davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24
FARLEY, THE KING OF A noted TRIO,
Behind This Leader Stands Frank Curry.
buster Ready and Their Forces Ready
to Crush Unionisnn at Call >~
of the Employers.
character Study of Curry, Who Is Conducting Battle
of ChcaSo Business Men Teamsters-New
Occupation Born of Industrial Strife.

CnlcaSo.-"Vested interests have put
the stamp of approval upon one CON-
paratively new industry in the United
states-strille breaking. There's spe-
cAes OF freemasonry that obtains in this
lshmaellte class, but thirty third de-
gree honors only have been conferred
upon three men-the Big Three Of the
industrial strife world James Farley,
by reason OF his long experience, easily
leads this trio III the public eye Not to
have heard OF "Farley's Own" is to ar
sue yourself ignorant OF great labor
troubles. Frank Curry. the pugnacious,
audacious, shrewd and withal fearless
bundle OF nerves and muscle who is de-
tying unionism in the vortex OF Chi
Cages riOlous teamsters' strike, has
pushed himself into second place. The
third OF this group of men who pour out
organized capitals wealth to pour into
strikes the units of fighters who move
freight, turn wheels and push COM
merce on her way, is we'll known on the
Pacific coast-"Buster" Ready.
These are the superiors in the modern
and approved plan OF battle that capital
uses to crush defiant unionism. They
are not particular, are these generals,
rs to the makeup of their brigades of
workmen, but they demand one thing
from every man they lead-courage.
NO time for strealks of yellow, be they
inthe black man or in the white man." is
the statement you will hear from the
strike breaker when he lines up his men
for the first duty.
Farley the Mysterious.
"Farley's here-he will have 1000
negroes at his back and Chicago's
business will be resumed was the
message that went through the room
where were gathered the chiefs of the
transfers joint council The name
Farley was one to conjure with on the
streets. A people who had no knowl-
edge OF Farley except what was gained
from the press wondered if Farley
wore coat of mail, slept with his
head on Winchester and had a body
guard of cowboys.
Yes. Farley was there. We saw him
We who were watching for the man
whom the millionaire merchants ex-
pected to help them out of their stag
nation. But the Farley who came into
strike-ridden Chicago unannounced
incognito and almost dragging himself
into his hotel room was not the in
trepid Farley who had put his horny
fist into the hand of the executive
head of New York's Interborough and
promised with the grasp of friendship
to break the strike of $500 employees
inside Of 40 hours.
Leader Broken in Health.
Farley did not lead a body of rifle
men in the Employers Teaming COM
pany caravan guard. He did not get
into any of the riots with the strike
sympathizers. Instead he slipped out
Of the city as quietly as he had come
ia sick man. Down in a health
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

that might have been reaped by Far
ley are left to Frank Curry to reap
He began his harvest by getting ar
rested and having his eyes blackened
by the ''caress Of pair of brass
knuckles.' Fretting over the orders
Of a physician that he remain in a
darkened room, the strike breaker
showed his Impotence to his few call
ers. i've only got a cinder in my
eye" said Curry. But it don't make
me want to duck these poor colored fell
lows l have to break this strike with"
You study this man and see how
far short of Farley his capacity for
executive ability falls. Homestead
iron works cooled the mold in which
Farley's spirit was shaped and then
the mold fell into the Allegheny river.
Curry had his fighting spirit case
hardened in a struggle of less impor-
tance-he seems to have some molten
material in the interior that needs
the reverses Of conflict to harden.
Defies Death for Gain.
It's money-only money that Curry
is working for. He nonchalantly tells
you that. IF the strike lasts 80 days"
said Curry, as he dropped some medi-
cine into his inflamed eye from the
blade Of misunderstanding to use the
little rubber syringe that his doctor
has left for him-"I'll slip out of the
city $4,000 richer than I was when
came in"
But haven't you any animosity-
isn't there some Of that hatred that
the correspondents have written about
that impels you to fight unions?" Curry
was asked.
Look here" was the quick reply.
Put down in your note book these
few things, and when I'm a back num-
Der study them:
"A man who would not take chance
against mob for money is not a per-
son to look for the future.
Capitalists play golf, count their
coupons, lean on bright young men to
pilot their great enterprises and write
essays for their club parties on the
growth Of union tyranny They need
Drawn, brains and grit to help them
in their troubles.
Must Please Men Of Wealth.
"The young man who has a few
ounces of brains, carload of grit and
enough Drawn to not know he has a
stomach needs that capitalists money.
He can't win, taking it from the rich
mamie must please him to get it.
"Please the capitalist by showing
! him that law and order will spread
out before you if you fight disorder and
lawlessness and you will get more
from the rich man than a bookkeeper
could earn in so times your period
of work.
Fat Checks Salve Wounds.
mo physical pain you can get in
a riot lasts long. The nice cneck that
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

