The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-11-30

So ~ pgsI&OS. AI1OI4SeS1s, Ntts1kl4u
walking beside the carriage Ia which
I rode. but I did not know him and he
made no attempt TO speak to me. He.
merely walked close beside the car
riage. Occasionally / cast q glanc:
toward him. and In one Of these
chances saw. BY the light Of q torch,
something CLEAN In one Of his hands.
II was the hand nearest me. Ireacned.
down and caught hold Of his arm. He
had 9 revolver. ..... ..;+. Is. sa I'D.
" Here. what. are you doing with
that? I cried. Put it away. This is
no place for that 4: -.s55
That man looked at me. No! MOI
he answered with intense earnestness.
Me protectS YOU my savior
me man was so much In earnest,
and seemed so sincerely to believe he
was needed there to defend me. that
! saw that might attract undue at,
tention II tried to argue the matter
with him. and 80 let him alone. and
he continued the march with his naked
weapon at his (side. Can man forget
such things as tliese?" y
John Mitchell fastened his eyes on
me. and gave me look that answered
his own question better than If his
lips had framed the word "No."
| Who is this man John MITCHELL, He
was born on February 4, 1869, at
Bratdwood, ILL.,, OF Irish parentage,
with a strain of Scottish blood. At ten
he had lost his parents, and was work
ing on a farm. and at thirteen had
taken: up his fathers vocation of coal
/ NtSAtv
He was restless boy, but eager to
learn. He rushed. about from place to
place. anxious to, see the world. He
obtained the interest rudiments OF
schooling. The rest he taught himself,
and, his style both in speech and in
writing, are extremely simple, direct
and clear. At sixteen" he joined the
Knights of Labor, in 1896 became Sec
! retary-treasurer of the North Illinois
subj district, and later the legislative
| agent of the order at the state capital,
Springfield, where it was his duty<to
promote all legislation favoring work.
ingmen, and to oppose all legislation
that was against them.
Subsequently he became a member of
the executive committee of the Illinois
State organization of the United Mine
Workers, and afterward was raised
to the executive board of the national
organization. He was elected vice
president of the United Mine Workers
of America in the beginning of 1893,
and succeeded to the presidency upon
the resignation of President M. D.
Ratchford, who was appointed men,
Der of the National Industrial Commits
sion. -:,-:-- 49,,
Mitchell was elected in 1899, in 1900
and in 1901 to the presidency of the
United Mine Workers of America, a
term lasting one year. During his in
cunt ency the organization has more
than trebled in membership-from 49,
900 sprang to considerably more than
100000 members.
Mitchell. Family.
His family wife, >little girl and
three boys-lives in Spring Valley, ILL.,,
and during the anthracite strike the
Rev. John r. Power, of the Immacu-
late Conception Church, Of Spring Val
ley, wrote q letter. to the Rev. Father
Phillips, Of Hazletpn, saying:
=1s lfitcneli Is ON this town. ana,
although not q Catholic. has always
been intimate WITHIN He is married.
to one OF, my best girls, and his chill
dren are. old enough to go to the Sis
ters' school. His record here is Of the
best, and thus far he has proved him
self to be man OF sound, good sense,
conservative and above suspicion as to
his honesty Of purpose"
John Mitchell is great trade union
leader. But he is more than the term
trade union" commonly implies. For
he thinks of what may have to be done
by the men in trade unions after the
| work of trade unionism itself shall
have been accomplished. In one of his
many conversations with me during
the last year and a half he said this,
which take to be a key to his broad
| ness of mind:
His Broad Mind.
| "As a consequence of the great VIC
tory won by the mine workers in the
hard coal regions. of, >Pennsylvania-a
part of the country where more than
a score of years before no such thing: as
victory has been heard ola desir:
has been created in the minds of a
vast number Of toilers to know why a
few individuals are: permitted to abso-
lutely control the production, the trans
portation and the. sale of anthracite
coal. There, are vast areas. of coal
lands idle-lands that can not be
bought at any price. The individual
operators are all but crushed out of ex-
istence and the whole great tract being
absorbed by railroad companies.
''The toilers can see these things, and
when they come to understand by
what process this condition is coming
about and can fasten responsibility, it
is only reasonable to suppose that they
will use all the powers they can COM
mand under the law to make what
ever change may be required to effect
a complete and lasting remedy"
I rejoice at every effort workingmen
make to organize. hail the labor
! -. s5.q. p ~.
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