The Washington times., 1902-08-03

woman. In public life, In the midst 81
the rush OF orsa,,gstion OF q hard
fought strike, she shows none Of the
softness and the sweetness Of woman,
but she gets at the hearts Of the men.
She has more influence over them than
most of the leaders, and she is q more
welcome speaker. Others may counsel
mild measures-not she. She hits right
from the shoulder at capital. and calls
1t the enemy of the workingman. 1t may
not be logical, but it wins attention ard
arouses enthusiasm. She makes him
fight it as she does-vigorously, unmer-
cifully. No halfway measures for her.
1T Is her policy to select the aStiest
and meanest looking miner on the street
and walk with him, talking about his
condition and the tyranny Of the oper-
ators. She will lead the boys in wild
cheering. she will march them in pro-
cessions, reaching for the dramatic and
spectacular effect. She will also go 10
their homes and confab with the wives
and children, arousing them to talk
unionism or strike 10 the husbands and
brothers.
Mother Jones was born In Cork.
Ireland, and had to flee with her father
to this country when he became con-
cerned in some political agitation 70.
freeing Ireland. She was then eight
years old. and the flight made strong
impression on her mind. The family
went to Toronto. where she was we'll
educated, and early began to develop the
talent for debating, which has never de-
serted her. AS a young woman she at.
tended public meetings for the discus
sion of all sorts of subjects. She taught
for a time, and then married George
Jones, q niolder and union man. As
wife she did much to encourage his
union, and she got other women inter
ested. She can claim some credit for
the founding of the womeu's au1iliaries
which are now a feature OF many labor
organizations.
Bereft by Yellow Fever.
AFTER six years of married life hef
great sorrow came, yellow fever taking
her husband and four children within .
week. Then she first took an active part
in labor matters, and soon developed
into a full-fedged asitator. She has
since devoted her life to the work. She
has fought Chinese immigration In Cali
fornia; has studied labor conditions In
England, Ireland, Germany, France,
Austria. and in every State of the
Union; has worked in the cotton mills
OF the South to secure practical knowl-
edge of conditions, and then fought for
their improvement; labored during the
great strikes in Chicago, and marched
with Coxey's Army. In brief, Mother
Jones has been prominent In every
strike and big labor movement In the
country during the last fifteen years.
She has also travelled over much Of
Europe.
For the last few years she has been
with the United Mine Workers. II was
she who, during the strike In the an
thracite region of 1900. led bodies OF
strikers and their women folk 10 stop
work at collieries where the men still
held on; who outmarched and out
maneuvered the soldiers sent to stop
her, and in the end did much toward
closing every colliery in the region. Only
three years before, nineteen strikers had
been killed and two score wounded by a
sheriff's posse on the same ground. but
Mother Jones did not bring her men
in conflict with the soldiers. She was
too able a general"