The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-01
JARRETT RETIRES
aFreR AN HONORABLE .oAREER
A. President of the An.ls.p,tsd Association Of
Iron Aad Steel Worksrs-Ie is Bauqustsd
and TOastcd-BrlOf Sketch OF Ills
Ereu,fal Life yalOdIetOry Address.


and TOastOd-BrlOf Sketch OF Ills
Erentfal Life yalOdietory Address.
PrrsDURaH, September 30-Last even
ing while Mr.. jarrett was going over tht
final details incident 10 turning over The
affairs Of the office to his successor, few o.
his friends, mainly bis colleagues and asso
ciates in the AmalGamsted Association,
slipped out and arranged little surprise
for him. At o'clock they captured him
at the General Office and escorted him
down to scheldeckers, where sumptuous
banquet had been spread. Mr.. Jarrett sal
at the head OF the table with the new Presi-
dent ofthe Association, Hon. VIM. Weihe,
at the foot Around the board were Secre-
tary Martin, Col. Thomas A. Armstrong
and Thomas Telford, OF the Labor Tribune,
=. S. Wainwright, j. S. Morgan, James
Penny, John Armstrong, P. F. Keeny and
Jacob n. Gusky, Of this city; Capt. W. N.
Lynch, Of Wheeling, John J.. Davis, Of
Sharon, and James Mutt, Richard Millard
and Reese Jones, Of Youngstown, o. After
the solid dainties had received appreciatiye
attention, Secretary Martin proposed the
health Of the retiring President. Mr.. Jar
relt responded, speaking in feeling terms OF
the sympathy and warm cooperation he
had always received from his associates,
alluding hopefully TO what he expected 10
accomplish in his new field OF labor, and
closed with toast TO his successor. Mr..
Weihe responded iittingly, expressing bis
ambition 10 emulate the high example sat
him by his predecessor. With toasts TO the
Amalgamated Association, the press, &C.,
and friendly interchange OF expressions
oil esteem the time was beguiled until near
midnight.
AsKErcH OF Mr.. JARRETT.
John Jarrett, by creed, birth and bust
ness, is man OF iron. He was born within
sound Of the furnace in 1913, in the town
Of Ebbw Vale, in Monmouthshire, on the
southern border OF Wales. His father was
smith and well-to-do. His mother died
when he was s years old, and his father
four years later, leaving him and younger
brother. Up to this time he had attended
the National school OF the town, but with
the death OF his parents the control Of the
boys estate passed into the hands OF their
uncle and within six months young John
was put to work doing odd jobs in the iron
mill. He had no further education, except
that which comes with tho tough expert.
enCe Of earning ones own way in the
world. He had got on so far as 10 DO a
boilers helper in the Ebbw Vale mill
when he made up his mind to emigrate to
America. He was young and strong. He
had read and heard great deal OF the
liberty in the land beyond the sea, and tho
opportunities TO get rich there. So he
came to seek his fortune.
He landed in New York on the 24h OF
May. 1852, with ESQ 10 his pocket. 10 years
old and his trade half learned. He found
his fiNt employment in the old Portage
mill, at Duncanville, Blair county, Pa,
where he completed his trade and got a
furnace as full fsdged boiler. It was
there that his exaggerated notions OF
American liberty, combined with his appe.
tite for apples, led him into the farmers
orchard. At Duncansville he was thrown
in contact with workmen OF the best class
and employers who appreciated the value
OF intelligence in their employees. They
assisted the men TO organize literary So
ciety, for their common improvement. Out
OF this grew Sunday School class for men.
and night school, where were taught the
usual English studies, and in q practical,
though elementary way, the sciences which
bear most intimate relation TO iron-making.
John Jarrett took part in these educational
enterprises and reaped great advantage
from them. He was active in the Sunday
School. The bent oi his mind was strongly
religious. He has for 90 years been an &C.
tive member OF the Congregatloualis
Church, an occasional speaker at religious
meetings, and number Of times has been
pressed 10 study for the pulpit.
After few years at Duncansville he
went to Harrisburg, where he worked in
the Lochiel Iron Works, at first as boiler,
then as rail inspector. In 1867, when his
younger brother came OF age, be returned
10 Ebbw Vale to look after a lawsuit with
their uncle over their patrimoDy. After
three years litigation the estate got in
chancery, and that was the last OF it for the
brothers. He returned to this country in
1870, bringing back with him young
wife, and went to work as boiler in the
mill at Wheatlaud, Mercer county, Pa.
He shortly movedto Sharon, where he has
resided ever since. I
HIS CONNECTION WITH THE RAMALGAMATios.
From this time dates his connection with
the Amalgamated Association, an official
service coequal in length with the existence
ofthat organization. At Wheatland he had
Joined the Sons Of Vulcan, the forerunner,
and in a restricted way the prototype, Of
the Amalgamated Association. Only boil
ersor puddlers belonged TO II. 1t had been
in more or less active existence since 1858.
The heaters and roll hands subsequently
organized unions OF their own. A general
union, called the Amalgamated Associa.
tion, was formed at Pittsburgh in 1875. Mr..
jarrett was chosen Vice President Of the
Sixth District, which includes all mills in
the Shenango and Mahoning valleys and
at Cleveland. Since that time he has held
some official position in the association
constantly, until the expiration OF his sec,
oad full term as President yesterday. It
was In 1878 that he first came into especial
prominence through discussion he had
with George Gnscott, in the columns Of the
National Labor Tribune, on the contract
system, which he strenuously opposed and
which has since been abolished.
Mr.. Bishop resigned the Presidency OF
the Amalgamated Association on New
Years Dly. 1880. and after short interre.