Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 20, 1904
Near Trinidad, Colorado – Chris Evans, U. M. W Official Assaulted, Seriously Injured
From The Topeka Daily Capital of March 16, 1904:
THE EVANS ASSAULT. ———- Officials of Mine Workers Express Great Indignation.
Chris Evans, 1890
Indianapolis, Ind., March 15.-At the national headquarters of the United Mine Workers indignation was expressed over the assault in Colorado of Chris Evans. Evans is nearly 60 years of age and despite his long service in various official capacities with the miners, he has never been before assaulted. He was editor of the United Mine Workers Journal in this city for several years and served as national statistician of the organization. Prior to being sent to Colorado last November by the executive board he had charge of the disbursement of funds in West Virginia to the strikers. He is the third official of the United Mine Workers who recently has been assaulted in Colorado. The other two men who were assaulted and seriously injured were W. R. Fairley, member of the national executive board from Alabama, and James Mooney, member of the national executive board from Missouri.
Pueblo, Col., March 15-Chris Evans, financial agent of the United Mine Workers, who was assaulted yesterday near Trinidad, today gave the authorities a clue which they are investigating in the form of an anonymous letter sent to Wm. Wardon [Wardjon], national organizer, Mr. Evans and others, warning him and the other officials to leave the camp within two days. The letter also referred to “Mother” Jones and was signed “33.”
No attention was paid to it at the time, but Mr. Evans now thinks it a part of a well-formed plot to kill the officials
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday December 20, 1900 Mother Jones News Round-Up for November 1900, Part IV Found Standing with Silk Mill Strikers of Wilkes-Barre and Carbondale
From the Wilkes-Barre Daily News of November 27, 1900:
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.
Mother Jones is in the best of health and spirits and feels elated over the success of the miners’ strike. She is an intelligent woman, and despite the fact that many disagree with her on questions agitating the public mind, they must acknowledge that she is a very clever woman. Mrs. Jones was interviewed yesterday afternoon at Hotel Hart by a News reporter. Among other things she said:
The employes of the Hess-Goldsmith mill sent for me and this evening they will come to my hotel and we will have a conference. From what I can learn the women, boys and girls, have just cause to complain. They are treated something similar to the children at the Freeland silk mills. There one boy received one cent per hour and worked 13½ hours per day. Do you wonder why the employes complain? It is not unusual to see a boy or girl prematurely aged. What is the reason? It is plain to be seen. These little ones are driven from daylight till dawn by a crowd of slave drivers who have not the slightest conception of the honor or respect due womankind. The factories steal from the parents the most desirable jewel, the light, the joy of the home-those bright faced little children. There was a time-I am sorry to say that it is fast disappearing-that she first thing asked a child in the morning by the mother was: “Dear, do you know your lessons?” But this is changed now to, “You must work hard and earn a few cents to-day.”
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 27, 1900 Hazleton, Pennsylvania – Mitchell Declares Victory in Great Coal Strike
From the Philadelphia Times of October 26, 1900:
Special Telegram to THE TIMES.
HAZLETON, October 25.
The great coal strike is a thing of the past.
President Mitchell, at 8 o’clock this evening, issued a statement calling the miners to return to work at all operations where the strikers’ demands have been met. The statement follows:
Temporary Headquarters of the United Mine Workers of America, Hazleton, Pa., October 25, 1900.
To the Miners and Mine Workers of the Anthracite Region.
Gentlemen: After carefully canvassing the entire strike situation, we, your officers, district and national, have concluded that your victory is so nearly complete that no good end can be served by continuing the strike longer. The contest has been in progress for thirty-nine days and the companies employing you have, with few exceptions, signified their willingness to pay the scale of wages formulated by the Scranton convention of October 12 and 13.
We are aware that some disappointment and dissatisfaction has been caused by the failure of the operators in Districts No. 1 and 7 to separate the reduction in the price of powder from the advance in wages; but after careful inquiry we are satisfied that each mine employe will actually receive an advance of ten per cent. on the wages formerly paid. In the Schuylkill and Lehigh regions the largest companies have agreed that the sliding scale should be suspended; and that wages should remain stationary at ten per cent. until April 1, 1901, thus removing one of the iniquities of which you have complained for many years.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 13, 1900 Mother Jones News Round-Up for September 1900, Part II Found in Pennsylvania Supporting Great Anthracite Strike
From The Philadelphia Inquirer of September 21, 1900:
POLISH WOMEN ATTACK POLICE —————
From a Staff Correspondent.
HAZLETON, Pa., Sept. 20.-Outside of a little flurry this morning at Shaft 40, the property of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, between a half dozen coal and iron police and a crowd of two hundred Hungarians and Polish women, the most startling thing up to noon was the arrival in Hazleton of Wharton Barker, Jr., and Mother Mary Jones. The former came up for a day’s trip only, to study the situation from the standpoint of a student, of social economics and in its political bearing; the latter will remain over until Saturday to rest up after her speech-making of the last week or so, which has worn down her voice to a whisper.
The trouble at Shaft 40, was directly due to the over officiousness of the coal and iron police in going from house to house to collect boys to work in the breakers. They had gathered in about fifty, and were returning to the shaft by way of East Diamond avenue, when a couple of hundred Hungarian women made a dash to rescue the lads. They were repulsed but made another sortie. There was some torn clothing, but nothing worse. The women got the better end of the conflict, as the discomfited officers were not able to corral more than a dozen of the lads, for duty at the colliery.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 13, 1910
Mother Jones News Round-Up for January 1910, Part II:
-Found in Indianapolis Speaking at Mine Workers’ Convention
From The Indianapolis Star of January 25, 1910:
From Hellraisers Journal of January 29, 1910
-Indianpolis, Indiana – Mother Jones Speaks to Her Boys:
From The Indianapolis News of January 26, 1910:
Mother Jones Speaks.
