The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-18
LOSES SIX HUNDRED.
A Topeka Boys Money and
Clothing Burned
At the Explosion at Blossburg,
New Mexico.
Narrow Escape From Death - The
Starvation Wages Paid Miners
Lawlessness Breeding on
Parsimonys

The following interview with W. H.
Caldwell, of $40 North Harrison street,
gives the facts of the blowing up and
burning of the store owned by the
Blossburg, New Mexico, Mercantile Co.,
of which c. NJ. Higginson, is president,
A. Douglas, manager, and E. Wilder
treasurer. This store is located at the
coal mining town of Blossburg, six
miles west of Ration, in Colfax county.
Mr. Caldwell's son, Robert, went out
there some two or more years ago, when
the store was first established by c. J.
DevIin, and has been there as an en-
ploye ever since, mines having passed
from the direct control of the Santa F'e
Railroad company, to the control of the
Maxwell Land Grant company, under
the direct control of the above named
officials. Being in constant cOmmun1ca-
ton with his son, NJ Caldwell has been
kept informed abOI1t matters at BloSs-
burg, through letters written by him,
and has known for some time that trou-
BILE was likely to occur there at any mo-
ment
- A Journal reporter visited Mr.. Ca1d-
well at the office of the receivers of the
Investment Trust company, in the Real
Estate building and drew from him the
facts as CLEANED by him from recent
kilograms and letters, as follows:
Mr.. Caldwell, win you give me some
facts relative to the trouble at Bloss-
burg, as briefly noted in last evening S
JournaI2''
Yes, sir, can speak quite advisedly
about it, and will read you some para
graphs from my sons letters. Some
time last week Frank Woodland, fuel
inspector for the Santa E'e, now residing
at Trinidad, was here and visited my
family. He told US that trouble was
likely to occur at Blossburg, because
the coal miners were very restless on
account of short work and being stirred
up by travelling agitators. He also re-
counted to me the scene that occurred
some time ago when one of these agi-
tators came there and made a violent
anarchiStic speech. In a day or two
after this we received a letter, dated
September 5, 1897, from my son, Robert
who is employed at the store, and I'll
read you this paragraph.
Mr.. Wigs expected to open the
works about the 18th or Goth of this
month (September), then the men will
nave work four or five days week:
ourselves and the company property
asainse mobs. The people are desper-
ate They are positively destitute and
nave not even enough to live on in a
strike SO they dare not strike. Some
time ago an aSitator came here and
spoke in the street. His first words
were: Save your pennies and buy a
gun, pawn your shoes and socks and
buy gun-get a gun if you have to
steal oneH Then he rounded out the
most infamous anarchistic speech that
was ever delivered anywhere, saying,
among other things, Start with the
President at Washington and kill him
Then come down to your senate and
house of representatives and shoot them
down! Don't let one escaped If you
do you are towards. When you have
finished them come to Ration and kill
every member of the Maxwell Land
@tfrant company. Then come here to
Blossburg, your home. where you see
your wives and children starving be
cause the company store won't trust
you for something for them to eat Get
some dynamite and blow up the store
put first take all you want out of it
al is yours, they stole it from you and
If you haven't got sense enough to steal
at back you ought to starve. Steal all
you want from the company store then
blow the - thing into eternity and
string every operator in it to the first
pole you come to-
That very night they learned for the
first time, of the existence in Blossburg,
of an anarchiStic organization of over
100 members. calling themselves The
Iron Brotherhood. They held a meeting