Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-08

TlnE TWO NApEKs.
aY sn acquaintance OF 10 who
lives 1lon, o., ans hiss ioug h,d
n persona 'meCy Win Mr r. "
Powderly, nov nrouinnt aafMa tho
country, dropped ..1 10y Dilct uRr-
Ing GAZETTE reader. ia mind,
asked him TO tell me something about
the grand master Of the Knights o. labor
from a personal standpoint This lswlIst
he said
'tprlor to the great strike OF 1877, Mr.,
Powderly WAS unknown. Ills fame had
birth in that stormy time. When the
blood OF industrial Scranton was nc fever
heat one summers afternoon and the
state was agloW with passion from end
to end, young, earnest mechanic, with
the CRIME OF the shops and his clothes
and his dinner pail in his hand, might be
seen giving counsel 20 group OF sad
aud determined looking workmen on o
street corner In Scranton. He spoke
after plain blunt fashion There was
sincerity Ia his speech aud justice In his
| opinions, and he was listened TO
attentively. Mr.. Powdorly was born
IN Carbondale, Pa, on the
92d OF January, lsi9. He
| received o common school education and
served q seyen-year apprenticeship at the
| machinist's trade. Hle spare time was
devoted to mechanical engineering and
drawing, IN Nhsh He took deep inter-
cat and succeCded IN becoming proficient,
| At the age Of nineteen he removed to
| Scranton, whore he joined the Black
smiths and Machinists' union and was
chosen president OF tho local branch. He
| Joined the knights OF Labor ten years
ago and is now serving as It's president
for the seventh or eighth consecutive
term. TO his executive skill as an or
ganlzer the order Is mainly indebted for
It's increase Of membership ana its pres
emit commanding position as Il factor IN
the Industrial affairs Of the country,
"He IL an entertaining conversational
ist, bright, strong and humorous writer,
During the ilrst years Of his connection
with the labor movement Mr.. POwderly
suffered much from cruel system OF
| blacklisting, which drove him from shop
10 shop and from town 10 town In search
| OF work Il was good mechanic ne
said In referring to the matter some
time ago. Il was sober, was attentive,
and Wherever went my work gave salts
faction, but just as soon as y became
| known that | was Knight OF LABOR was
blacklistcd, aud my employer Invariably
| told me be was sorry TO part with me, but
there was no alternative Mr. Powder
lly's home life is model Of cOntentment,
his wife Is a bright, cheerful, intelligent
! little woman OF Il sunny disposition, and,
although there are many Weather dwell
| ings In the United States than theirs, lew
are happier.p
'fYou know something about H. NJ.
| HOxie, too, do you not2"
III used 10 know the man who IL Jay
! Gould's present mouth.piece against
Powderly quite well aoxic was born OF
poor parents out 81 Polk county, Iowa,
! at time when immigration was pouring
I into that state at lively rate. A man by
the name OF Mitchell, who kept country
store about ten miles from Des MONIES,
became Interested in the boy, who soon
showed himself bright, active and intelli.
GENT. Mitchell also owned a hotel OF
which Hoxie became hostler, and as Hucn
| was thrown into close contact WIN the
many hundreds Of people who put up al
Mitchell's tavern on their way west
About the beginning OF tho war the boy
thus trained had grown 10 MANHOOD, anu
bv the assistance Of his employer had en-
tered local politics, being elected 70 o
county office, and la this as ~ MS
previous employment had shown him
self 70 be bright and capable
man. lie made himself useful 70 me
party managers ana did the public good
service 40 the same time, About the
close OF tho war he became chairman 81
the state central committee when - was
ne fashion IN IOWA - give nigiorifles
ftinnlna from 10000 10 bV, 900, and wee
rewarded for his services By an appoint
fncnf AZ linltfd States nprohai, and -
he Aieltlcf c1YefGd the tuilke oi4ie knl4
gave Hin proinin9ncs tdah wns fsf