servant as pretty low down. have
told him that the tipping habit is just
as bad in America as in France, but
he says in America the servant acts
as though he never had such a thought
az getting tip, and when you give
him q quarter or other tip he looks
puzzled, as though he did not just
recall what he had done to merit such
treatment, but finally puts the money
in his pocket with an air as though
he would accept it in trust, to be
given to some deserving person at the
first opportunity, and then he smiles,
and gets away, and blows in the tip
for something wet and strong.
l told dao it he would just ignore
the servants, as though he did not un-
derstand that they expected tip, that
he would be all right, 50 when we got
ready to move from the hotel to pri-
vate rooms dad never gave any gerv-
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24
He Writes the Old Groceryman About
= Paris--Dad Almost Fights Duel
He Is Arrested Good Deal.
BY HON. GEORGE w P]


BY HON. GEORGE w. PECK.
(Ex-Governor of Wisconsin. Formerly Pub
Usher Of Pecks Sun, Author Of
"Peck's Bad Boy" .l1tc)
Copyright. 1905, by Joseph b. Bowles.)
Paris, France.-My Dear Uncle Ezra:
Dad is in an awful state here, and
DO not know what to do with him.
we struck this town all in heap,
and the people seemed to be paralyzed
SO they couldn't speak, except to
make motions and make noises that
we could not interpret This is the
first time dad and I have been in a
place where nobody understood our
language. Ordinarily we would take
pleasure in teaching people to speak
the English language, but in coming
across the English channel dad and l
both got something we never got on
the water before. Ordinary seasick-
ness Is only an incident, that makes
you wish you were dead-just tenn
porary, but when it wears off you
can enjoy your religion and victuals
as well as ever, but the seasickness
that the English channel gives you is
. permanent investment, like govern
ment bonds that you cut coupons off
of. I 'spect we shall be sick always
now, and worse every other day, like
chills and fever
Say, a boat on the English channel
does not roll, or pitch, at intervals,
like a boat on ordinary water, but it
does stunts like broncho that has
been poisoned by eating loco-weeds,
and goes into the air and dives down
under, and shakes itself like a black
bass with a hook in it's mouth, and
rolls over like a trained dog, and sits
up on it's hind legs and begs, and then
walks on it's fore paws, and seems to
jump through hoops, and dig for wood
chucks, and all the time the water
boils like 'pollinarius, full of bubbles
and it gives you the hiccups to look
at it, and it flows every way at the
| same time, and the wind comes from
the fourteen quarters at once, and
blows hot if you are too hot and want
cool breeze, and it you are too cold
and want warm breeze to keep you
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

