Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-11-19

Hazleton. Six different organizations
were represented, and all the proceed
ings were carried on in six different
ongues-English, Magyar Bohemian,
Polish, Lithuanian and Italian. The
district president Of the united mine
workers-an Irishman, by the way
was present, and the controlling spirit
Of the assembly. His active part in
the proceedings, however, was confined
to giving his instructions to the heads
of the different unions, all of whom
spoke English.
When the meeting had been called
TO order, the proposal to join the strike
came up for discussion. First of all
few of the English-speaking men
gave their opinions pro and con in
awkward and ungrammatical, but terse
and common-sense speeches. When
they had finished, and before the ques-
tion was put to vote, the Magyar and
Bohemian leaders rose and explained,
each in his own tongue, the object OF
the meeting. Workmen l. ON the ma
tiOnalities which they represented then
addressed the meeting, some advocat-
ing and some opposing the strike. They
were in strong contrast to the pre-
yious speakers. Heavily built and
ateIy, in the harsh, consonant accents
of their native tongue, punctuating
their remarks with heayy-handed
gestures, while their compatriots lean
ed forward listening intently, but with
unmoved expressions.
The same process was followed with
the Poles and Lithuanians, stalwart,
coarse-haired men, who spoke rapidly
with jangle of accents that sounded
unintelligible to the spectator, but
which had the effect of causing an
eager, though subdued, buzz of COM
ment among their fellow countrymen.
Then came the turn of the Italians,
and before their chairman had finished
his explanatory remarks dozen ardent
and gestulating men were on their feet
all talking at once in the Swift-hOW-
ing speech of the sunny fatherland,
pouring out a torrent of words which
the chairman was utterly unable to
stem.
Into the circle Of space left in the
center of the room suddenly bounded
man who quickly silenced the others
and claimed tue attention of the whole
assemblage by his impassioned har-
angue. He was a man of 80, dressed in
the rough jeans of the miner and wear
ing pair Of dark-colored glasses over
his eyes, but with a face that showed
intelligence and education 1t was i'm
possible even for those of us who
could not understand his words not to
feel the force of the firery stream of
incentive and appeal which poured
faster and ever faster from his lips.
Whatever one might think of his senti-
mentS, it could not be denied that he
was an orator of no mean ability. /
learned afterward that he was a man
of university education, and that he
was telling his fellows of the glorious
days when their forefathers were the
strongest nation in the world, urging
them to be worthy of the grand tradi-
tions of their race. AS he went on he
threw his hat upon the floor and I'M
consciously reached toward his boot,
where the Italian carries his ever
ready weapon. Not for an instant
did he falter in his speech, which flow
nd like tho rushing nf mountain tor
rent, and L have never seen a finer
example of frenzied eloquence.
The effect of his grafton was remark
able Not only did it bring the audi
ence to their feet with cries of approval
and excited gestures, but it held every
man in the room spellbound, SO evident
was the tenor. if not the exact wording
Leslie's Popular Monthly.