The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-30
Mines Close Down That Men
 Might Participate
PARADE AND MASS MEETING
h Speech Mir. Mitchell Says Victory Is Due to Firmness of the Men. Does Not Want to Make Ene-
 mics of the Operators.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, October 29--"Mitcheil Day. was celebrated in all the principal towns of the anthracite coal region to- day and in order that all the mine work CTS might have an opportunity to par ticipate in the exercises the mines were closed down. The principal demonstra- tion was held in this city and President Mitchell took part. There was snow and sunshine during the day, but the change able weather did not keep an army of strangers out of town. Everybody wore a John Mitchell badge. The procession started shortly before noon and was nearly one hour in passing given point It is estimated that there were 10000 men in line. President Mitchell was given an ovation all along the line of march and whenever his carriage stopped the crowd from the sidewalk pressed around and insisted on shaking his hand. An Amer ican flag was carried at the head of ev- cry local" and many brass bands fur nished music. The banners carried bore many curious inscriptions. Some of them read as follows:
 By arbitration we hope to gain our just demands"
 Unity and friendship make peace"
 God bless our country and our na- tion."
 We honor and respect our Presidents, Roosevelt and Mitchell"
 Big Mass Meeting.
 After the parade a big mass meeting haId at speaker was the Rev. F. J. Powers of Spring Valley, Ills. He said he had known John Mitchell since boyhood and he always found him noble and upright. He was delighted, he said, to see the great tribute paid him by the miners
 Thomas Haggerty of Reynoldsville, Pa, who was down on the programme as the principal speaker of the day, eulogized Mitchell for his great work in behalf of the miners. Several addresses in foreign languages then followed.
 President Mitchell was the last speak CT. He said in part:
 Language is inadequate to express the gratitude I feel for the great reception l have received at the hands of the an- thracite miners and I feel that the vic- tory is not due to myself, but to the men, women and children who made so many sacrifices. hope that there will never again be strike in the coal fields of Pennsylvania. I want the union miners to prove that they are better workmen than the non-union men. I de- sire the men and the operators to meet.
 Do Not Want Enemies.
 'I do not want to make enemies of the operators. In closing I wish to impress upon you that membership in the union Is the only safeguard. The operators are not going to pay the bill of the strike. They will make the workers pay it. if they can, but if not, they will make the public pay it. It behooves the mine workers, therefore. to see to it that they are not made the victims, and hope you will be true to yourselves and to one another, and see to it that the cost of this greatest labor struggle that has ever occurred is not placed on your backs. Stick by your union and the union will stick by you"
 President Mitchell was busy tonight completing his plans for the first session of the arbitration board at its meeting in Scranton tomorrow. Professor Well is assisting Mir Mitchell in preparing his case for presentation: also Dr. Peter Rob- erts of Mahoney City, an authority on