The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-17


use became necessary by reason Of any
great suspension of work.
The men who now compose the executive
board of the mine workers, and who would
be directly in charge of a strike in the
anthracit, regions, are Edward Mckay and
Benjamin James. of Pennsylvania; F'reder>
lex Dilcher, of Ohio Henry Stepenson, of
West Virginia: James Boston, of Illinois,
William Farley, of Alabama; George Pur-
cell. of Indiana, and Joseph Pendleton, Of
Arkansas. John Mitchell. of Illinois, Is
president, T. l.. Lewis, of Ohio, is vice
president, and W. B. Wilson, OF Indiana,
secretary of the organization. While the
local members of the board are in charge
of any trouble that may occur in their
districts the president exercises direct
ing power and virtually conducs the
strike.
John Mitchell, President Of the United
Mine Workers of America. is in his thlr-
ticth year and is the youngest man ever
to reach such a position as he now oc-
cupies. His mother died when he was
two years old, and four years later his
father was killed in an accident in the
mines. and the child was left to the care
of friends He entered the mines when
thirteen years old. and from that time
made his own living. He connected him
self with the Knights of Labor when six
teen years old while working in Limos,
and has been a member of that organiza-
ton ever since. He has worked in
number of States, at one time Icing en-
ployed in the mines of New Mexico.
Returning to Illinois from the West,
he married and settled down at Spring
Valley. where his family of a wife and
four children live. His first service in a
public capacity was in 1897. when he was
appointed an organizer of the I'm ted
Mine Workers by President Ratchford
nd in hn hn ola tnd
member of the Illinois State Executive
Board. In 1898 he was elected National
Vice President of the organization. and
became acting president when Ratchf-rd
determined to give his time more fully
to the work OF the Industrial Commits
! sion. and in January. 1899. Mitchell sue
ceeded tc the presidency by election.
How Mitchell Was Advanced.
The qualities which advanced Mitchell
from coal miner at Spring Valley to the
presidency of the organization in two
years were powers of ready debate in con-
vention. earnestness of purpose to secure
fair treatment of the men the organiza-
ton represents, and kind and
courteous demeanor. but firmness
under all circumstances. He is known
in the organization as a fighter of rare
pluck and capable of holding on when any
ordinary man would admit defeat. He is
slow to make up his mind on an import
ant question, but energetic and deter
mined when once the question is decided.
Notwithstanding his youth. the members
OF the executive board look TO him for
advice and council and often defer to his
| judgment in matters of greatest import
ance. He is known to his fellow workers
1 Familiarity as John" and though not easi-
! ly approached he is genial and compan-
/ ionable when once his acquaintance is
| formed. He is a close student of events
and an omnivorous reader.
Christopher Evans, with whom orsinat-
/ ed the idea of holding joint conferences
/ with mine operators and fixing scales Of
| wages by agreement, is now one of the
organizers of the United Mine Workers,
and is also manager OF the Mine Work
| ers Journal" the organ of the order He
| has had the most varied experience Of
| any man now prominent in the order. but
| il still comparatively young man. He
was born in England In 1871. and began
! working in the mines in that country
when only nine years old He came to
America in 1869, and four years later was
made president of local union of miners
| that was formed in Keel Ridge, Penn. 1t
fell TO his lot to be in charge of strike
| that occurred in the Mahoning and Shen-
| ango valleys in 1875, being at the time
! president OF the county board and also of
I the relief fund board. The strike was
conducted through eight months, bet fin
I ally failed of its object. Evans soon after
! moved to the Hooking Valley mines in
Ohio and when the great strike OF 1884
/ occurred he was again president OF the
/ relief fund board. One year later the
Federation of Miners and Mine Laborers
| was organized, and he was made cxecu-
tive secretary. 1t was this board that
| secured conferences with the operators
! and established precedent for fixing the
scale for the bituminous mines> that has
been followed ever since.
He was elected secretary OF the fsder-
alton four times, and when the Prs gres-
slye Union was formed he was made
! State president for Ohio but resi- sned.
and was elected secretary Of the AmeIi-
cal Federation OF Labor. Re served n
this ca pacity until 1894 when he took an
active part in the great suspension OF
that year as an organizer and was sent
into West Virginia to crsanzs the
miners in that State. He is now en-
ployed as an organizer in the Tn tie !
Mine, Workers order.
Official Directly in Charge.
Frederick Dilcher is a native of Ohio,
and is the organizer for the district that
includes the eastern part of that State
and the anthracite coal fields of Penn
sylyania. and he will be the official of IN :
executive board directly in charge of the
strike. His co-laborers and assistants
will be Thomas d. NICHOLS. President OF
Distriet No. !; Thomas Duffy. President
of District No I, and John Fahy, Pre- s.
dent of District No. o. these three dis
triets constituting the anthracite fields.
Dilchcr has been engaged in organizing
n the anthracite regions for years, and
il is mainly through his efforts that 81
many OF the miners in Pennsylvania Law,
heen brought into, the order he repre-
sents.
Ducher is a practice, coal miner and
has been working in the mines for seven
teen years The members of the board cali
him Baby, and the appellation is ex-
planned by the fact that he is six feet nine
inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is
good natured, companionabe fellow a
great favorlte with his associates and re-
garded as thoroughly reliable.
One of the men who attracted a great
4 deal Of attention at the sitting Of the eX-
ecutiye board was John p. Reese. OF Iolga
who was placed in Jail in Kansas by a
Federal judge fer violating the terms OF
an Injunction, and released later on a
writ Of habeas corpus. Reese was born in
Ohio in 1877. and worked in the mines
from nine until sixteen years OF age. He
Lsecured a place as a brakeman on rail-
road and continued at this for three years,
and then returned to the mines. He the
went West, and is now State president fof
Iowa He was a member Of the exeeut sa
board last year. and was sent into the
Southwest to take charge of the STRIFE in
that section. The railroad companies,
which operate the mines. heard OF his