After music by the Lianelly Royal Welsh choir, which was applauded with a warmth that showed thorough appreciation. President [Thomas L.] Lewis introduced Mother Jones, who misses no convention of the miners. Mother Jones arraigned capital and set forth the claims of labor to better treatment. She referred to the anthracite strike and the Colorado strike.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday January 30, 1910
Indianpolis, Indiana – Mother Jones Speaks at Mine Workers’ Convention
From Stenographic Report of Convention by Mary Burke East:
[Eighth Day-Wednesday, January 26th, Morning Session]
President [Thomas L.] Lewis—We have with us this morning a person who has visited our convention for a number of years, and who is probably known to a great number of the delegates present. To those who have worked in the non-union districts Mother Jones needs no introduction. To those who have attended our conventions for a number of years she needs no introduction. To the new delegates who are here I may say she has done a great deal of work for this organization, especially during strike periods. I take pleasure in presenting to you Mother Jones.
[Mother Jones]-Mr. President and Fellow Workers—The struggle of the workers down the ages has been that of blood; it has been that of hunger. Today the struggle is reaching its final crisis. The forces are lined up against us. Today we are waiting for the last great battle of man with man, and when this battle is over humanity will be free, there will be no robber class and no working class. I heard a speaker who represented the steel industry portray the conditions of the workers in his organization. It is well to consider where we stand today. We are up against a condition unknown to the industrial bodies of this nation in its past history. Go over to China and you will find 20,000 men working in one mill alone, and for his work each one receives 7 cents a day. You can see they have almost crushed out the organization of steel workers, and they are reaching out to crush other organizations. Therefore it is necessary for us to unite our forces. I agree with the Vice-President of this organization and with the president of Illinois that the time is here when the steel workers, the mine workers and the railroad men must join hands and say to the pirates of the human race that they can no longer rob us and murder us.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday January 29, 1910
Indianpolis, Indiana – Mother Jones Speaks to Her Boys
From The Indianapolis News of January 26, 1910:
UNIONS OF MINERS TO WORK TOGETHER —– U. M. W. of A. Adopts Report of Joint Committee Advocating It. ——
[…..]
Indianapolis Star of January 25, 1910
The adoption of the report of the joint committee representing the United Mine Workers of America and the Western Federation of Miners, that had, in accordance with previous action by the convention, drawn up an agreement for a closer connection between the two organizations, was one of the important matters at this morning’s session of the United Mine Workers of America, in annual meeting in Tomlinson hall. The report, among other advised the co-operation of the organizers of the two unions in organizing the non-union coal miners and metal miners in every section of the American continent. The recommendations of the joint committee must next be referred to the Western Federation of Miners……
Mother Jones Speaks.
After music by the Lianelly Royal Welsh choir, which was applauded with a warmth that showed thorough appreciation. President [Thomas L.] Lewis introduced Mother Jones, who misses no convention of the miners. Mother Jones arraigned capital and set forth the claims of labor to better treatment. She referred to the anthracite strike and the Colorado strike.
She spoke of the financeering ability of the woman that attends to the purchasing for a large family and said such a woman does not get the credit she deserves. She criticised the National Civic Federation and said she would rather die in jail than to die eating a meal with the civic federation.
She said she was going to Milwaukee to organise the girls in the breweries and then she was going to St. Louis and then she was going to the anthracite field to “start another war if you don’t move up.”
She said she was in favor of the destruction of jails and turning them into school houses, and making the jailers “do an honest day’s work.”
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: Thursday September 7, 1916 International Socialist Review: George P. West on Minnesota Strike
THE MESABA STRIKE
By GEORGE P. WEST
The following are extracts from a report on the strike of iron miners now in progress on the Mesaba range in northern Minnesota which has been submitted to the Committee on Industrial Relations by George P. West, author of the report of the United States Commission on Industrial Relations on the Colorado strike. It is based on a field investigation.
The City of Duluth, the County of St. Louis, and the State of Minnesota, as represented by Governor Burnquist and other public officials, have joined hands in a relentless effort to crush out the strike of 15,000 iron miners now in progress on the Mesaba range, 70 miles north of Duluth.
With the support and good will of the United States Steel Corporation and affiliated interests as the stake, Governor Burnquist, Sheriff John R. Meining of Duluth, County Prosecutor Green and the Duluth Chief of Police are playing at ducks and drakes with the most sacred rights of the foreign workmen who mine the ore that goes down to the ships at Duluth for shipment to the Pittsburgh mills.
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, Thursday August 31, 1916
Mesabi Range, Minnesota – “Injustices, Large and Small”
From The Outlook of August 30, 1916:
THE MINING STRIKE IN MINNESOTA
-FROM THE MINERS’ POINT OF VIEW
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE OUTLOOK
[Report of Mary Heaton Vorse, Part II]
Under the contract system, the miner contracts to mine ore for a certain price a car load. The price of this car-load may be, and is, varied at any time according to the conditions encountered. It is the mine captain who fixes the price. According to the miners, it has been the custom to sell the best places for prices varying from the virtue of the miners’ wives and daughters to presents of drinks and cigars. So universal is this custom that any reference to the graft of the captain is received in any meeting of miners by laughter and applause.
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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.
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