Tag: July 1917

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

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1917, Part I: Found in Illinois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 17, 1917
Mother Jones News for July, Part I: Blamed for Riot

During the evening of Thursday, July 5th, Mother Jones spoke on behalf of striking street carmen in Bloomington, Illinois. She was blamed for the riot which broke out following her speech.

From The Daily (Bloomington) Pantagraph of July 6, 1917:

MJ, Bloomington IL Riot, Pgr, July 6, 1917
MJ, Bloomington IL Riot 2, Pgr, July 6, 1917

Bloomington this morning is practically under martial law following one of the wildest nights of rioting in its history. Troop G, First Illinois cavalry from Peoria reached the city at 7:30 a. m. over the Big Four under the command of Captain Thomas J. Simpson. There were 58 men and three officers. They proceeded immediately to the B. & N. power house at the intersection of Roosevelt avenue and the Big Four tracks, where they pitched camp.

Several more companies of troops are on their way to Bloomington from Chicago and will reach here about noon……

The “Mother Jones” Meeting.

“Mother” Jones, it is said, closed her address by telling the men “to do something.” With this incentive hundreds of men and women gathered in front of the Eagles hall apparently waiting for a leader….

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little Publishes Anti-War Editorial, Continues Organizing Work with Striking Miners of Butte

Janet RayeFrank Little
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I stand for Solidarity.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 31, 1917
Butte, Montana – Frank Little Stands with Striking Metal Miners

IWWC 1916, Delg Little, ISR Jan 1917, 2

Frank Little, organizer and executive board member of the Industrial Workers of the World, has been in Butte, Montana, since July 18th where he has been active in the strike of the Butte Metal Mine Workers Union-Independent. Although Fellow Worker Little represents the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800, the striking miners of Butte have invited him into their union meetings, and he is respected as one of the leaders of the ongoing strike.

Lately, FW Little has been encouraging not only the striking miners, but the working women of Butte also. The kept press complains that:

Little is now trying to get the Finn women to organize a strike among the laundry workers and chambermaids of the city.[!]

Editorial in Industrial Worker of July 28, 1917:

IWW, Industrial Worker Masthead, Oct 1916

An editorial by Frank Little was published in the most recent edition of the Industrial Worker in which FW Little declares his strong opposition to the war now raging in Europe. Frank Little believes that the only war the workers should involve themselves in is the class the war. This bloody war is one between the capitalists of the warring nations, and does not concern us as workers. Frank declares emphatically:

I stand for Solidarity.

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little & “Agitators” of Butte “Against Everything” Proclaims Company Newspaper

Janet RayeFrank Little
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 25, 1917
Butte, Montana – “Agitators” Support Striking Miners

Metal Miners, Butte MT, Mining Artifacts, date unknown

The Anaconda Standard, voice of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, declared recently that the “agitators” of Butte are “against everything.”

Yet the striking miners have made it quite clear exactly what they stand against-i.e., the blacklist (Rustling Card system), long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions such as led to the deaths of 168 copper miners in the Speculator Mine Fire Disaster just a few short weeks ago.

From the Anaconda Standard of July 23, 1917:

AGITATORS TALKING AGAINST EVERYTHING
—–

A mass meeting for miners of the Butte district, held last evening at the ball park, was attended by about 2,000 men. All the speakers urged the miners to stay out and said the modifications of the rustling card and the weekly pay day announced by the Anaconda Copper Mining company on Saturday should be disregarded.

Joe Shannon made a fiery speech in which he urged every miner to start picket duty today, and he remarked that the Campbell union [Butte Metal Mine Workers Union] had the “number of every miner now working.”

R. L. Dunn, strike leader of the electricians, who had pledged the miners the electricians would not go back to work until the miners were underground, said the papers had called him an I. W. W. and he would admit it.

[Said Dunn:]

This strike is an expression against the form of society which allows a few to control the wealth of the nation and a protest against the system of society which keeps workingmen from enjoying the comforts and good things of life.

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little in Butte, Speaks to 4,000 Striking Metal Miners & Supporters at Ballpark

Janet RayeFrank Little
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 24, 1917
Butte, Montana – Fellow Worker Frank Little Speaks

Frank Little, wiki

Fellow Worker Frank Little arrived in Butte, Montana, on July 18th as a representative of the Industrial Workers of the World. The Butte Metal Mine Workers Union is officially unaffiliated with the I. W. W., and yet, Frank Little, a leader of the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800, was welcomed whole-heartedly by the striking miners and was invited to speak at a mass meeting held on July 19th at the Columbia Garden Baseball Park.

As he spoke, a light rain began to fall. Frank looked upward into the raindrops, raised his hands and remembered the miners left in the New Mexican desert following the Bisbee Deportation:

Oh man, if this rain could only descend upon that bull pen in the hot, sun-parched desert of New Mexico, and bring some relief to the two thousand noble men held there by the uniformed federal thugs, it would be appreciated.

Frank Little closed his speech with a call for Solidarity and Unity, the only means by which the working class can gain liberty from oppression.

