Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “The Case of the Hop Pickers” by Mortimer Downing, Part I

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Quote Shall We Still Be Slaves by ES Nelson, LRSB 1919—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 3, 1913
Wheatland, California – Hop Pickers on Durst Brothers Meet and Issue Demands

From the International Socialist Review of October 1913:

Wheatland Hop Pickers Camp by M Downing, ISR p210, Oct 1913—–Wheatland Hop Pickers Camp, ISR p210, Oct 1913

[Part I of II.]

ACTING on an invitation by Durst brothers twenty-three hundred men, women and children assembled to pick the Durst Brothers’ hops on their 600-acre ranch near the town of Wheatland, California. The posters and newspaper advertisements described the conditions on the Durst ranch as something ideal. All the workers had to do was to pick a few hops, enjoy a picnic and make plenty of money.

Just prior to August 3 these people assembled at the Durst ranch and found the first thing they had to do was to rent a shack or a tent from agents of the owners at the rate of from 75 cents per week up. The first money they earned was deducted to pay this rent. The rentals charged the pickers were in excess of $480 per week for four acres of ground which the state health inspector has described as a “sun-baked flat.” This in itself was a rather tidy profit for the boss.

It was soon found that Durst Brothers had provided only six single toilets for the twenty-three hundred workers. These apologies for modesty were turned over to the women, who used to stand twenty and thirty deep waiting a turn to use these places, while the whole camp looked on. Later it was found, when the men and women swarmed into the fields to pick the hops, that a cousin of the Durst Brothers had the “lemonade privilege.” In order that this thrifty scion of canny stock should have every opportunity to make an honest penny, Durst Brothers would not permit any water to be hauled into the field, nor would they allow the workers to fill bottles from the water wagons which were used in cultivating the crop. Lemonade was sold to the workers at five cents per glass.

Wheatland Hop Pickers Pay Day, ISR p211, Oct 1913

Pay at this hop yard was at the rate of 90 cents per hundred pounds of hops picked with a sliding bonus up to 15 cents, according to the length of time the worker staid on the job. Durst Brothers were particularly urgent that the hops should be absolutely clean of leaves or stems and that only the blooms should be taken. This rigid inspection made the work far slower than in other hop yards.

Conditions were so bad that after one or two days’ work the pickers assembled in meeting and voiced their discontent. They drew up demands for better sanitary conditions, more toilets, that lemons and not acetic acid should be put in the lemonade; that they should have water in the field twice a day, that high pole men be provided to pull down the hops from the poles, and that owing to the strict inspection of the pick that the pay be a flat rate of $1.25 per hundred pounds. This would enable an average worker to earn about $2 per day, out of which he had to pay for his shack and board himself.

These demands were presented to Durst Brothers by a committee. Ralph Durst, testifying before the coroner’s jury, stated that when Dick Ford, the chairman, approached him he “had both his gloves on and that he jocosely slapped Ford across the face.” He then took the demands under consideration. After a time he returned and made evasive promises of remedy of the sanitary conditions, talked a lot about having water in the field and flatly refused to advance the wages. This was on Sunday afternoon, August 3. The workers remained in meeting and were considering the reply of Durst. While they were so assembled Durst telephoned to the nearby town of Marysville for the sheriff and a posse. [to be continued…]

[Emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From International Socialist Review: “The Case of the Hop Pickers” by Mortimer Downing, Part I”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: IWW Army on the Road to Join Fresno Free Speech Fight

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Quote Frank Little, in Fresno Jail, IW p3, Mar 2, 1911———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 6, 1911
I. W. W. Army Hikes Over Siskiyou Pass on Way to Fresno

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of March 2, 1911:

Fresno FSF, IWW Army on the Road, IW p1, Mar 1911

Hornbrook, Cal., February 19.

Fellow Worker [Thomas] Whitehead:

I guess by this time that our “doings” have been given publication to some extent in the capitalist press. We were 150 strong when we left Portland. Now the capitalist papers say that we held up a train, WHICH IS A D–N LIE. All we did was to get into an empty box-car, just as any ordinary stiff, but it was so well managed that no railroad bull or police knew we were in the yards at Portland, until we were well away.

We were met by the police at Albany, Ore., whom we talked to. Told them where we were going, and what we were going to do. One big fellow, mayor, or something, sent the first news to the press of the armed-mob, etc., WHICH WAS ALSO A LIE, as we are all searched every day by our own police. When we got to Junction City (put it on the map) we were met by a mob of respectable citizens, who were armed with guns, pitchforks, cleavers, etc. They boarded the train, and told us not to get off the train, and with the guns pointed in our faces, we just laughed at them. Told them what we were and what we were going to do, using the top of a box-car for a soap box, which made them look very small indeed.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: IWW Army on the Road to Join Fresno Free Speech Fight”

Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett Reports from Rathdrum, Idaho: Jury Selection Completed in Adams Trial

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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 10, 1907
Rathdrum, Idaho – Jury Will Decide Life or Death for Adams

With one jury already unable to decide the guilt or innocence of Steve Adams, Clarence Darrow is once again front and center of this, the second battle, in the fight to save the man’s life. Ida Crouch-Hazlett is also on scene where she is the sole member of the Socialist press reporting on the progress of the trial.

From the Socialist Montana News of November 7, 1907:

STEVE ADAMS JURY COMPLETED
—–
Another Battle in the Class Struggle
Begins at Rathdrum

Special Correspondence.

Rathdrum, Ida., Nov. 5.

Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Socialist, Montana News, Aug 3, 1904

The special venire of 80 men summoned for the Adams trial was exhausted yesterday afternoon, and the judge ordered a second venire of 20 men, which the sheriff engaged to deliver in court this afternoon at 2 o’clock. There are but three peremptories that can be used, one for the state and two for the defense. A number will undoubtedly disqualify as opposed to capital punishment, and still others for prejudice, but even taking this into consideration it was thought that 20 men would be ample from which to complete the jury. The opposition to returning a verdict of guilty where the punishment is death, is more marked in this case than in ordinary ones because of the circumstantial evidence feature in the case. Many jurors lay especial stress on this and say that nothing but direct evidence would induce them to return a verdict that would lead to death penalty.

Opinions Formed.

A great number have been dismissed because of opinions already formed and the admission of prejudice. The venire makes a total of 122 men called on this case. The forming of the jury has been almost as difficult as at Boise. The questions asked are about the same as those at Boise on the part of the defense. Knight makes himself ridiculous by asking local questions that have no bearing on the case whatever, and only show that he thinks he is bound to be suspicious and vents his suspicions in the most foolish and irrelevant ways.

Darrow Shows Ability.

Darrow is evidencing much more mastery in this case than he was able to bring to the front at Boise, and he has done some particularly clever work in a number of instances with jury men. This was particularly noticeable in the case of S. Young, a hotel keeper from Post Falls. This man had acted in the capacity of a minister, was an Englishman, a smooth talker, and gave most quiet, guarded and unobjectionable answers to all questions. After most persistent and penetrating questioning that failed to reveal any attitude of mind that was objectionable, Mr. Darrow turned around and said the man was a puzzle. He asked all interested in the defense what they thought about him. Adams didn’t like the man, and Darrow turned around and went at his questioning in a different manner this time, showing open opposition to the juror. The plan worked to a nicety, and in a few moments Darrow drew from the man that he thought Steve guilty. It was an admirable piece of tactical work.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett Reports from Rathdrum, Idaho: Jury Selection Completed in Adams Trial”

Hellraisers Journal: From Appeal to Reason: Woman Representatives Score Butte & Bisbee, Article by Rosa McKay

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I am not a member of the I. W. W.
or an industrial workers of the world sympathizer
but a woman who believes in
the constitutional rights of every man and woman.
-Rosa McKay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 23, 1917
From the Appeal to Reason: Two Brave Women Speak for Labor

The Appeal to Reason of August 18th featured the opinions of two women elected to represent the people: the first, Miss Jeannette Rankin of the United States House of Representatives, and the second, Mrs. Rosa McKay of the Arizona House of Representatives. Yesterday we featured the speech by Miss Rankin who outlined conditions at Butte. We conclude today with an article by Mrs. McKay who describes recent events in Bisbee.

Butte and Bisbee Outrages Scored
by Brave Woman Representatives

Rosa McKay, WTUL Life and Labor, Nov 1918

…In an article to the Appeal, Mrs. Rosa McKay, member of the Arizona House of Representatives from Bisbee, Cochise county, Arizona, tells of the Bisbee deportation….

By Mrs. Rosa McKay

Member Arizona House of Representatives

For fourteen years I have claimed Bisbee as my home. But after Thursday, the twelfth day of July. I hang my head in shame and sorrow for the sights I have witnessed here. When the full truth about Bisbee reaches the outside world, it will be looked upon with deserved aversion.

In this article I shall give an honest and unbiased statement, from a fair and impartial standpoint, of the labor situation in Bisbee today. I belong to no labor organization or mining corporation. I am merely an onlooker and spectator, and a firm believer in the constitutional rights of all American citizens, whether by birth or naturalization, the rights that our forefathers fought, bled and died for.

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Hellraisers Journal: John F, Tobin, President of Boot and Shoe Workers, Tells of Spies in Labor Unions

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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday October 27, 1906
From the Duluth Labor World: Beware the Pinkerton

SPIES IN LABOR UNION
BONE OF CONTENTION
—–
John F. Tobin Tells How One is Discovered
in Boot and Shoe Workers.
—–
Becomes Active in Strike and Proves to be
Employed as Pinkerton Detective.
—–

John F Tobin, Boot and Shoe Recorder, Oct 25, 1911

In his report made at the convention of the Boot and Shoe Workers’ union recently held at Milwaukee, National President J. F. Tobin had this to say of spies in unions:

In many of our unions, and particularly in the large shoe centers, it is a well known fact that we have members who betray the union, giving out information both truthful and untruthful, which is conveyed to employers, sometimes by one method and again by others.

During my membership in a local union in Rochester, N. Y., in 1890, while the Cox strike was in progress, a stranger came to the city well recommended, and was very active in our meetings, very friendly with everybody and very liberal with his money, and contributed to the funds of the union altogether out of proportion with his small earnings while occasionally employed in one of the factories.

Boot & Shoe Union Label, Constitution 1904

After being in the union quite a number of weeks he became a candidate for delegate to the joint shoe council in the semi-annual election and made an active canvass for election. About this time it was discovered that he was a Pinkerton detective, and upon this information being passed around among the members at the meeting he was elected outside sentinel, from which he took the hint and immediately left the city.

During the last big strike in Haverhill a man giving his name as Ed Loughlin was a avery active and prominent member of the union for some time, and was then discovered to be a Pinkerton detective, when he suddenly disappeared.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: John F, Tobin, President of Boot and Shoe Workers, Tells of Spies in Labor Unions”