The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-21
Iohn Mitchell Discusses With The Dspatcs Special Repr
w By5 FRANK q. CARPENTER,
Special Correspondent Of The.
n Times Dispatch.
fsnecla, 31 e Tho r,tnes-Dispatoh.,

gaS WAsH1NGTON, ID. Ct, Feb. 20.-1 met
JOHN Mitchell, the president Of the United tied
4 Mine Workers, by appointment III his
4 roer,s 81 the Ebbitt House. I say by APP
poi1,tmerlt, for Mr.. Mitchell Is one OF the
busy men Of the United States. lilo IS
\, tho head OF the largest labor union IN
n Tic world The Association OF United
" Mine workers has more than SooViD
i members. and It keeps q million dollars
4 ii, Its treasury to fight Its battles With
RI &c pital. Mr. Mitchell Is also one OF tho
Il xhiaf officers Of the American Federation
q Of Labor, which has more than Two
million members, and as such he has
Il x t1n with Congress and with all sorts
Of labor disputes. Ho is on the road
about as much as the average com
n.ercini traveller. lie comes to Washing
u ton once month. and the remainder
n Of his time Is spent In Indianapolis OF
An travelling from place TO page set 1,a,.,s
q labor troubles. Now he Is in New y ork
counseling with the building men. now
It Cripple Greek advocating the rights
Of the gold and silver miners, and now
N on the advisory board Of great strike
ike that Of the anthracite mines OF.
# Pennsylvania. S{j a a
Labor's Young Leader.
NJ It takes q strong man and a cool man
10 manage q business like this-n man
with good physique, iron nerves and
q temper well in hand. These are
among the characteristics of Mltchell.
& His Checks shine with health, and his
N muscles are iron He has n clear brown
1 eye which laughs or grows serious as
thc talks. and jaw which shows de-
i Termination. He is a young man. we
call President Roosevelt young. John
& Mitchell is ten years younger. Fie IS only
\ thirty-four, and with his splendid phy-
i sique Is q good type OF the best OF the
s workingmcn he represents. ~
AS we chatted together he gave mo
I a word or SO about his early life. Flo
y y the son Of q miner, and at thirteen
went into the mines and worked there
4 until he was twenty-six. That was only
j eight years ago. SO that only two presi-
/ Dental terms have elapsed since the John
u Mitchell Of to-day was actually handling
coal. "a.
d Mitchell, the Miner.
s i asked him what he did in the mines.
He replied: 81
coal mine ut the age Of thirteen. !
1, started at the bottom at Is cents a day.
Then I became u driver at $.1O day,
md from that I went on through the
various gradations of mining work un-
til. 7 think can truly say. have done
about everything connected with min
ing
'when did you first Join trades
union r.
sti ..When I was sixteen was the reply
H"And / have been connected with orga-
i uized labor from that time until now.
But how about your education, Mr..
Mitchell q
.That came from a short course in the
public schools, for 7 began work very.
4 early in my life. All that / got after
ing
When did you become president OF tho
United Mine Workers r.
I'm 1895, and I have been its president
1 ever since"
Trusts and the Nottingham.
The convention turned to the influence
n OF trusts upon the labor unions, and
asked Mr.. Mitchell whether the great
syndicates had strengthened organized
labor. He replied:
II think they have. They have shown
r the men the necessity for organization.
The unions have grown rapidly since
the beginning Of the great trust era. and
they are growing rapidly to-day
do you think they will some time
reach all branches Of lnbor?"
II have no doubt OF it, replied Mr..
i Mitchell.
How about the store clerks?''
'The retail clerks are already well or
ganized," was the reply. "They have
unions In nearly all Of the cities, and
their membership numbers about 5o.0oo.'
What do you propuse to+do, increase
their wases? I asked.
NO" replied Mr. Mitchell Eat present
the clerks are working for a better ar
rangement of time. ney want shorter
+ hours, and fixed ones for opening and