Hellraisers Journal – Monday April 9, 1900
Mother Jones News Round-Up for January and February 1900
Found in Pennsylvania Receiving “Fervent Ovation” from Arnot Miners
From The Wellsboro Agitator of February 28, 1900:
LOCAL FACTS AND COMMENTS.
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Recent Haps and Mishaps in this County and Its Vicinity.
[…..]
–Arnot miners, who sought work elsewhere after the strike began, are now coming home.
[…..]
–Mrs. Mary Jones, of Pittsburg, the striking miners’ champion, left this county on the 19th instant to go to Toby valley whither she had been summoned. The night before her departure there was a fervent ovation in her honor at the opera-house in Blossburg. Mr. W. B. Wilson, of Blossburg, President of the 5th District United Mine Workers of America, presided and paid Mrs. Jones a glowing tribute. Mrs. Jones’s remarks were very affecting.
[…..]
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[Inset added from Elmira Gazette of October 7, 1899.]
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday January 18, 1900
Arnot, Pennsylvania – Mother Jones Ready to Go to Jail with Striking Miners
From The Wellsboro Agitator of January 17, 1900:
STRIKE SCENES
[…..]
Arrests Made of Those Who Took Part in the Parades
-Mother Jones Again on the Scene.
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The Pittsburg Post December 31, 1899 —–
There was a new phase of the strike at Arnot last week. Some 21 of those who participated in the daily parades were arrested on the charge of “unlawful and tumultuous assembling, and making use then and there of opprobrious epithets, shouts, exclamations and other means calculated to inspire the people with terror, and to intimidate the workmen employed by the Blossburg Coal company and to prevent them from continuing work for same Company.”
The persons arrested appeared before Justice Cambers, being represented by Frank S. Hughes, Esq., of Blossburg, and the attorneys for the prosecution were H. F. Marsh and Major G. W. Merrick, of this borough. All were finally allowed to go on their own recognizance for appearance at court.
Early in the week Mrs. Mary Jones, or “Mother Jones,” as she is called at Arnot, returned to the scene and there was a great demonstration among the strikers who look upon her as their leader. Mrs. Jones blustered a good deal about the breaking up of the parades and stoutly asserted that they would be renewed and kept up. Mr. Thomas Haggerty, another leader, and Mrs. Jones decided to call a meeting of the U. M. W. at Blossburg.
On Tuesday evening a large crowd followed the band from Arnot to Blossburg. Halting on Main street “Mother” Jones, dauntless as Joan of Arc,” gray-haired and loquacious, as she is described, mounted a box and talked about maintaining the parades, and threatened that if one of the paraders was jailed they would have to take all of them, including herself. There were a great many women in the crowd, so an open meeting was held. But later the men who belonged to the order [United Mine Workers of America] held a secret session.
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