Hellraisers Journal – Monday June 19, 1899
San Francisco, California – Trade Unionists Protest Horrors of Idaho Bullpen
From The San Francisco Call of June 15, 1899:
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MILITARY RULE IN IDAHO IS DENOUNCED
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BIG MASS-MEETING AT METROPOLITAN HALL.
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Labor and Building Trades Councils
Adopt Strong Resolutions-
Prominent Speakers Voice Their Sentiments.
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Metropolitan Temple was crowded last night in response to a call for a mass-meeting held under the auspices of the Labor Council, Building Trades Council and Affiliated Unions. The object of the meeting was to voice a strong protest against the establishment of military rule at Wardner, Idaho, the scene of the recent miners’ troubles.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday May 21, 1899
Burke Miner Describes Suffering in the Wardner Bullpen of Idaho
From The Salt Lake Herald of May 17, 1899:
SUFFERINGS OF MINERS
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Imprisoned Miner Describes Experience In Bullpen
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President Edward Boyce of the Western Federation of Miners has received a letter from a friend who was among the miners rounded up after the Wardner (Ida.) riots and penned up for several days on suspicion of participation in those riots. The letter gives a graphic description of the treatment received by the miners at the hands of the Twenty-fourth infantry during the days of their imprisonment and is perhaps the first authentic description by one of the miners themselves.
It describes the arrival of the regulars at Burke and how the miners were made prisoners as they came up out of the mines off shift. Without being given the privilege of changing their clothes or of getting anything to eat they were herded into box cars and taken down the canyon to Wardner Junction. There they were kept standing in their wet clothes until midnight and then driven to a big barn called the bull pen.Between 350 and 400 men were here confined in a space about 40 by 50 feet all without food and some with wet clothes. Not until noon did the prisoners get anything to eat. Then they were divided into squads of twenty-five, and each squad was given a pail of what the author of the letter describes as “swill,” and told to eat it. Some had not had anything to eat for nearly thirty-six hours, and even then could hardly down the food.
[The letter goes on:]
We asked for soap and towels to clean ourselves a little, but the authorities did not seem to think the Canyon creek people needed such luxuries, for they would not give them to us, so, with grease and dirt sticking to us, we were driven back to our sty.
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday May 3, 1899
From Butte, Montana: W. F. of M. President Boyce on Idaho Trouble
From The Butte Miner of May 1, 1899:
THE MINERS SIDE OF IT
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President Boyce of the Federation
Makes a Statement.
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ORIGIN OF COEUR D’ALENE TROUBLE
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It Dates Back to 1887 When an Attempt Was Made
to Reduce Wages in That District-
Present Demand on Bunker Hill Did
Not Come From Miners Union Men.
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The Butte Miner April 30, 1899 —–
Butte, Mont., April 30, 1899.
To the Miner: Dear Sir-Having read your editorial in today’s Miner-“The Coeur d’Alene Affair,” the spirit of fairness contained in the article prompts me to inform you on the true status of the situation in the Coeur d’Alenes, as you have been misinformed through the Associated Press dispatches or some other unreliable source:
Previous to October, 1887, all mines operating in the Coeur d’Alene district paid underground men $3.50 per day; at this time the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Minning company reduced miners to $3 per day and other laborers in the mines to $2.50 per day. This reduction caused the employes to go on strike and organize a miners’ union, since then known as Wardner Miners’ union. During those pioneer days in the Coeur d’Alenes laboring men were not plentiful and in order to operate the mines the company was forced to restore miners’ wages to $3.50 per day, and other laborers in the mines to $3.00 per day. This wages schedule continued to 1890, when a demand was made upon this company to pay the same wages to underground men as was being paid by all other companies in the district-namely, $3.50 per day. To this the Bunker Hill and Sullivan company objected and another strike ensued. After two weeks’ suspension the company agreed to pay the prevailing wages of the district.
Peace and tranquility reigned in the district until 1892, when the Mine Owners’ Industrial Protective association reduced wages in all the district from $3.50 per day to $3 and $2.50 per day. This is the reduction which caused the great strike with which the world is familiar.
Gradually the mining companies consented to pay the former wages-$3.50 per day-till every mine in the entire district was paying it.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday May 2, 1899
Wardner, Idaho – Miner Jack Smith Killed in Violent Struggle at Coeur d’Alenes
From The Butte Miner of April 30, 1899:
RIOT AND BLOODSHED
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Strikers at Wardner Attack the
Bunker Hill and Sullivan.
