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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday January 7, 1902
Mother Jones News Round-Up for December 1901, Part I
Found in Old Virginia Organizing Miners for U. M. W. of A.
From the Wilkes-Barre Daily News of December 2, 1901:
NONE WILL GO.
One of the agents who has been endeavoring to secure miners to go to Stonege [Stonega, near Norton] , Va., told a reporter Saturday that his mission was unsuccessful. Not one miner of ability consented to go.
Mother Jones is now at Stonege organizing the miners. She is not meeting with much success, but the fiery little woman never knew defeat.
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[Photograph added.]
From the Reynoldsville [Pennsylvania] Star of December 4, 1901:
Mother” Jones Friday Night.
“Mother” Jones, of Chicago, organizer for the U. M. W. of A., will deliver an address in Centennial hall Friday evening of this week, December fifth, in the interests of the Trades Unions of Reynoldsvllle. Everybody is invited to attend this meeting, as it will be a public meeting.
From The Richmond Dispatch [Virginia] of December 4, 1901:
MINERS’ STRIKE AT NORTON.
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The Situation in Wise County…WISE, VA. , December 2.-(Special.)-The strike at the mines of the Norton Coal, Company, Norton, Va., still continues. One hundred and fifty men are out.
The strike is said to have been caused by the action of the superintendent in discharging several employees who had joined the recently-organized union at that/mine.
A general strike in this section of the coal-fields is thought to be imminent. It is almost the sole topic of conversation around the mining towns. It is said that the operators at the other mines will dispute the right of the miners to organize, as the Norton Coal Company has done.
On the other hand, the general meeting of the union at Huntington, W. Va., ratified the Norton strike, thus showing their determination to organize in these fields.
In view of these facts, it. is hardly probable that a strike can be avoided…
From the Reynoldsville [Pennsylvania] Star of December 11, 1901:
“Mother” Jones, the labor organizer, who was to have delivered an address in Centennial hall last Friday evening, was called to Old Virginia on account of labor troubles there and could not come to this place. Thomas Haggerty said to representative of THE STAR that he expected to arrange to have “Mother” Jones come to Reynoldsvllle the latter part of this month.
From Virginia’s Clinch Valley News of December 13, 1910:
Big Strike Coming
[Editorial]It is said by those who ought to know, that a strike of extensive proportions is being planned in West Va and Southwestern Virginia, to take place in the near future. There are indications of it in nearly every mining town in the coal fields. The United Mine Workers’ agents are to be seen moving quietly around, and among the miners, and conventions and meetings, public and private, are held. It is said that the miners are better organized now than they have been before in the history of their organization. There is already a small strike on at Norton, and it is thought at other points on the Clinch Valley Division, strikes will occur within the next sixty days. It is to be hoped that these rumors are false, and indications misleading. A strike in this section now would prove extremely hurtful The price of coal, already too high, would be advanced, and the hardships and burdens of the poor increased.
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Note: emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCES
Quote Mother Jones WV Miners Conditions, ISR p179 , Sept 1901
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/isr/v02n03-sep-1901-ISR-gog-Princ.pdf
Wilkes-Barre Daily News
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
-Dec 2, 1901, p8
https://www.newspapers.com/image/168882455/
The Star
(Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania)
-Dec 4, 1901, p5
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87078321/1901-12-04/ed-1/seq-5/
-Dec 11, 1901, p5
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87078321/1901-12-11/ed-1/seq-5/
The Richmond Dispatch
(Richmond, Virginia)
-Dec 4, 1901, p4
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038614/1901-12-04/ed-1/seq-4/
Clinch Valley News
(Tazewell, Virginia)
-Dec 13, 1901, p2
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85034357/1901-12-13/ed-1/seq-2/
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Drawing, SDH p4, Mar 9, 1901
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/social-democratic-herald-us/010309-socdemherald-v03n38w140.pdf
See also:
Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for November 1901
Part I: Found in Huntington, West Virginia, at State Miners’ Convention
Part II: U. M. W. A. Organizing Drive of West Virginia Miners Continues
Mother Jones Remembers the Strike at Norton VA:
Autobiography of Mother Jones, Kerr, 1925
(See also notes by Fred Thompson from 1990 edition.)
https://archive.iww.org/history/library/MotherJones/autobiography/3/
Chapter 3-A Strike in Virginia
It was about 1891 [1901] when I was down in Virginia. There was a strike in the Dietz mines and the boys had sent for me. When I got off the train at Norton a fellow walked up to me and asked me if I were Mother Jones.
“Yes, I am Mother Jones.”
He looked terribly frightened. “The superintendent told me that if you came down here he would blow out your brains. He said he didn’t want to see you ‘round these parts.”
“You tell the superintendent that I am not coming to see him anyway. I am coming to see the miners.”
As we stood talking a poor fellow, all skin and bones, joined us.
“Do you see those cars over there, Mother on the siding?” He pointed to cars filled with coal.
“Well, we made a contract with the coal company to fill those cars for so much, and after we had made the contract, they put lower bottoms in the cars, so that they would hold another ton or so. I have worked for this company all my life and all I have now is this old worn-out frame.” We couldn’t get a hall to hold a meeting. Every one was afraid to rent to us. Finally the colored people consented to give us their church for our meeting. Just as we were about to start the colored chairman came to me and said: “Mother, the coal company gave us this ground that the church is on. They have sent word that they will take it from us if we let you speak here.”
