the miners’ leaders.
At 1:30 o’clock occurred the unveiling of the tablet marking the site of the first underground anthracite mine in America. Addresses were made by Mayor Kilpatrick, Reese Hughes whose father worked in the mine; President Nicholls, of District No. 1, of the United Mine Workers; “Mother” Jones, of the American Federation of Labor, and Charles Law, son of Archibald Law, the man who opened the mine.
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The trouble at the Hass-Goldsmith Silk Mill is causing a great deal of discussion in labor circles. Mother Jones, one of the most prominent agitators in this country, arrived in town last evening and had lengthy conference with the employes. She expressed a desire that the young women should arrange for a mass meeting, to which the public will be invited.