Tag: UMW District 17

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia & at Chicago IWW Trial

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Quote Mother Jones, Fear Not Organize, Rkfd Mrn Str p3, Mar 19, 1918
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 19, 1918
Mother Jones News for August 1918, Part I
-Mother Found in West Virginia, Chicago, and Denver

From the United Mine Workers Journal of August 1, 1918:

Mother Jones Fire Eater, St L Str, Small Crpd, Aug 23, 1917

WEST VIRGINIA NEWS

Charleston, W. Va.—A local of about 250 members has been organized at the Wyatt mines near Shinnston, by Mother Jones and President William F. [M.] Rogers of the State Federation of Labor.

Local Union 2839, Kaymoor, has invested $300.24 in War Savings Stamps and donated $25 to the Red Cross.

Board Member Ballantyne, Mother Jones and Organizers B. A. Scott and Joe Angelo held meetings last week at Worthington, Rosebud, Watson, Shinnston and Mt. Clair.

The Eccles miners have made a splendid showing in the purchase of War Savings Stamps. The assigned quota was $34,000, but the miners have pledges $42,000.

Miners and citizens of Longacre in voting precinct No. 3, have pledged $19,460 for War Savings Stamps.

The mining camp of Donwood, with a population of 450, and a local union membership of 160, has pledged $10,420.79 to the purchase of War Savings Stamps.

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part IV: Found Speaking at Mooney Protest in Rockford, Illinois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 25, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part IV: Found in Rockford, Illinois

From The Rockford Daily Register-Gazette of July 26, 1918:

MOTHER JONES, REW, CARBINE
—–

WILL BE SPEAKERS AT UNION LABOR MASS
MEETING SUNDAY AFTERNOON
—–

BIG PARADE IS PLANNED
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

Rockford’s union labor hosts expect many union men from other cities to be here Sunday to take part in the street parade and the mass meeting at Fair Grounds park. The local committees are confident it will be the biggest showing of the kind that union labor has made in Rockford in years.

Lieut. Col. William H. Brogunier will be marshal of the day and John E. Peters will be chairman. Mayor Robert Rew, Mother Jones and Ed Carbine will be the speakers…

The meeting is to be made the occasion of Rockford Union Men’s protest against the sentencing to death of Thomas Mooney as a result of the preparedness parade explosion in San Francisco. Mother Jones will tell about the parade. Mooney has been removed to the California state penitentiary where he awaits execution.

The program will be continued in the evening at People’s park, where it is hoped Mother Jones will find it possible to speak for a few minutes. There will be other speakers. The program for the park will be announced at the close of the Fair Grounds park meeting.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part III: West Virginia Miners’ Scale Convention

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 24, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part III: Found in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of July 25, 1918:

UNION MINERS HOLDING SCALE CONVENTION HERE
—–
Meetings at Willard Hall Are Expected
to Last Several Days.
—–

MOTHER JONES HOT SHOT
—–
W. M. Rogers Makes Plea for Big
Labor Day Celebration.
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

The scale convention for the mines of the Fairmont field which have no contract with the United Mine of America is being held at Willard Hall this week, and opened at 10:30 this morning. The morning session was devoted to the adoption of the call, the filing of credentials and addressees by “Mother” Jones and W. M. Rogers, president of the State Federation of Labor.

Frank Keeney. president of District No. 17…called the meeting to order. P. F. Gaitens [Gatens], international board member for District No. 17, acted as secretary in the absence of Mr. Mooney, who is expected to be here on the morrow…

“Mother” Jones’ address was filled with interesting discussion of social and economic questions, as well as talk on coal mining and union organization.

W. M. Rogers made a plea for a big Labor Day celebration in spite of the fact that coal operators were opposing it. “They argue that a day’s production will he lost. I say that you can work a Sunday or extra hours for several days-that labor is entitled to one big day all its own.”

“Civilization never advances beyond he women.” declared “Mother” in her address to the scale convention. “The great danger is when the hog is developed in the woman instead of the human.”

“Mother” Jones, introduced as the most beloved labor leader in the world by Frank Keeney, president of District No. 17, was discussing the duty that lay before the coal miner delegates assembled for this convention.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part II: Found Organizing in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Some of those parasitical fellows come along
and tell [the miners] they can’t have beer.
I don’t care about the whiskey,
but the boys do need the beer.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 23, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part II: Found in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of July 20, 1918:

U.M.W. ORGANIZERS BUSY IN REGION
—–
Meetings Being Held in Mining Towns
Practically Every Day.
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

United Mine Workers in this section held several meetings yesterday evening giving instruction as to further organization and inspiring miners to produce more coal. W. F. Ray and Sam Ballentyne were in Wilsonburg where they were straightening up an organization which had not been properly organized. B. A. Scott and Joe Angelo were at the Dawson mine in Clarksburg for the same purpose. P. E. Gaiens was at Lumberport yesterday evening looking after interest of the United Mine Workers Association. James Diana and Representatives Peters were at Gypsy.

