Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-28
oTTUMWA MAN Is NOW PREsl.
DENT OF IOWA MINE WORKERS:
HIS MAJORITY ESTIMATED TO
BE BETWEEN 1000 AND 5000.
STARTED 10 WORK IN
MINES At EARLY AGE
FOR SEVERAL YEARS he HAS
BEEN NATIONAL BOARD MEM.
Der; WAS ELECTED WITHOUT
ANY PERSONAL CAMPAIGNING

That William H. Rodgers Of this c,tx
mas Deen elected president of the iowa
Mlhe workers was confirmed this
morning In an Associated Press dis.
patcn from OskalOosa, which states
that Mr.. Rodgers was elected by a ma.
1or1ty ranging between two and threa
Thousand. While the actual figures will
not be known until the returns are
canyassed officially by special board
next week at the annual state conyen-
tlon In Des Moines, unofficial figures
tabulated IN the offices Of the Iowa
Nine Workers at OskalOosa show that
the OttumWa man Is elected by q good
majority He will succeed John p.
Whlte or Oskaloosa as head Of the
iowa Mine Workers, Mr.. White having
recently been elected national presi.
dent to succeed Thomas L. Lewis ar
Bridgeport, Ohio. Unofficial figures
also show the reelection of Frank
Cameron, formerly of Hiteman. Int
now of Oskalosa, as secretary and
treasurer, by the same majority as
Mr.. Rodgers. The estimate OF the cleo
ton OF Mr.. Rodgers by between two
and three Thousand majority NAV he
low. howev< as additional renorts
tend to increh the lead OF the 81.
tumwa man. No's.,ubt exists as to his
election. District. No. 13 or the United
Mine Workers, of which Mr.. RODGERS
VIII be president, comprises all the
miners locals IN Iowa and Putnam
county. Missouri. The Iowa district is
one OF the most important and influ.
entail districts In the United States.
National President John P. White was
Formerly president and secretary
treasurer of the Iowa Mine Workers.
and Edwin Perry, national secretary
and treasurer Of the United Mine
Workers Of America, was formerly
secretary and treasurer of the Iowa
district. His home is also in Oskaloosa.
Started Early as Miner.
william RI. Rodgers, the new head OF
the, Iowa miners, was born in Mead
Station, ILL.,, September 10, 1875, and is
the son Of Mr. and Mrs. Howell Rod.
gers. His father was a miner and as
soon as the son could WELD the nick
and shovel, he followed the occupation
Of his father.
He came to Iowa with his parents in
1881 and first worked in the mines At
Lucas. Following the mining occupa.
tion, the cessation of work in the
various mines caused him to move To
various mining camps In the state. Be.
i.g man of strong convictions and an
excellent speaker, he soon became rec.
ognized as leader among the miners.
Associating himself with President
John P. White and his supporters. he
soon grew into prominence and sew.
eral years ago he was elected national
board member from Iowa. This is one
of the most important minor Offices in
the national organization, as the board
member is called to all parts of the
United States to aid In the settlement
OF strikes and the organization Of new
unions. Mr.. Rodgers was successful In
this work and when John P. White
was elected to the national presidency.
Mr.. Rodgers was urged by his friends
to make the race for president OF Dis.
ltrict No. 13. Being out OF the state
nearly all the time, he was unable to
campaign among the miners. His cleo
tion to the presidency Of the Iowa Or
ganization without any effort on his
part. shows his high standing among
the miners Of the state. Mr.. Rodgers.
with his wife and son, William, Jr., re.
side at 712 Carroll street. BY his cleo
lion W Tue plesluency, MT. Rodgers
will be forced to move with his family
to Oskaloosa, which is the headquar-
ters Of District No. 13. Oskaloosa may,
however, lose the headquarters at the
annual convention which will be held
at Des Moines March 9. Abba, which
was the headquarters before they
were removed to Oskaloosa, wants
them back again. Ottumwa and Des
Moines will also be candidates for the
headquarters. Ottumwa being in the
center OF the mining population Of
Iowa and northern Missouri, local mine
workers say that this city's chances
for landing the state headquarters are
good.