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WE NEVER FORGET Frank Thornton Who Gave His Life in Freedom’s Cause at Troy, Montana During July of 1917

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Pray for the dead
And fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WE NEVER FORGET, Frank Thornton, Troy MT, July 1917


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

Fellow Worker Frank Thornton

Organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World

Fellow Worker James Rowan, in his work entitled “The I. W. W. in the Lumber Industry,” described the death of Frank Thornton:

LWIU, IWW Label, Lumber Rowan, ab 1920

Near the end of July there occurred at Troy, Montana, an incident of shocking barbarity. A man named Frank Thornton was arrested in a saloon after a quarrel with the bartender, and the constable took him to the jail, a small wooden structure. According to the statements of by-standers who witnessed the arrest, two Lumber Trust gunmen followed them, and the sound of blows was heard coming from the jail, as if they were giving Thornton a terrible beating. That night the jail was burned down and Thornton, the only prisoner, was burned in it. It is thought by some that Thornton was beaten to death by the constable and gunmen on the afternoon of his arrest, and that the jail was purposely set on fire to cover up the crime. Others claimed that while the jail was burning, they could see Thornton writhing in agony among the flames. This much is certain: the jail burned and either Thornton or his dead body was burned with it. Thornton was beaten to death or burned alive in the jail, and the authorities who arrested him and put him in that jail are responsible for his death.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1917: Found in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 19, 1917
Mother Jones News for June: Organizing in West Virginia

Mother Jones, UMWJ, Feb 10, 1916

Mother Jones was found in West Virginia during the month of June 1917 continuing on the mission to organize the coal miners of that state into the ranks of the United Mine Workers of America.

The United Miner Workers Journal of June 7th had this to say about the organizing campaign in the New River and Winding Gulf field:

Mother Jones, ably assisted by organizers in whom the West Virginia miners have learned to repose the fullest confidence, are active in the field and are making a record of successful organization.

New River and the Winding Gulf field, where but a short time ago a union man could not confess his faith except at the imminent risk of his life, is fairly on the road to solid organization.

A letter from West Virginia printed in the June 28th edition of the Journal describes the miners lining up with the union en masse:

Possibly a few words from this part of West Virginia would not be amiss. Of course, as you know, there has been a local here of several years’ standing, but not until now, of recent date, has there been any united action on the part of the miners themselves, and to cinch it all Mother Jones and Brother L. Dwyer clinch it. All Layland, believe me, turned out en masse, even the county officials, to attend, and general good feeling exists all around. The boys are joining their union and the quickest way seems too slow now since they begin to see the light.

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WE NEVER FORGET: FW James H. Brew who gave his life in freedom’s cause on July 12 1917 at Bisbee, Arizona

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Pray for the dead
and fight like for the living
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WE NEVER FORGET James H Brew, Bisbee AZ, July 12, 1917

—–

Fellow Worker James H. Brew
Card-Carrying Member of the Industrial Workers of the World

WNF James H Brew, Tombstone, d. July 12, 1917

Fellow Worker James H. Brew was a card-carrying member of the Industrial Workers of the World. He was a miner and a boilermaker, and a seasoned veteran of the Cripple Creek Strike of 1903-1904.

During the early morning hours of July 12, 1917, he was asleep at his rooming house when a band of Sheriff Wheeler’s army of deputized gunthugs and citizen vigilantes came to grab him as part of their warrantless round-up of the striking miners and strike sympathizers of Bisbee, Arizona.

Leading this band of kidnappers was Orson P. McRae, shift boss at the Copper Queen Mine and a member of the Loyalty League. McRae was accompanied by five deputized gunthugs.

FW Brew warned the would-be kidnappers not to enter, but with McRae in the lead, they were determined to force their way inside.

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Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportee, Attorney W. B. Cleary, Issues Statement from Hermanas, New Mexico

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 16, 1917
From Hermanas, New Mexico – W. B. Cleary Speaks

Bisbee Deportation Miners and Supporters July 12, 1917

—–

In a statement issued from Hermanas, New Mexico, where the miners and their supporters, deported from the Bisbee district of Arizona, were left stranded at 3 a. m. on July 13, Attorney W. B. Cleary said in part:

About 5 o’clock in the morning of the 12th a rounding-up of the men on strike began. The strikers were members of the I. W. W. and the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Men from Bisbee, Lowell, Warren, and Douglas, and the county adjacent thereto, to the number of 2,200, mostly armed with rifles and revolvers and some with clubs, assisted in the work of the round-up. Some of the miners were treated without any show of violence by the men taking them from their homes, while in other instances the men were forced at the point of a gun to leave their homes, and in many instances their wives and families.

They were herded by gunmen with an automobile which carried a machine gun. This machine gun was trained on the miners….

The men were entrained on twenty-four cars waiting on a siding near the park. Cattle cars and box cars were used for this purpose. About noon the train was started toward New Mexico. On top of each car were a large number of armed guards and along the railroad track for miles the train was accompanied by automobiles with men holding guns fixed upon the railroad cars.

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Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportees Stranded at Hermanas; Governor Appeals to U. S. Authorities for Help

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 15, 1917
Hermanas, New Mexico – I. W. W. Fellow Workers Stranded in Desert

From the Santa Fe New Mexican of July 13, 1917:

Bisbee Deportation, IWW Hermanas, StFe NMxn, July 13, 1917
Bisbee Deportation, IWW US Army, StFe NMxn, July 13, 1917

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportees Stranded at Hermanas; Governor Appeals to U. S. Authorities for Help” →