Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-08

,,.hn Mitchell is the man OF the hour'
II il conceded by press and public that
he has just won a notable victory
wish to tell you something of Mltone'i
as man and labor leader In some re-
snects he is not a promising subject Oh
study. II s too much like studying
well "How deep and stlll he Is ex-
claimed President Roosevelt to friend
the other day. just after MT Mitchell
walked out OF the presidents ROOM
deep and still" tells the story oil
Mitehell's character, He thinks thou-
ana times more than he talks He Is
none Of those men who have to run ana
cackle every time they think new
thought. Yet he talks well when he
talks at oil. Nor ~ he ayerse to CONVEX
sation with his friends. 1t all depends
upon his moods once ! took walk
with him for half an hour. He uttered
not more than a dozen words IN that
time. He was thinking out things
blinking about the strike. Again / rode
with him for several hours on train.
lie talked about the strike the whole
Journey, For nearly six months he has
had scarcely a thought that did not
relate to his battle for his people. lie
has read nothing In newspapers except
dispatches and articles about the strike
There are many magazines and reviews
lying about upon the tables In his
rooms, kept open at ths places where
they have been opened befor, and you
win find that very one contains some
thing about the deadlock between the
coal trust and the miners.
Come 10 think Of It, this power OF
concentration In found in every man
that has ever done very much In the
world. Mitchell has II to a marked
degree. His battle is on his mind
wherever he goes--when he falls asleep
In his dreams; when he awakes; and
II never goes away for single moment,
even when he Is asleep again.
One would think such constant con-
centration Of mind would wear him out,s
benumb the fiber Of his brain, trans
form him into n m0n0naniac, or nj
least destroy his sense OF proportions.
But II Ia not 30. The more he works on
his strike the more perfect do his men
tai faculties appear 10 operate. He Is
like the athlete who bcomes NOR pro-
fcient with steady training, or the
skilled workmen OF these days OF re-
fined specialization, who does only one
piece Of work year In and year out and
does II easily and perfectly.
AS for nerves We're Il not FOR one
thing, you would never know that Mr..
Mitchell has them. He smokes Is or 20
wretched ciagrs a day or partly smokes
and Chews and mouths them, OCCASION
ally relighting, but as rule not know
ing whether they are lit or not. This
enc sure sign Of nerves Is the only one
you detect In him. In all other respects
one would think he was articuated
with steel wires.
Mitchell not only has the power of
concentration, but the power Of silence.
He Is one of the few men in this world
who have such control over their tom
CUES that he almost never has occasion
TO regret a word spoken by himself.
Hundreds OF newspaper men can testify
to the impenetrability Of his silence
when he does not want 10 speak. He
makes no breaks" lie cannot be
trapped or trlcked or cruss-dtIsstioued
Into expression. Everything be tels IS
told deliberately and w.th a purpose.
His secrets DO not 0oze from him
through vanity or good nature, 90 any
other OF the weaknesses shtt,h ara the
stock In trade OF newspaper bumpers
in extricating Information from the
common run of men.
When Mitchell does talk he talks well,
He has hls Irish ancestors gift az
speech when he wants to use IT, Ex-
cept from the tell-tale pronunciation OF
q word now and then-say one OF two
day-you would never suspect that he
is Irish. But he is. His parents came
from Dublin They were Presbyterlans.
He was born at Breidwood, Ill. where
he has lived all his life He is "a years
old. and he worked IL years In the
mines. He has had little chance to Sc
cure an education. but has always been
q great reader Of newspapers. In many
ways he Is simple minded as a child
but Il would be a bold liar who could
lie TO him while confronted with that
bright. steady gaze. / have never set
much store by the poelical method OF
reading character in the eyes, or the
nose. or the chin. But In Mitchel's
case the eyes do clearly mean some
thing. They are about the steadlest
End deepest you ever saw.
Work, work for the miners. This Is
the only religion 10 Mr.. Mitchell He is
very much In earnest He takes his
mission seriously. There Is in him none
OF that fiippancy and half sincerity we
too often find In men who chance 10
rise 10 the head Of movements like this
But there Is no cant or pretense about
II. lie has no phrase about uplifting
people, or my cause He practices
No rhetorical tricks, designed TO snare
the approval OF others, or tickle his
own vanity,
Al any rate Mitchell has nearly brok-
on his health by his long vigil. He
does not eat enough TO keep lusty
baby going. HIS sleep Is far less than
mat or newspaper writer. Physically
he Is now entirely fatlgued after the
long storm. But In brain and nerves
he seems absolutely mistaken. This
long struggle he has had TO carry on al
most alone, His three district presl-
dents are clever. faithful men. but the
direction Of great strike is after an a
0ne.man Job. IL Is like a military
campaign; there are plenty of men, but
there Is only one man. This man makes
the success or the failure His secrets
he has to Keep to himself. His fears
he has no one TO share with. Alone.
as one OF the big army. watchful. work.
Ing, planning, thinking day and night.
ne has gone through the long struggle
with not an error, II he has blund-
cred anywhere ] have not heard any
one point Il out. II Is rare, one might
7sy an unknown thing, In the history
vf great strikes TO see the responsible
reader going through from start TO
fnlsh without single mistake that
anyone can remember and peoples
memories as to such things are very
keen.
Pitted against him the great corpora
Hons huudV.Ne - ,,ttli..., - .........