The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-12-28
Born Of Irish Parents, His Father Served
With Honor in the Union Army
During the Civil War.
In Grasping With the Problems Before Him
He Has Displayed the Genius Of a
Military Commander.

him back in Braidwood, at work in
the mines. His first work underground
was that of a doorkeeper, a, position
which he later eloquently described in
his pleadings for the mine boy during
the great Pennsylvania strikes. In this
job, Mr.. Mitchell said, "a worker doesn't
see daylight in working hours at the
age of 16 he left his mothers home
again and went to Braceville, Ill. He
he got his first taste Of unionisnl. The
knights of Labor were then the ruling
organization in labor circles, and he
boyish instinct to rove took hold Of
him, and he went to the far West. He
worked in the mines Of New Mexico,
Colorado and some Of the Southern
states. Then, in 1890, he returned to
Illinois and went into the mines at
Spring Valley. -...
knights of Labor, and was quickly
elected president of the local assembly.
This was his first Office In a labor un-
ion. The next year he married Miss
Katherine O'Rourke, and Spring Valley
became his real home. About this time
the new idea of trade unionism COM
menced to grow up on the ruins Of the
knights Of Labor. The United Mine
Workers Of America were organized and
John Mitchell was among the earliest
Of the recruits. His habit of clear
thinking and plain speaking had at
tracted attention among the miners,
and the same year he was appointed
chairman Of the legislative committee
stationed at Springfield, in charge of
many reform bills in which the union
was interested. Several important
measures were put through that ses-
sion by the efforts Of Mr.. Mitchell and
his colleagues.
The following year he became men,
ber Of the state executive board Of the
United Mine Workers. This was the
year in which the new union first dis
played its strength. Up to this time
the miners had been practically with
out an organization. Conditions had
become unbearable, and the officers of
the new union were given power to call
a strike whenever they saw fit. July
4, 1897, is a historic date in the annals
Of the United Mine Workers. On that
day the order went into effect for q
general strike of all the union miners
in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky,
West Virginia and the western part Of
Pennsylvania. while the miners or
sanization at that time numbered less
than eleven thousand writes Mr..
Mitchell. zone hundred and ten thous-
and men threw down their tools and
the first great struggle for higher
! wages began"
President Of the Mine Workers.
The strike lasted two months and
union representatives and the mine
owners. Tho basic principle Of the
United Mine Workers was established.
The handspring of all the union de-
mands since that time has been that
the men and their employers get to-
gether and talk things over. In that
struggle John Mitchell acted as Nat
ional Organizer for the union. The fol-
lowing year he was elected by the
National Board as acting president to
serve out the term Of M. D. Ratchford,
who had retired. In January, 1899. at
the convention in Pittsburg, he was
elected national president. When he
became head Of the United Mine Work.
ers the organization had forty-three
thousand members. Today 1t has near
ly six hundred thousand. The policy
Of getting together is still dominant.
AS the leader Of the bituminous
miners, Mr.. Mitchell won many notable
victories, and what was more import
\ ant in the eventuation, the confidence
Of both the miners and the mine own