The Labor enquirer., 1884-12-13
a HERO in HU lBLE LIFE
Sketch d 1 Silent but mort zisctivs
Worker ior the zmancipa-
tiun uf Labor.

L a. j. Starkweather, pioneer Of this coast
in moro respects than one, died In this city
on Saturday last, after suffering several years
from consumption contracted in the Nevada
mines. He was born in Buffalo in 1888, and
came to San francisco early in the 'tfifties. =
He has been most actively identified with
labor movements in this city for several
years; he was always ready to do the most
disagreeable and thankless work In that
cause. He was an humble hero and true
martyr. Incapable as he was Of hard work,
of limited education, and compelled to fol
low the lowly occupation Of peddling sta
tionery for subsistence, he has given with
| in the last seven years several hundred dol
lars in cash and an lncalculable amount Of
time to the distribution OF tracts and news
papers in the interest of labor.
When the ssW Workingmen's'' movement OF
1877 commenced, he carried around placards
announcing the meeting, ETC., for which he
was several times arrested. This was be-
fore Kearny commenced agitating. He
pursued the same course In regard to that
movement, with similar results to himself
until he saw the character of some of its
leaders. It is estimated that not less than
50, 900 tracts, pamphlets and papers advocat-
| ing radical views on labor questions have
been distributed in this city through the
energy and selfsacrifcing devotion Of this
one poor and sick man!
He is perhaps best known In connection
with the boycotting of certain shoe stores in
1882, just before and after the passage Of the
Chinese Restriction law. He stood on the
street in front of the stores handling
dodgers" to people passing, which simply
stated the fact that tat such-and-such a store
Cninese-made goods were sold. 1 He was ar
rested seventeen times on these and other
occasions, being several times imprisoned,
though he had violated no law and was uni
formly courteous. The police commissions
ers who thus became thecowardly and brutal
hounds of the Chinese Six Companies and
Others, for these most nnjustiiable acts
alone, should be hurled from the offices
which they hold in defiance of the first prin-
lcipIes of free government, Notwithstanding
his action in this matter was intended to
and did benefit shoemakers as class and
probably aided materially in the passage OF
the restriction law, he was bitterly de
nounced in their trade union and in no-wise
sustained by them as a body, this being one
among many instances Of the characteristic
ingratitude of workingmen's organizations.
| While firm in his convictions and actions,
he was invariably cool, quiet, and conciliat.
/ ing in his demeanor-an embodiment of the
old Latin maxim: Suaviter in modo, sed
| fortiter in re. @H Il. ,.s-.ss5#..55
Almost his last public work was the publ.
cation, in connection with S. R. Wilson, OF
a pamphlet entitled Evolution or Reyolu-
tlon,' defining the principles of Socialism
This cost him 800. besides time, for which
he received very little return. Recently
Messrs. j. W. Lowell, Of New York, have
published an edition of 35, 600 of this book.
On Monday last there was an open meet.
ing of the Progressive assembly, Knights OF
Labor, on the occasion of his death, at which
appropriate remarks on his heroic. life were
made by Messrs. s. R. Wilson, ]. F. B.
Ruddinger, T. F. Hagerty, VIM. Herbert
R. A. Gilbride, James B. johnson, Hermann
Strahle, S. 81. Redstone, W. G. Owen and
B. G. Haskell, all of whom but one or two
had been associated with him In the noble
work to which he devoted so many years Of
his life.-San francisco Sar.