, 1905-11-09

lis honesty, simplicity aud faith in hui
nan nntur have been his strongest
weapons. Men " wondered at his
generalship, for of the so called STRAIT
eGy represented by crooked tactics he
knows nothing. The shortsighted have
not realized that this thing which seem
ed Il weakness was Mitchelrs chief
strength.
Speaker OF Acknowledged Ability.
john Mitchell is only thirty-siX years
of age. He first became president Of
the United Mine Workers of America
at twcnty-cight. This achievement was
reached without any of the helps usu-
ally believed TO he necessary to young
men 10 get on in the world. His father
was IL poor miner before him. John
Mitchelrs mother died when lie was
two years old. and his father went
four years later. \ stepmother raised
the boy, who ran away from home at
eight. What little schooling he had
was received prior to that time. To-
day he Is considered Il well educated
man, a writer of books, magazine and
newspaper articles II IL speaker Of
acknowledged ability. But what he
has learned has been by night study
and by reading the book of human life.
Early he went into the mines. Per
haps it was in his blood. He began rs
door tender. He decided to see the
world. He went from state to state,
picking up jobs in the mines 10 pay his
way. At Il time he drove mules in Il
mine i'll Colorado; then he went to
Mexico. Eventually he drifted back to
his home at Spring Valley, ILL.,, where
he still lives.
At an early 4 he went into n labor
organization. the old veteran body
known as the knights of Labor. After
IL time he became secretary of n local,
then of IL district organization. Later
he was on II legislative committee to
secure the passage of a law demanded
by the workingmen. He succeeded,
and his success started him in his ca
recr. About this time he married, bis
wife having the good Hibcrnian name
of Catharine O'Rourke. Mitchell is
Irish himself. though his speech scarce
ly betrays the fact. More than ever he
bucklcd down to study. When Il man
works ten or twelve hours in Il mine
he has not much heart in him to Inn
prove his mind. but John Mitchell had
too much will power to be deferred by
Il little obstacle such as this.
National Organizer.
As a result of his legislative venture
he was made n member of the state
executive board of the knights of La
Dor and shortly afterward Il national
organizer. The succeeding year. in
1898, he was elected vice president of
the United Mine Workers. In a short
time the president, NJ. D.. Ratclford.
resigned to accept another place, and
Mitchell succeeded to the presidency,
where lie has since remained. When
he became president the mine workers
only had about $1,000 members all told.
BY his organizing ability n by the
national growth'of the order 1t now has
over ten times that number. tThe or.
ganization of the anthracite field has
practically taken place entirely under
his supervision.
In appearance Mr.. Mitchell is of me-
dunn size. being about five feet eight
inches in height and weighing perhaps
100 poands. He always dresses in
black. wearing uniformly II Prince AL
bert coat, straight narrow band of a
standing collar and black tie. y soft
black hat invariably covers his head.
lie smokes cheap cigars and has one in
his mouth inccssantly. He is clean
shayen. with sharp features and Il high
but rcceding forehead. His hair is
black and not worn as that of other
men, but is cut of square across the
t.A-H- FTI.- 1900
the man is his eye. This is large and
luminous and, though gray in color. is
so intense that it gives the impression
at times of being black.
Has No RecrcatioEs Except Wcrk.
John Mitchell has remarkable self
control and the power OF concentration
in an unusual degree. lie never seems
possessed OF nerves. He is usually re
served, but can unbend on occasion.
he is Il good story teller. He has no
recrcationS except work. He is demo-
cratic and is called Jon by all who
know him mt AL well. lie is ut home
alike with presidents. ~millionaires or
mincrS-pcrlaps most with the miners.
He sleeps little and thinks much. Late
ut night, after others have left him. lie
plans his c"Upt!gI Tor the next day.
Last summer Il banG failure at Spring
Valley took his deposit of 5000, said
to be Ill he had In tle world.
lie has woa two strikes for the an
thracitc miners, oae in 1900, the other
in 1902. II was in the latter that Pres
ilcHr Roosevelt interviewed. Al this
time John Mitchell was hailed as thc
ts,rt, Of t1,, Fr-,,., ..I