W. F. Ray, B. A Scott and Organizer Peters will leave tonight to spend a few days at their homes. Mr. Ray is a resident of St. Albans,, W. Va., while Peters and Scott are both from Charleston.

President C. F. Keeney will return to Fairmont tonight from Charleston, where he has been for the past several days.

David Fowler, who has been in the Morgantown section for the past several days assisting in the organisation of miners, returned to Fairmont yesterday.

J. L. Lewis, of Indianapolis, Ind., international [acting] president of the United Mine Workers of America, came to Fairmont last night and paid a visit to the local office of United Mine Workers.

Mother Jones returned to Fairmont yesterday evening.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part I: Found Organizing in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 22, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of July 5, 1918:

MINERS PROVE PATRIOTISM BY WORKING TODAY
—–
Not a Mine in the Region Out of Operation
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

The car supply for the mines along the Monongahela railroad tomorrow will be one hundred per cent.

—–

As a proof that the patriotism of the miners in the Fairmont district is of the 100 per cent. quality every mining property so far as in known is in operation today with full forces in most instances…

This is a remarkable showing for the day following the Independent day holiday. In former years the men used to make a several days’ affair out of the Fourth of July but this year the Fuel administration made a direct to them to go right back to work so that the much needed coal would keep coming in a steady stream and the way they have responded will be gratifying to all interested in keeping p the production records.

Miners’ Picnics.

Fully fifteen hundred people, mostly miners and their families, gathered at Traction park yesterday afternoon for the big all day picnic held there.

The program began shortly after 10 o’clock in the morning with addresses by William M. Rogers, president of the State Federation of Labor, and James Dianna, the latter of Bomer, W. Va. and one of the most prominent labor organizers in the state. He addressed the miners assembled at the park yesterday morning in the Italian language. In the afternoon an address as delivered by Frank Keeney, who is in charge of the United Mine Workers for the seventeenth district.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for June 1918, Part II: Found Organizing in West Virginia

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I am not for peace.
As long as there is a kaiser
either in Europe or America
I am for war to clean him out.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 24, 1918
Mother Jones News for June 1918, Part II: Found in West Virginia

Mother Jones by LS Chumley, ISR Jan 1916

According to the June 25th edition of the Fairmont West Virginian, Mother Jones took a little time off from organizing the miners of West Virginia in order to organize playgrounds for the children of Clarksburg:

Mayor Joe Craddock, of Clarksburg, was a Fairmont visitor yesterday and ran into “Mother” Jones in front of the Traction offices. She touched him up about playgrounds at Clarksburg and he said he was at Fairmont to see the traction people about it but had postponed his talk on account of work. Then she made a strong plea for the kiddies, ending with-

The trouble is that dollars have been regarded as more sacred than the nation’s future.

———-

From the Fairmont West Virginian of June 11, 1918:

“Mother” Jones, in her talk at Haywood Junction Sunday, said:

I am not for peace. As long as there is a kaiser either in Europe or America I am for war to clean him out.

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for June 1918, Part I: Found Organizing in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You can’t build a great nation
on a starved and cursed working class.
The workers are the bone and sinew of the nation.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 23, 1918
Mother Jones News for June 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

Mother Jones was found in mostly in West Virginia during the month of June giving fiery speeches to the miners of that state who are now being rapidly organized into the ranks of District 17 of the United Mine Workers of America. For example, on Sunday June 9th, at Haywood Junction, West Virginia, she declared:

Don’t let the Kaiser know that we have men in West Virginia who will let their bosses kick them around and let their children open the doors in the mines for mules to pass….

There are old fellows around here living in the candle age still. There is a change in the thought of the world but these poor fellows can’t see it. This nation can make dollars any time it wishes but men and women cannot be turned out so easily and it takes nourishment, training and character to produce them. The clouds are breaking and the sun is beginning to shine for the workers. Labor went into this war to bring democracy to the world. You can’t build a great nation on a starved and cursed working class. The workers are the bone and sinew of the nation.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for May 1918, Part II: Found in St. Louis, Missouri and Grafton, West Virginia

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Let me see you wake up and fight.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 23, 1918
Mother Jones News for May 1918, Part I: Gives Long Interview in St. Louis

From the St Louis Post-Dispatch of May 13, 1918:

Mother Jones Interview, St L Pst Dsp p3, May 13, 1918

Valiant Champion of the Workers Pink of Cheek
at 88 and Wears a Fussy Little Bonnet.
—–
Objects to Women Doing Heavy War Time Work;
Opposes Suffrage, Knitters Rile Her.
—–

BY MARGUERITE MARTYN.