well dinner when his work is over!
No. The forces Of the executive COM
mittee Of the Employers association
that were instrumental in enlisting
Curry for the perilous work speak
with the checkbook to such an en-
ploye. They regard him as a soldier
Of fortune. Curry will pass on to
some other center where organized
capital decides to declare it's indie
pendence Of the so-called tyranny OF
labor-where dormant citizens asso-
citation or an employers association
arises to present slogan: open
shop city or fight to the finish," and
again the will O. wisp of money will
dance before Strikebreaker Curry's
eyes. He will do the work asked OF
him. Given enough industrial strife
problems to solve and Curry will
swing around a circuit that will end
only with his period Of usefulness.
There was grave talk of putting the
national guard in the streets of Chi
cago when Curry was busiest directing
his men. my boys III a saloon?"
queried Curry in his telephone. Tell
them to steer clear of the saloon.
That's what makes it possible for
strike-breakers to work, lots of times
the saloon" Then settling back for
another chat the wounded leader dis
cussed troops and their bearing on a
strike.
Troops and the Strike.
when you find the union men are
just plain law haters-not high-class
men-you learn that. they do not fear
the police as much as they should.
And guess the bluecoats do not want
to get the union men down on them.
l was arrested for picking up brick
that a union sympathizer hurled at me,
while the latter was not caught.
While two policemen held me a thug
used his brass knuckles on me. That's
not fair. If militia were on guard law
lessness would cease and. we strike
breakers would have a chance to put
through the teams as directed"
"Then the presence of troops would
not make your own leadership futile?'
Curry was asked.
Troops might have to fire few VOL
leys and then the peaceful stage would
begin. A short time of this and /
would flit." ,
Out in the street rich man drove
his automobile up to the department
store. Fifty policemen were guarding
caravan of wagons manned with the
negroes who blindly obeyed the orders
OF Strikebreaker Curry. A man who
was fixing the cement sidewalk drew
near to the automobilist.
"They do be sayin' that this Curry,
the strike-breaker, will hsvs Farley
wild him tomorrow, mister. I'd hate
to be teamster in the procession"
my good fellow, strike-breaker
can sleep ten hours a night, like you
do, perhaps" was the reply Of the
man In the auto-one Of the merchant
princes whose word in the Employers
association was law. z4f, fzi.ss. &:
And the wonder IL that q strike
breaker Of prominence can find . room
IN which b. feels secure enough to
drop into slumber.
n: n Vrna4,Y.A
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24
COIN DOLLARS IN PRIVATE.
Italian Tells Of Money Which Is
Minted in Palermo-Shows

One evening was sitting with an
Italian friend in restaurant, relates an
Eyerybody's Magazine writer, and We
We're discussing American laws and re-
strictions, at which he was very much
inclined to scofr.
Did you ever see a dollar that is not
a dollar?" said he. shook my head,
and he rolled across the table to me a
silver coin. 1t seemed TO me to be q
dollar. examined it with every care,
and getting another from the cash regis
ter, compared the two. They were ex-
actly alike in weight, sound, color,
milling and all. At last got them con-
fused, and only my friend was able 10
point out which was which.
That is what we call a Palmero dol
lar" he said. DO you remember some
years ago that western silver miners
were caught taking about 100000
worth of silver into the Nevada City
mint and having it turned into money
without being recorded? Well. that is
just what is going on in Palmero to-day,
with variations. Silver is brought in
San Luis Potosi. Mexico. or thereabour,
shipped to Paris, taken to Palmero, and
minted with reasonable privacy. The
dollars are jumhled with stones to nick
them and laid in greasy clay. then come
over here in third-class baggage for
distribution. They cost about 43 cents
and defy detection. except that the hicks
are too similar, and it is said that the
M on the neck is not quite deep enough,
and that the Il in pluribus is a thou
sandth of an inch crooked. You know
every counterfeiter makes some little
mistake"
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

