The Irish standard., 1902-10-25
Born in Illinois of Irish Ancestry and
Lost His Parents When Only
Little Fellow.
A Clean and Honest Man He Has Risen bv
Force Of Character and is
Esteemed by All.

Ie'l you Johh Ali1c'llell, and fight if you
don't believe ii. That there has been
violence since the beginning of the
strike is true, but that there has not
been more violence is due to the efforts
OF John Mitchell. His judicial mind
has seen that violence meant defeat
fact that other leaders before him
have seen, but failed to prevent His
influence has been pcrsiStcntly on the
side of peace, and when one considers
the character OF tile mon i'm the mines
and the natural Indignation which
must come 10 men who see their Dla-
ccs taken by others, it is marvellous
that there has been SO small an appeal
to force. Certainly no other strike Of
anything like such dimensions has
ever taken place in this co,lntry, where
the anger Of the turbulent spirits has
been so controlled as in this five
months battle.
Talk to John Mitchell and you feel
his power. His voice is sweet and low.
Ills eyes light up with life and laugh
tcl when the topic is pleasant. There
is Il certain dcIlhclntiOn about his
speech, gcntlenrSs OF manner COM
bnch with vigor which is attractive.
Thrn there are the firm lips cutting
out the words as clearly as a pattern,
and the square jaw, which betokcns
force. But, after all, you can't de-
scribe the magnetism of Il man any
more tllaul you can with words rXprcss
the beauty of note from a songstrcss'
Throat. 1t Is the personal presence
which counts, and in this the great
coal mine leader reaches you and
makes you feel that you are talking
with one who knows not only his own
mind but yours.
Go back far enough and Mitchell is
Irish. lie himself was born in Illi-
nois and his father before him. His
father was a miner, but when the
great civil war clme, he threw down
his pick and took up a musket. He
fought for the Union and came home
to die in 1875, leaving John an orphan
to get through life as best Inc might.
A stcpmOtller cared for him until he
was thirteen years old and then he
went forth to shift for himself. First
he was a farm hand, but the old
miners spirit came out and he went
into tllc mines of Illinois to learn the
life Of the men whom he now domill.
ates. He believed in honest labor, but
he also believed in honest wages. As q
yOlllgStcr he saw that organization
was the only hope of the miner If ne
was to benefit his condition. He went
into the labor movement enthusiastic
ally and Joined the knights Of Labor
in 1884, when he was but sixteen
years old. .... 49,.
Soon after this he left the coal
fields Of Illinois and drifted into the
far west, mining Or farming wherever
he went. He travelled to Colorado,
Arizona and New Mexico and returned
to Illinois in 1891, settling at Spring
Valley
This "trip opened wide his eyes to
mining conditions In the greater part
Of the United States, and it broadened
him. He always stood we'll with his
fellow-workmen wherever he went.
He had character. He was sober, and
the men respected him.
Soon after coming to Spring VALLEY
he paid court to handsome Irish.
American girl, Miss Catherine
O'Rourke, and they were married the
following year. Mrs. Mitchell and
four children now i've at Sprin: VAL
ley; in fact, always lived there, for
this is the Mitchell home.
Here they have a little house and
live very modestly, beloved by all their
neighbors, although Mr.. Mitchell ia
obliged to be away great part of the
time.
After his marriage the serious work
of life began for John Mitchell. He
continued to work in the mines. In
IS:'! he was elected secretary-treasur-
er OF his subdistrict of the United