Mother Jones Drawing St L Pst Dsp p3, May 13, 1918

I WOULD like to have had a union card to show. I was glad I was conversant with the after-the-war platform of the British Labor Party as voluminously printed in the Post-Dispatch, and that I could profess full faith in the justice of trade unionism, when I went to call on Mother Jones. As it was, I came out of the interview with the valiant little 88-year-old labor champion comparatively unscathed, though I sat meekly silent while her scorching tongue excoriated many institutions I have at least looked upon with toleration.

Women in war industries supplanting men, she had little patience with.

[She said:]

I see them climbing over engines with their oil cans. I see them pumping levers on street cars; I see them pushing heavy trucks of munitions, and I think, what of the future generation? Woman’s nervous organism is not equal to such work. One of the principles of trade unionism is that women shall work under conditions that will safeguard to the utmost their bodily welfare.

Woman suffrage she dismissed with equal scorn.

Women vote in Colorado and what have they done to improve industrial conditions? After the riots at Trinidad and 20 women and children were laid out in the morgue, committees of ladies came and looked over the scene, and they said, “Too bad, too bad!”

They knew the murder of these innocents, whose men were fighting only for the right to work and earn their bread, had been authorized by the [Democratic] Governor they had helped to put in power. They did not criticise the Governor and some of the women were in the militia that committed the crimes.

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Hellraisers Journal: West Virginia Vagrancy Law Targets Striking Coal Miners, No Penalty for Lock-Outs

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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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, Saturday February 2, 1918
State of West Virginia – Targets Strikers with Vagrancy Law

From the Duluth Labor World of January 26, 1918:

STRIKERS ARE TERMED LOAFERS
—–
West Virginia Law Makes Idle Men Subject
to Arrest for Vagrancy.
—–

WV Miners Strike, Gunthugs, Labor World, Sept 1, 1917

WHEELING, W. Va., Jan 24-Men who go on strike in West Virginia are liable to arrest for vagrancy under the new vagrancy law rushed through the last special session of the legislature. The law provides, under penalty of arrest and sentence for vagrancy, that able-bodied men, between the ages of 16 and 60, must be employed in some lawful, useful and recognized business or occupation whereby they may earn a sufficient income to support themselves and those legally dependent upon them.

A number of strikers already have been arrested under new law. The restlessness of organized labor in West Virginia is conceded to be the impelling force that necessitated an extraordinary session of the legislature to pass this law.

[Says a West Virginia labor official:]

Under the guise of attacking the loafer, the state legislature created the most effective instrument for the breaking of strikes.

The sinister aspect of the law is to be seen in the fact that no penalty is provided for the man who withholds work from others eager for the opportunity to earn. Lockouts are legal, while strikes are criminal.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1917, Part II: Found in West Virginia & Washington, DC

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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 18, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part II: Organizing West Virginia

From the United Mine Workers Journal of July 12, 1917:

The following was published as an advertisement in the The Beckley (West Virginia) Messenger of July 10, 1917, but without the final paragraph.

“Mother” Jones’ Refreshing Experience

Mother Mary Harris Jones, Decatur Herald IL, May 14, 1916

“Mother” Jones had a most refreshing experience at a great meeting of the miners at Quinnimont, West Virginia, on the 14th day of June. The Layland mines, where the meeting was held, is owned by the Berwin-White Coal Company, and a large number of men are employed at this place. It is in the very heart of the mountainous New River coal fields. In the years gone by this section has been a veritable Gibraltar of the foes of unionism, and armed guards have patrolled the works of the companies looking for those who were trying to carry the message of unionism to the miners of this section. Happily, this condition has passed away in many parts of this field, and the private gunman is being driven farther and farther back into the remote mountain fastnesses.

The refreshing part of the Layland meeting was the manner and spirit in which Mr. O. A. Kneer, the superintendent of the Berwin-White Coal Company received the visit of “Mother” Jones. Instead of following the tactics of some of the less enlightened companies and forbidding “Mother” holding a meeting at the mines, he told the miners to go to the meeting, and was present himself. After the meeting was over he said it was one of the best addresses he had ever heard. Having an open mind and the spirit of fair play, he was ready to meet the miners half way and deal with them as men with rights.

If all the coal companies were enlightened enough to show the same spirit, the coal fields of the country would not so often be the scene of bitter industrial struggles. Mr. O. A. Kneer, by his fairness and good will, has done much to bring peace between the miners and operators in that section. His attitude is commended to the companies who think to crush the miners by private armies of gunmen. There is nothing that appeals to the average miner so much as fair play.

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