The story of the early struggles of the labor leader, John Mitchell,
is both pathetic and inspiring. A son of the common people, he has
risen from being a poor door-boy in the coal mines of Illinois, to a
position of great trust and general honor. Mr. Mitchell was born in
Braidwood, Brill county, Illinois, February 4, 1869, being the son of
Robert and Martha Mitchell. Compelled to leave school at the age of
ten, his subsequent education was obtained by night study. He afterward
studied law, worked on a farm, became coal miner and was finally
attracted to the labor movement, which at that time was directed by
the Knights of Labor. In 1888 he took an active part in trade union
affairs as president of the local organization of the Knights. Knowing
that knowledge is power, he read everything that came within his reach
and joined debating societies, athletic associations, independent
political reform clubs and various other organizations, in order to
take advantage of the several opportunities that they presented to him.
When, in January, 1890, the order of United Mine Workers of America
was organized, he was among the first to be enrolled, and in January,
1898, was elected its vice-president. He has been re-elected every
year since, is also second vice-president of the American Federation
of Labor and a member of various committees at the National Civic
Federation. During the five years of his leadership the union has grown
from a membership of forty-three thousand to a membership of over three
hundred thousand. He has brought about many reforms in the interests
of labor. His chiefest achievement is that of securing a settlement of
the recent great coal mine strike through the arbitration commission
appointed by President Roosevelt. He has demonstrated anew the force of
the maxim that “It is to him only who has conquered himself it is given
to conquer.”