You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Saturday January 9, 1904
From the Appeal to Reason: "Propagating Socialism in the Dakotas"
Comrade John W. Gardner sent in this report to the Appeal from Dissmore, N.D., on Dec. 18th in which he recounts several days of a bitterly cold speaking tour made by Comrade Bennett in North Dakota. We offer, as an example, this account of one day from comrade Gardner's longer report:
Dear Comrades: I wish to make a few comments on the following, copied from the Coming Nation, of December 12th:
"Comrade John W. Bennett is braving the cold blasts of North Dakota's winter winds to plant the seeds of Socialism."
It is said that no person can realize what pain is unless they have had actually experienced. For the same reason, very few who read the above extract will realize the volume of self-sacrifice, inconveniences, discomforts and actual SUFFERING experienced by the comrades in active service.
In view of the above, a short account of Comrade Bennett's trip thru Nelson County, N.D. may be interesting....
The afternoon of [December] 8th, Comrade Bennett and I started with a horse and buggy for McVille, where Bennett was billed to speak that night.
When we left my home, a storm, at times approaching a blizzard stage, was raging and grew in severity until, after we had traveled about twelve miles, it became so blinding we were compelled to seek shelter at a convenient farm house. After an interval of about forty minutes, the storm having abated somewhat, we thanked our involuntary host for the shelter and the offer of more so freely extended, and once more plunged forward, arriving at the home of Comrade R. H. Carr about one hour later where a hearty welcome awaited us. After supper, seated by a cheerful hard coal fire with the storm raging outside, what a temptation to say: "There will be no one at the meeting place tonight, let us remain at home." But the thought that a few might have braved the elements in order to hear the truth compelled us, Comrades Mr. and Mrs. Carr, Bennett and myself, to drive two and one-half miles to the place of meeting and we were amply rewarded by the close and even eager attention with which the fifteen persons there assembled listened to the speaker. While no local was organized that night, I confidently predict that one will be formed there in the near future. ...
In closing this short detailed account of a very small portion of the work of our loyal and earnest Comrade Bennett, I desire to say: if the reading of the above inspires one comrade to renewed effort in behalf of the cause we all love, I will feel amply repaid for writing it. Yours faithfully,
JOHN W. GARDNER
News of the serious illness of Mother Jones continues to be reported across the country. The following report is from page one of California's
San Bernardino County Sun:
MOTHER JONES IS STRICKEN
TRINIDAD, Colo., Jan. 8-Today the condition of "Mother" Jones, who yesterday was stricken with pneumonia, is unchanged. She is 62 years old and recovery is doubtful. The mine workers anxiously watch the bulletins.
SOURCES
"Yours for the Revolution"
The Appeal to Reason, 1895-1922
-ed by John Graham
U of NE Press, 1990
San Bernardino County Sun
(San Bernardino, California)
-of Jan 9, 1904
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Friday January 9, 1914
From the Miners Bulletin: "Moyer and Tanner Return to District"
Greeted by Cheering Thousands at Hancock Railway Station
President Charles H. Moyer and Auditor Charles H. Tanner of the Western Federation of Miners arrived in the city at noon yesterday from Chicago. The gentlemen were met at Houghton station by Ex-congressman Victor Berger, of Milwaukee; Attorney John Kiiskila, of Hancock; R. R. McKenzie, Federation organizer; James M. Lord, and Paul L Paulson of the United Mine Workers; Walter Toupin of Calumet; J. E. Ballinger, editor of the Miner' Bulletin and many others who accompanied them to Hancock station where the train was met by a cheering crowd of people numbering about two thousand.
President Moyer and Auditor Tanner were escorted to the Scott hotel by a number of deputy-sheriffs who were at the station with an automobile. Several carriages were in waiting to carry other prominent men to the hotel. President Moyer appears somewhat emaciated from his confinement in the hospital at Chicago, but is rapidly regaining his health. The trip from Chicago to this city was quite tiresome and the Federation official was immediately taken to his room where he remained for several hours resting from the trip before being permitted to see or communicate with anyone.
The station at Houghton from where these men were loaded upon a train two weeks ago tonight wounded and bleeding, was filled with a curious crowd who sought to get a glimpse of the deported officials. At an early hour this morning bulletins were placed in the Nichols Drug Store stating that President Moyers had left Chicago for the copper country and was expected at noon. Had the news become general, Federation members to the number of thousands would have been at the station to welcome their president. As it was the streets were thronged from the station to the hotel with those who hoped to get a glimpse of the men who had been so cruelly forced to leave the copper country two weeks ago tonight.
Moyer's Statement.
In a conversation with the Editor of the Miners Bulletin, President Moyer stated that he had returned to the copper country with the intention of again taking up his work where he left off at the time he was summarily ejected from the state. He will give all assistance within his power to the grand jury now in session to ferret out all information possible regarding the investigation of the strike situation now being made by the grand jury.
Mr Moyer will also assist the governor in his probe of strike conditions, supplying information that will in any manner be of assistance to the Governor in his work of making an investigation of the strike situation here.
SOURCE
Miners' Bulletin
"Published by authority of
Western Federation of Miners
to tell the truth regarding
the strike of copper miners."
-of Jan 9, 1914
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Thursday January 9, 2014
Great News from the Home Front!
Dear Readers,
Please forgive this abbreviated edition of Hellraisers. My very dear friend is scheduled for her Citizenship Exam on Tuesday, and we need this time to help her prepare. Becoming a United State Citizen is her dream. And finally, after many long years of being a resident, she could become a Citizen within the next few weeks!
Please keep her in your thoughts.
JayRaye
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