The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-02-02

ia and Western Railroad company. From
the first he was n close student and
n keen observer Of events, and as hiS field of
observation vidrncd no managed 70 keep pace
with IL in storing his mind with knowledge.
His first entrance into II labor organization
was in ISL when ho joined the Machinists
and Black.mthS' union of Scranton. He
was elected president of the subordinate union
10 which he belonged in 1872, and IN the Same
year was united in marriage to the bright
and gracious woman who still rules mt his do
nestle hearth
In the year 1873, some three weeks after
JAY Cookies iailuro Mr. powdrrly was dis
charged from the Delaware Lackawanna
and Western shops hccausa OF his activity in
union matters. Ills counsel and his course
were always conservative, but the history of
labor movements shows that such men arc in
varably among the first u suffer when there
is any considerable clash between capital
and labor After bis discharge MIR Pow
derby was made 10 feel konly the penalties Of
incurrmg the di>plea,aro of corporate power
and the la itlsticp exercised toward HIM would
make an interesting story in itself There is
no room Tor II here, however and rs he was
never "A uau t. make capital out OF his per
appreciate tue industry of the chroniclcr who
made this feature Of his career prominent
Like every struag man who has an abiding
faith ~ Lis own ability TO triumph in the long
run, mir powderly was always patient to
suffer Indeed, u chapter more thrilling than
any written hy Charles Roado in his libelous
romance On labor entitled Put Yourself III
His Place, might bc written Of Mr. Powder
lys experience right here, showing
the tyraurpds use of the Black
List against an honest mechanic 10y
"a malignant and marrow minded boss, and
giyinE the reverse sidr of the British novel
ists lurid picture That is not the purpose of
tho present Sketch however Being unable
10 find work lH this region because of the I'M
reasonable prejudice, against labor unions,
Mr. Po"dariy went west He worked for
some time IN Gallon, O., and Oil City, Pa,
and IN lbiJ came back 90 Scranton and was
employed by the Lackawanna Iron aud Coal
company IN tho erection of the new steel
works then IN course of construction When
the machinery was all in place Mr.. Powderly
went 10 work for the Dickson Manufacturing
company In its locomotive department at the
Cliff works, where no continued until April.
1877, when tho company suspended all its
employees for want of orders
Mr.. Powderly's political life in Scranton
began in 1913, he being elected mayor of that
city on the 18th Of February, after stormy
campaign His clean and creditable admin
istratinn commanded the respect even of
those who were most bitterly opposed TO him
as candidate and who professed TO fear that
the city would go to the dogs If "A representa-
tive Of labor was chosen its chief magistrate
Mayor Powderly introduced many reforms
His messages TO the councils always sparkled
with practical suggestions; he gave the APP
pointmcnt Of an efficient police force his
careful attention, and the verdict of the I'M
bic led, before half OF his term was served,
was that Scranton never had better mayor.
He was reelected 10 1880 aud again in 1882,