n .ISE . st.tt =,
Farley never forgot a mans name
If he passed scrutiny and got his de-
scription on his little red book that he
kept In safo in his Office in Pittsburg.
Those names were fund that he drew
upon for the railway and street trans
portation chiefs when they needed
strike-breakers. But Curry has. no
list. He would not be bothered with
a book. He will take the leadership
of the biggest and most nondescript
throng Of nonunion men, black or
white-and black pvoferred-that any
employment agency over hustled into
day coaches for long train ride.
''ls he man? Can he drive team
and fight?" Those are the only que
ries Curry puts to his recruits after
they are turned owe: to him. He will!
talk Of the rich merchants of st. Louis
putting rifles on their shoulders, shut
ting themselves up in their Washing
ton street barracks and fighting the
mobs of unionists. He will say that
their hands 'trembled when their fin
gu pNA4C\A <N0 tAA6eCAA CAAt1L oCAI 1IACo'
sengers Of death to rioters. But his
sickly smile follows his conclusion:
''They lroke the strike"
tits what guns were made .for-to
shoot. shot at men lots of times
They had me tingling with pain when
I did it and, may it please the court
ha! ha! hal think my aim was bad
very bad-worse than that of q
woman. You see it's better to hit a
striker than a lad playing block
away and you can afford to shoot into
the ground once in awhile"
Farley, the Silent.
If Curry is studying to simulate Far.
ley he is poor student. Farley never
talked that much to anybody. The
skill of Farley, who had 5000 employe:
rushed up the East river to the Inter
borough power house on the steamer
c. II. Northam, ready after midnight
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

TO man New IOrk'S cars that the
Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric Railway Employees had
deserted. never, was ,menaced by gar
rulity. Union men, richer than other
workmen, naughty because they had
powerful and rich unions behind them
and ignorant of the true strength OF
Farley as strike breaker, scoffed
when the Northam left her Jersey City
anchorage.
"Her decks are deserted" they said.
"This man Farley has a bakers dozen
of ours in the hold" Farley never
spoke except in a low tone to a lieu
tenant of "Farley's own" He had
made trips to the principal cities of
the country, selected his men and had
brought them to New York's portals.
A few hours later he put them in
charge Of the cars and one day later
had the unions suing for peace. There
was scarcely an interview with Far
ley in Manhattan paper that was
bona fide. Capital spent no time in
foolish praise of the man who gave
it the weapon to humble strikers
whose ultimatums to the company i'm
posed impossible conditions. 1t paid
him and filed his name for future use.
Curry Once Motorman.
Curry learned the use Of the motor
mans, controller handle. He could
stop a trolley car at street crossing
$50 that a passenger could alight at
the same spot every time. He knew
also the way to use the Westinghouse
air brake. He could mend "blown-
out fuse" He could climb onto a car
roof and cut a live wire or fix'a twist
ed trolley. In short he was of the
world Of front enders"-motor men.
We watched him guide car through
a mob, dodge missiles and defy the
stockyards thugs in the City railway
strike. I'm take car through to the
terminal and back If there is only a
platform left" said Curry.
Strikers visited his home and plead
ed with his wife to teach him fear.
She knew that he was fearless even
to the death struggle. She also knew
that his goal was the dollar sign
that he had no specific fight with
unions. Mrs. Curry realized that the
current of his ambition could not be
grounded and pleaded with her callers
for justice for her spouse Franks
got the nerve-he has a right to work
for his living and II he gets the re-
porters to call him hero, a bruise on
his head will hurt just the same" she
is reported to have said.
Brains VS.. Drawn. :
Considerable brute strength was an
asset used by Garry in the street car
strike. Farley used his brains more
and directed brute strength along lines
Of least resistance. The strategy of
the Pittsburg ONCE went into effect
wherever Farley strung his '''live
wires" without a hitch. Curry, after
al, was a strike-breaker who needed
4 general manager Of q superintendent
to help plan for the trips. .zsxs .z.z.s# !
Then there was the Ice wagon driv-
ers' strike in st. Louis. Farley did not
aspire to Creating that. Maybe he
was not asked to help. But Curry
bobbed up. He gave his opinion Of
tho situation three hours altar View
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