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THE MILL BLOWN UP
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Sixty 50-Pound Boxes of Giant Powder Placed
in the Structure and the Charge Fired-
Jack Smith, One of the Leaders of the Rioters,
Killed by Mistake by One of His Own Men.
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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer May 1, 1899 —–
Portland, Ore., April 29.-The agent of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation company at 3:30 o’clock this afternoon telegraphed to this city from Wardner, Ida., that the striking miners had fired the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill and that it was burning. It is claimed that the mine is loaded with dynamite and if this proves true the entire property will be a loss. The striking miners are also reported to be in possession of the Northern Pacific and O. R. and N. trains and in control of the situation. There are about 100 masked men heavily armed at and about the mill and there have been several skirmishes with the authorities, during one of which one man is reported shot. There are fully 800 miners at Wardner. They are forming to go to the mine in a body and drive out the 270 non-union men employed there.
The company has notified the governor of Idaho of the situation and the secretary of state has been dispatched to the scene of the trouble. The governor has promised to do everything in his power to preserve order and prevent bloodshed, but it is believed that unless prompt steps are taken there will be great loss of life and destruction of property.
Since the telegram from the agent was received the strikers have cut the wires and telegraphic communication with Wardner is now cut off.
The present strike in the Coeur d’Alene mining district in northern Idaho was inaugurated about 10 days ago and is directed principally against the Bunker Hill and Sullivan at Wardner, where non-union men are employed. The demands of the miners for increased wages were granted by the owners, but the miners demanded that the union be recognized and that non-union men be discharged. This the mine owners refused to do and the Last Chance mine closed down. The Bunker Hill and Sullivan, however, decided to run with non-union men until today, when they were driven out by union men.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 6, 1908
The Red Special on the Northern Route Across the Plains
The Socialist Red Special carried the Debs Campaign across the plains from Spokane, homeward, via the northern route, arriving in Chicago on morning of September 25th, and, without so much as one full day of rest, headed out again to begin the eastern tour that same morning. The Chicago Tribune of September 26th reported that the Socialist Party’s candidate for President made 187 speeches and traveled 9,000 miles during the Campaign’s western tour.
From the Appeal to Reason of October 3, 1908:
BACK BY THE NORTH
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Red Special Re-crosses the Rockies and
Sweeps Across the States Toward
Michigan on Return Trip.
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With the finish of the Red Special’s
western trip at Chicago, Sept. 25, it will
leave immediately through Indiana and Ohio
for a tour of the east.
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We hail with joy the formation of the Western Labor Union which has progress for its main object. -Pueblo Courier
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Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 16, 1898
Salt Lake City, Utah – W. F M. and Montana Unionists Unite!
Rather than supplanting the Western Federation Miners as stated in the headline (see below) from the Salt Lake Herald, the avowed purpose of the newly founded Western Labor Union is to organize all unorganized workers into one powerful organization, especially the unskilled workers so often ignored by the American Federation of Labor.
From the Deseret Evening News of May 13, 1898:
FORM A WESTERN LABOR UNION.
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Includes All Territory in the United States West
of Mississippi and Canadian Northwest.
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Late yesterday afternoon [May 12th] an organization to be known as the Western Labor union, was formed in this city as a result of the executive conference of the Western Federation of Miners which has been in session here for the last few days. The organization came into existence on the adoption of the following resolution by a vote of 119 to 9:
Be it resolved, by this conference, that a permanent organization is hereby organized by this conference to be hereafter known and designated the “Western Labor union,” having for its object the unification of all labor unions and assemblies east of the Pacific ocean and west of the Mississippi river into one organization, or others not included within these lines who desire to affiliate with it; and to organize all the wage-earners within these lines, whenever possible. To promote the interests of labor by unceasingly working for the establishment of the initiative and referendum in every department of this government. This body shall grant and issue charters under seal to all subordinate unions or assemblies that make application for the same.
This union shall hold its annual conventions on the first Monday of September in such town or city as may be designated by the executive board.
There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Monday March 26, 1906
An Introduction to George Pettibone, Miners’ Hero
From The Miners’ Magazine of November 1901:
From the archives of The Miners’ Magazine, official organ of the Western Federation of Miners, we came across the following introduction to George Pettibone, who now stands accused, along with Charles Moyer and Bill Haywood, of the murder of the ex-governor of Idaho:
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