The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-07-27
FRED BEAL, veteran OF MANY BIG
LABOR STRUGGLES; MADE A REBEL
BY EARLY SLAVERY IN N. {. MILLS
Was in Great Lawrence Strike of Mill Workers;
Fought Labor Misleaders of U. T. W.
(Continued from, Page One)

half of which DOTTED from 20 to 80
minutes. In my "rest" periods,
had to help the yarn boy take the
filled bobbins from the frames. The
work was continually changed and
/ had to run back and forth to the
shed for new gears. My weekly
wage was S4.48 for Sc hours week.
Often the belts which run on pull
legs all across the room would
break and fly off and hit some one.
was hit one day and knocked I'M
conscious with a flying belt. The
boss would not let me go home and
after throwing water on me, fore
ed me back to work.
A Boy Who Rebelled.
One day, another boy the same
age as myself, rebelled against the
boss who was kicking US and every
one else around (those days before
the 1912 great Lawrence strike,
the bosses in the mills used to kick
the workers and pull their hair),
and we hid under a machine not in
use and piled boxes around the
bottom and stayed there for hours
before he found US. When we were
found he pulled US out by the hair
and kicked US all about the room.
We both "jacked" up the job at
noon and found work again the
same day in the Aver mill of the
American Wooden Co. I stayed
a while and went to work in the
Pacific mills. This was the latter
part of 1911.
In Lawrence, 1911
Several times l heard l. W. W.
speakers speaking on "soap box"
outside Of the mill. l was greatly
interested in what they said and
read every leaflet they put out.
One day when the whistle blew at
ten minutes to one the speaker said
"There go the bells calling the
slaves to work" This made an i'm
preston on me that day. In JAN,
1912, the Massachusetts legisla-
ture passed a law reducing the
hours from Sc to Sd.
A petition was drawn up by the
workers in the mill to present to
the boss, stating that a strike would
be called if wages were cut as a
result of the lessened hours. Most
of the workers in my room were
either Italian or French-Canadian.
l put my name at the head of the
petition. The overseer came around
to me trying to persuade me to
take my name off the list, threat
ening me with the blacklist" in
all mills for life. l did not take it
off. The strike came about and
/ was one Of the first ones out and
stayed out for the duration of the
strike. | did not take any part in
this strike except to attend mass
meetings held on the Lawrence
common. heard Big Bill Haywood.
He impressed me on the spot. l
heard Gurley Flynn, Etter and 9TH
ers. l joined the thousands that
picketed around the mills. The mi
litia that drove the strikers back
made me furious. l never had any
anti-foreign feeling.
Drafted in the Army.
After the strike was over, l
went back to work in the Aver mill.
l worked in several other mills in
Lawrence, among them the Wood
Worsted mill, Arlington mill and
Everett mills. l took in some So
cialist party meetings from time
to time and subscribed to the New
York Call. In September, 1918,
was drafted in the army. l was
sent to Camp Devens. Most Of those
around me were unwilling soldiers.
However, no one dared to kick.
was kept in camp after the war was
over to help discharge the return
ing soldiers. They were the sorri-
est bunch l ever have seen. All of
them were of the opinion they would
never go again.
A Soldier Who Picketed.
Another strike broke out in Law
renee at this time (1910. l took
deep interest in this strike. Sam
uel Bramhall and Joseph Salerno
and Rotzell were the outstanding
leaders in this strike. Once / went
A. w. 0. L. from the camp and
picketed in my uniform. There were
many returned soldiers in line.
In the 1922 Strike.
After / was discharged from the
army, / went to work in the Pa
cific print works. A twenty per
cen wage cut was put into effect in
many of the mills in Lawrence and
surrounding cities in 1922. The
Lawrence strike was carried on I'M
der the banner of the One Big In
ion, which l joined. l also joined
the Socialist Party at this time.
Ben Legere and Bert Emsley, Sam
Bramhall were the principal lead
ers of this strike. l did picket duty
every day. After the strike was
over / became member of the ex-
ecutive board, continuing working in
the Pacific print works. About this
time, / became secretary of the