I would not let those poor souls lose their ground so I adjourned the meeting to the four corners of the public roads. When the meeting was over and the people had dispersed, I asked my co-worker, Dud Hado [John “Dad” Haddow], a fellow from Iowa, if he would go with me up to the post office. He was a kindly soul but easily frightened.
As we were going along the road, I said, “Have you got a pistol on you?”
“Yes,” said he, “I’m not going to let any one blow your brains out.”
“My boy,” said I, it is against the law in this county to carry concealed weapons. I want you to take that pistol out and expose a couple of inches of it.”
As he did so about eight or ten gunmen jumped out from behind an old barn beside the road, jumped on him and said, “Now we’ve got you, you dirty organizer. They bullied us along the road to the town and we were taken to an office where they had a notary public and we were tried. All those blood-thirsty murderers were there and the general manager came in.
“Mother Jones, I am astonished,” said he. “What is your astonishment about!” said I. “That you should go into the house of God with anyone who carries a gun.”
“Oh that wasn’t God’s house,” said I. “That is the coal company’s house. Don’t you know that God Almighty never comes around to a place like this!”
He laughed and of course, the dogs laughed, for he was the general manager.
They dismissed any charges against me and they fined poor Dud twenty-five dollars and costs. They seemed surprised when I said I would pay it. I had the money in my petticoat.
I went over to a miner’s shack and asked his wife for a cup of tea. Often in these company-owned towns the inn-keepers were afraid to let me have food. The poor soul was so happy to have me there that she excused herself to “dress for company.” She came out of the bedroom with a white apron on over her cheap cotton wrapper.
One of the men who was present at Dud’s trial followed me up to the miner’s house. At first the miner’s wife would not admit him but he said he wanted to speak privately to Mother Jones. So she let him in.
“Mother,” he said, “I am glad you paid that bill so quickly. They thought you’d appeal the case. Then they were going to lock you both up and burn you in the coke ovens’ at night and then say that you had both been turned loose in the morning and they didn’t know where you had gone.”
Whether they really would have carried out their plans I do not know. But I do know that there are no limits to which powers of privilege will not go to keep the workers in slavery.
[Emphasis added.]
Correspondence of Mother Jones for December 1901
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
U of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
(Note: for names, see index, or bio section of Steel’s MJ Speeches.)
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ2xAAAAIAAJ
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435
-pages 17-19 (68 of 415) for Correspondence of Nov 1901:
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735057897435/viewer#page/68/mode/2up
From Mother Jones at Sewell, West Virginia to John Mitchell:
Sewell West Virginia
Monday 12/2/01My dear Mr Mitchell
I have hesitated to add to your already heavy burden let me tell you I am not surprised West Virginia has not been organized.
I have well grounded suspicions that Boskill is in the hands of our enemies. It would be to the best interest of the organization to move him at once. for several months I have watched him without anyone knowing that I had any suspicions nor do anyone know it now I cannot go over the field here in this letter to you. I thought that good motherly council might keep him on the right track but some natures are rotton to the core here is one
We had a fine meeting yesterday John went to Arbuckle this morning he is one of Gods noble boys
I leave for Norton tomorrow with some regrets as the work here needs me for another month then I could go way and stay. Keep up courage everything will be alright and Virginia will be with us. the boys are responding noblely
Sincerely fraternally yours in the Cause
Mother
To Mother Jones from Thomas Haggerty at Reynoldsville PA:
Reynoldsville Pa
Dec the 9 1901Der Mother Jones
I write to inform you that I had hoped by this tim you would have been able to have made your way to Reynoldsville according to both telegrams and letters I made arrangements for you to speak and you would have had a rousing meeting but unfortenly you was Debared from coming. now Mother Jones you will not be able to do much until after the Holladays and I hope you will see your way clear to com here about Christmas time if so let me know. I don think I will return to W Va til after new years. Com if you can as these People is anishius for you aspishely the textile workers.
Hoping to here from you within the next few days I am yours Verry trouly
Thomas Haggerty
[Member UMWA Executive Board from PA.]
Write soon
To Mother Jones at Coeburn VA from John Mitchell at Scranton PA:
St. Charles Hotel, Scranton, Pa.,
December 11,Mother Mary Jones
Coeburn, Va.
My dear Mother:Your letter reaches me at Scranton, where I am attending the convention of the American Federation of Labor. As I am very busy I shall not attempt to reply at great length.
I received a letter from John [most likely Haddow] telling me about [Samuel] Boskill. I wired Chris [Evans] telling him to change Boskill from the District in which he was employed and place some one else there to help John while you are absent. I thank you very much for keeping me informed of the true condition of affairs and of the actions of those who are remiss in their duty. Just as soon as I can get at it I shall displace Boskill altogether; to say the least he is a very unsatisfactory field worker.
Trusting that your mission in the Norton District will prove helpful in terminating the strike now on there, I am, with best wishes,
Yours truly,
[John Mitchell]
President U. M. W. of A.P. S. I met our friend Mailley [William Mailly, Socialist] here and had a brief but pleasant conversation with him.
[Emphasis added.]
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She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain -Ken Carson and the Choraliers