The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-03
GEAR OF THE STRIKERS.

Annodomini. RuDyARD KIPLINe.
GEAR OF THE STRIKERS.
The Handsome Young Socialist Who
Rules New York Cloak-Makers.
New York World.
To be the undisputed ruler of 6,000 men,
even though these men are but poor strik-
ing, starving cloak makers, is proud dis
tinction. That is the degree of eminence to
which very young man, who arrived in
this country less than two years ago. has
attained. The people of New York are ia
miliar with the strike of the cloak-makers,
and great breath of relief went up from
all when several days ago twas announced
that the strike was ended. But the strike
was not at an end. The cloak-cutters &C
cepted the terms of compromise, but the
Cloak Operators and Tailors' Union and
the Cloak Contractors Association did not.
Less than week ago one of the incom-
ing European steamers brought to New
York pretty little woman with toddling
daughter were met at the pier by bright
eyed and evidently happy husband. There
was no delegation OF starving cloak-makers
at the dock to welcome the newcomers,
although it cannot be doubted that had
the cl0ak-makers been apprised of the fact
that the family of Joseph Baron Deess was
coming to join him, the reception of the
royal one. Baron Deess is properly
regarded as q prophet. He is the
idol of multitude of Woodworking men.
1t is admitted by all who have the slightest
knowledge of the situation that the cloak
makers strike could be terminated at any
moment by this young man. The con-
fidence of the operators in his wisdom
ov.l nns$ sa >1<>xpw Iol
say today: go back to work at half what
you received BEFORE" two-thirds of the
operators would obey him. His ARRIVAL or
departure at Pythagoras hall 1.-THE head
quarters of the strikers) is always the sig
nal for an ovation.
1t was precisely 8 p. m. when this young
man arrived at the strikers headquarters
yesterday. In an inner room one Of the
executive committees had been for several
hours in session. The sidewalk of Canal
street and the outer rooms of the hall had
all this time been thronged with eager-eyed
and expectant men, but there has been no
disposition on the part of any of them to
intrude upon the deliberations of the coun-
Gil. Attention was fixed upon the street
rather than upon the council chamber. 1t
was known that Baron-Deess had not
arrived, and although ali the stfik.
ers were aware that others of their
leaders we're earnestly engaged in a
discussion of the situation. those delibera-
tons had no interest for them in the alb
sence of the CHEZ. The arrival of Baron
Deess was the occasion for q cheer, and
the progress of the young man was inn
peded by the enthusiastic crowd which sur
rounded him. He wore the clothes of q
workingman, and black, soft felt hat was
pulled down over his eyes. The quiet up
lifting of his hand was q signal for all the
hungry looking crowd of operators to fall
back to respectful distance. He spoke
rapidly and in German. Those who caught
his softly spoken words, repeated them
noisily, and as they were words of good
cheer, prophesying . speedy settlement of
all difficulties, his slender figure as he
passed into the committee-room was fol-
lowed by tumultuous plaudits.
A more remarkable instance of the tri-
umph of personal magnetism over q BODY
of men than is shown in the New York
career OF young Joseph Baron-Deess can
scarcely be conceived. As for himself,
Baron Deess has no occasion to fall at any,
body's feet to obtain means of sustenance
for himself and family. He is drawing
salary of SIS week from the union, and is
quite happy in the little home which he
has provided for his newly-arrived wife
and child.
Since the present strike brought this
young foreigner into prominence, all man
ner of startling stories have been related
concerning him. 1t has been said that he
is highly-educated youth, who forsook
the traditions of noble family to cast his
lot with the working people. AS matter
OF fact, this young man is not ''highly edu-
Gated" in any respect. He has q persua-
sive and magnetic way, and is fluent
speaker in the German language, but his
talents lie in the direction of executive
ability. He is neither descended nor even
HiSfantIv yAf afoA m fux, ~f
He was born May Is. 1867, in the little
city OF Podulsk, Russia. his father being a
well-to-do distiller and wholesale LIQUOR
dealer. He married, when merely bow. a
young woman named Annie Greenbure.
He was compelled by his father to shift for
himself at an early age. Since his arrival
in this country this good-looking young
man has made boast of the fact that he
read and mastered Spinoza and Darwin
from translations of those writers in the
Hebrew tongue, but he is nevertheless far
from being student, and owes his present
position more to his genius for organiza-
ton than to any other faculty. He dis
claims all anarchisuc tendencies, nor is
there anything to. show that during
Extreme or radical measures nss sav00a Hs
cording to his own admission he arrived
in this country twenty months ago with
$500 in his pocket. He found work in a
cloak manufacturing house at S. per
week, and was not slow about forming
acquaintances. Several years prior to his
arrival the cloak operators had had 8
union, but il had become sadly disorgan-
lied, and was practically of no account.
The good-looking youth from Podulsk un.
dertook to revive this union, and was emf
nently successful; so much so that he threw
up his position in the cloak house and took
the management of the union at salary.
That he possesses today the confidence OF
the workmen to a remarkable degree can
not be denied. and his popularity is every
minute increasing through the belief that
he IS daily refusing large sums of money to