Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review: Mother Jones and the Silk Mill Strike at Scranton, Pennsylvania

15th June 202115th June 2021 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Quote Mother Jones, St L Lbr, Apr 13, 1901 —————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 15, 1901
Mother Jones Leads Silk Mill Strikers to Victory at Scranton

From the International Socialist Review of June 1901:

The silk weavers’ strike at Scranton, Pa., which was directed by Mother Jones, and which has been pending for many months, was won by the workers, while the strike at Paterson, N. J., was lost, owing largely to the fact that the courts issued an injunction against the women and children, and the police assaulted them for attempting to persuade scabs to refuse to work. “Mother,” besides organizing for the unions, is now putting in some spare time in forming unions of domestic servants.

—————

We have just received the following letter from “Mother Jones,” which we must again offer in place of the promised article. We feel sure that our readers will appreciate the reason for the delay:

Dear Comrades:

I owe you an apology for not writing to you before. You know I had a strike of 4,000 children on my hands for three months and could not spare a moment. If that strike was lost it meant untold oppression for these little helpless things. They came out victorious and gave their masters a good hammering. I could not write a thing for June, but will for July.

I have had a very hard winter’s work, but have done just as much for socialism as if I were writing articles. One very cheering feature is that the cause is growing everywhere. I have been landing plenty of literature In the hands of the boys.

[Drawing of Mother Jones and emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review: Mother Jones and the Silk Mill Strike at Scranton, Pennsylvania” →

Hellraisers Journal: Miss Fanny Cochran and Miss Florence Sanville Investigate Child Labor in Pennsylvania Silk Mills

13th February 20197th October 2023 Janet RayeHellraisers Journal

Mother Jones Quote, Suffer Little Children, CIR May 14, 1915 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday February 13, 1909
Silk Mills of the Pennsylvania Anthracite Region Investigated

From the Everett Labor Journal of February 11, 1909:

DISGUISED AS FACTORY GIRLS

That actual knowledge might be obtained of the conditions in the factories two graduates of Bryn Mawr College prominent in social circles in Philadelphia, Miss Fanny T. Cochran and Miss Florence L. Sanville, found employment in silk mills of the anthracite region of Pennsylvania.

In the itinerary of three weeks these college girls visited sixteen towns, and when the days’ work was done went home with the girls with whom they toiled and got glimpses into their life and the influences that surround them. The project was planned by Miss Cochran and Miss Sanville without consulting their friends.

This work was performed in the interest of the child labor bill, which has been prepared at the instance of the Consumers’ League, of which both young women are members and, of which Miss Sanville is executive secretary.

[Said Miss Cochran:]

What we wanted to get at was these four things: First, the workers; second, the wages paid; third, the hours of employment, and fourth, the environment of the girls in the factory. We visited twenty-eight factories, and in many of them the conditions were very bad.

About 60 per cent of the silk throwing mills are in the Pennsylvania anthracite region, and this is due to the cheap labor obtainable. I could not help being impressed by the youth of most of the girls. Most of them were under twenty years of age.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Miss Fanny Cochran and Miss Florence Sanville Investigate Child Labor in Pennsylvania Silk Mills” →