avenge an Insult In blood, stop and
think OF the sorrow and shame that
will come to you il you draw your gun
too quick, and have q widow on your
hands as the result Suppose had
killed that shrimp. the face of his wild
ow would have haunted me always. and
I would have wanted to die. Don't
ever kill anybody, my boy, ii you can
settle a"dispute by shaking the dice."
Well, dad ordered some more vine,
and as he drank it., he allowed the pop
ulace to admire him and say things
about the great American millionaire,
who spent money like water and was
too brave to fight. Then dad called
for his check to pay his bill, and when
he felt in his pocket for his roll Of
bills. he hadn't nickel and the won1-
an, when she was in his arms. wedding
with one hand, had gone through dads
pockets with the other. Dad felt for
his watch, to see what tire it was, and
his watch was gone, and the waiter was
waiting for the money and dad tried
to explain that he had been buncoed,
and the head waiter came and begun
to act sassy, and then they called a
policeman to stay by us till the money
was produced, and everybody at the
other tables laughed, and dad turned
blue, and I thought he would have a
fit. Finally, the guide began TO talk,
and the result was that policeman
went home With us, and dad found
money enough TO pay the bill, but he
talked language that caused the land
lady to ask us to find a new place.
The next morning the guide showed
up with an officer who had a warrant
for dad for hugging a woman in pub
lie cafe, and it seemed as though We
were in for it, but the guide said he
| could settle the whole business by pay.
ing the officer $50, and dad paid it and
I think the guide and the officer divided
the money. Say, this is the Creates
| town we have struck yet for excite
| ment, and I guess dad will not have &
! chance to think of his sickness.
This morning we went into big
uopo1 t"e1t olO1t, anu, ~ SOSu. We
| found the count that dad was going tt
fight was foor-walker, and the coun
| tess was behind counter sell
ing soap. When dad saw The
count leering at him, ne put his han(
on his pistol pocket and yelled regu
lar cowboy yell, and the count rushed
! down into the basement, the soap coun'
| tess tainted, and the police took dad Il
the police station, and all day thu
guide and have been trying to ge
him out on bail. If we get dad out O.
this we are going to put muzzle OF
him. Well, if anyone asks you if an
having much of time abroad, you car
tell them the particulars.
P. S.--We got dad out for $50 ant
costs, ard he says he will blow Pari!
up before night. We are going up t
the top of the Eiffel tower this after
noon, to count our money, as dad das
sent take out his pocketbook anywhere
on the ground for fear of being robbed
Yours full of frogs,
| HENNERY.
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

ing It. Plenty Of good police-a chief
who knows the department will do as
1t is told-uniOn men, who have q rev.
erence for the law that Chicago team
sters do not posses" and he said to
the millionaire leaders who conferred
with him: It's q cinch."'.@ ..:, j.. T.
In that strike Curry coined an ex.
preston that only one man heard.
It was: : Negroes have blood.
nerves and a desire to work. I'll
fight to put them at par with the
same stocks Of the white men," And
1t was Curry who saw in his throngs
of big, loose-jointed, silent, powerful.
though not altogether. cleanly,: colored
recruits from St. Louis and the south
force that could break the warfare
that International President G. P.
Shea, of the Transfers brotherh hood.
had precipitated in Chicago.
How Curry Dehed Strikers.
The first thing that Curry did when
put in command in Chicago was to
march 300 colored strike-breakers
through crowded streets to teach
them the lay Of the land" 1t was only
picnic for Curry The. marchers
We're tired and footsore. Not so with
Curry. A call went out: I'VE have
lost a wagon Who will find it? 1t
has federal injunction placard on it.
but that means some one will lead
the mob to make kindling-wood Of it. u
Its a cinch," came the familiar re.
! mark Of Curry. "Step out here, you
fellows. Follow me"
Policemen never lodged the show.
ers Of missiles that were directed al
Curry and his band. Time for a grim
joke even by Curry. "They are not
trying to curry favor but curry Curry
said the strike-breaker. He found the
! wagon.
! Wealth His Reward.
! Will Strikebreaker Curry ever gel
| into the Union League club for A fare
Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24


comes. at the end of your work will
make you forget q few bruises and
scars. -S~5 = .aas#:* **#s
And this from q man whose eye was
bandaged, whose head was swollen
from club wounds and whose body bore
bruises from the brick shower he had
defed. Look for the cynic's smile
when he concludes his epigrammatic
talk and you will be disappointed.
Curry has new science-he will mas
ter 1t and have, a bank account that
will take him far from the maddine
crowd. as it were. Some day he may
have q sheep ranch and extend an In
vitation to some old and broken for.
mer labor chief to como and Be his
herder.