Workmen's advocate., 1890-11-01
TOM MANN.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Presi~
 dent of the Dockers Union.

Interesting Facts Concerning the Presi-
 dent of the Dockers' Union.
 Tom Mann was born at Foleshin, near Coventry. in WarWickshire, on the 18th April, 1856, so that he has the best part of his life before him. His father, ThOs. Mann, was a clerk in the employ of the Victoria Colliery Company, and the boys schooling stopped when he was ten years old. He then went to work on the farm in connection with the colliery. and at eleven years of age he went down the mine to work as an air-course boy, Air-courses are small passages cut out to conduct air into the different works of the mine. To keep these in repair and make new ones a number of boys and men are kept and along these roads, ? feet by feet wide, the boys crawl. Young Tom used to be stripped naked to the waist, with a canvass band around his waist, to which was attached chain with a hook at the end, the hook being fixed in tub filled with coal or rubbish. So severe was the work, that again and again the boy of eleven sank exhausted under the terrible strain of dragging his load; but of course profits had to be made for idle share holders, who little reck of the suffering and dungeon ex- perlences of their employees. For eigh- teen months this was endured. and then Tom was transferred to the Bank. Shortly afterwards the pit was fired, and, unable to eXtinguish it, the com pany closed the colIiery.
 Then the family went to Birmingham. and Tom spent seven years there. He went into engineering, and worked at Chatuln's Engineers ToolmakingWorks. During this time he laid that foundation of knowledge which has been of such priceless value to him since. Science and art certificates at the evening classes ! held Tn Severn street Schools he obtained ny the dozen. He then graduated in l publlc speaking, and was a Sunday school teacher and strong advocate of teetOtaism, In 1877 he left Bjrminghar and came to London, and after beino dock'clerk at Swan and Edgar's for nine months. worked for four years at Thor | ney croft torpedo boat-building works, lie then went to America, and for four months worked Tn the engineers depart meht of haVemeyer and Elders sugar 1 refining factory at Brooklyn. Working alternately night and day for weeks weaned Tom of the life, and he returned to his family in England, and again entered lurneycrott's. Here he began Ills iirst work as labor organizer. tak. Ing up more particularly the advocacy Of the eight hours movement. On Fe- 1 bruary II, 1885, his first speech on the labor movement was made before tho Hammersmlth branch of his own society ot the Amalgamated Engineers. He threw himself into the movement v.itb all the energy that has charactprizaI tha movement m which he has taken mart At the same time he had an intense dn. sire to Increase that culture which had taken so much tune and sD many hard- earned ptnnleS Tn Birmingham to begin
 A ohaktsPearlan Society was started among his mates, who met al first in his own parlour, afterwards meeting at a Worklngman club. This pleasant wan. dering In the garden of the Mn,ps was brought to an end by his departpra to Northumberland During the sfrike among the miners in nNortnumberIand in leel he was d leading spirit. and rom. tiuued in Newcastle until the hegirrinl, of l>Ss. Then. at the request Ef man@ workers ne went to Boston. By this tune ne fully appreciated the fact that the conditions of labor and the uplifting