The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-30
BARRE'S LABOR LEADER.
The Boston Globe Contains the Fol-
lowing Sketch of Man Well
known In Local Labor Circles.

st. Auustine, Fla, August 30, 1870.
At an early age he came to Norwich,
Conn, where he entered the public
schools. AT IA he went to work in the
cotton mills in that city. Becoming
dissatisfied with his prospects there
he went to Monson, Mass, and secur
ed employment as a tool boy in the
quarries of the Flint Granite Com
pany
From Monson he returned to
Florida and worked as a plumbers
apprentice on the Ponce-De-Leon ho-
tel, st. Augustine.
After a year he returned and re-
entered the granite industry, this
time as fall boy. From fall boy he
graduated to hand driller,. steam
driller and hosting engineer.
Mr.. Mccarthy was one of the pi-
oneers in organizing in 1889 the
Quarrymen's National Union. III
those days there were no salaried or
ganizers, the organizing work being
done by members of the organization,
who would secure work in an unor-
gained locality, get in touch with the
men employed, and as soon as
branch was organized, as a rule
would be discharged by the employ
er, only to drift to some other local
ity to carry on the work.
The general lockout of granite
workers of New England in 1892
practically disbanded the Quarry
mems National Union. In 1898 Nc.
Carthy was elected secretary and
treasurer of the organization, but
owing to the reverses that had been
met and the panic that then prevail.
ed, he advised the few remaining
branches to disband the National
Union and secure charters direct
| from the American Federation OF
Labor.
AS the quarries were now closed to
him, on account of his agitation
among the men, he secured 4 joJ
shovelling dirt in tipcart gang for
$1.35 for ten hours. He next secured
work at his trade as hosting en-
gineer on the construction of dams
and bridges. This he followed for a
few years until the quarry owners
had forgotten his labor record. He
then secured employment in the quai =
ries at Woodbury., Vt.
In three weeks after his arrival in
Woodbury. the quarrymen were or
ganized and charter secured from
the American Federation of Labor
The companies were served with due
notice of desired changes, and as a
result an eight-hour day with increase
in wages and a union job were secur u,
ed.
In September 1908, Mr.. Mccarthy
was elected delegate to a quarry
workers convention held in Washing
ton, d. c., and with eight other del
egates, representing five local unions
organized the Quarry Workers In
ternational Union of North America
He was elected secretary-treasur-
er of the newly formed organization
a position which he now holds, his
last election having been unani-
nous. The first application that was
secured for the new organization was
from the local union at Woodbury.
VT, now known as Branch No. 1, @
w. |. U. A few days after, Branch
No. 2, was organized at Hardwick
VT, where the men were on strike
Mccarthy took charge of the stua-
ton and in two days had another
eight-hour day, straight union job.
From this small beginning the In
ternational has grown to 143 bran
ches, with about 1000 members scat
tered over North America.
At the institution of the Interna-
tional Union the hours of labor var.
led from nine to ten a day, witt
wages from $1.35 to $3.50. Today tho
eight-hour day prevails, with wage.
from an average of $500 to $500 {
day, according to locality.
These results have been brought
about by hard, persistent work, ant
with the cooperation of the men in
terested. AS soon as headquarters
which are located in Barre, VT, are
notified of trouble, Mr.. McCarth.
packs his grip and starts for the fiel,
of dissention, whether it be in Main,
or California.
Aside from his connection with tn,
quarry workers International Union
he has served two terms as presiden
of the Vermont Federation of Labor
and at the last convention declined
reelection. He is also editor of thu
Quarry Workers Journal, a genera
organizer of the American Federation
[ of Labor and a member of the exec
utive board of the New England Civi'
Federation.
He was married in Brattleboro
VT, in 1898, to Mary E. Hopkins, ais
of Brattleboro, and with their famil.
of five children they live in a rent
ed tenement on Summer street il
Rarre