For anyone who might be interested in my comment on Tokoi and the affect of US mine labor conditions on European history, his autobiography is
Sisu: "Even Through A Stone Wall", by Oskari Tokoi. Robt. Speller & Sons, Publishers, Inc., New York 36, 1957. Lib. of Congr. # 57-10593
Factual Corrections: he was first Premier of independent Finland, not President (there was no President, since there was no new constitution), in the coalition government of March-October 1917. Also, although he spent some considerable time in Leadville, he makes no mention of mining coal in Colorado.
Tokoi lived in the US from 1891 (age 18) until 1900: he worked as a miner (and Temperance and Union leader) in Carbon, Almy, Hanna & Glen Rock, WY(Coal), Lead, SD (Gold), E. Wellington, BC & Carbonado, WA(Coal). He worked at the Hanna #1 until it was closed down by a fire. Two years later it was reopened and was the scene of a terrible disaster in 1903. He quarried in Rocklin, and mined gold at Ophir, CA. He worked in Leadville, CO, twice, the second time nearly getting killed in one mine and then earning enough money tenant mining Baby Doe Tabor's Duncan #3 to take his wife and child back to Finland and buy a small farm. Much of his political outlook was formed by his rather terrible experiences in survivng the depression of 1893-4.
Some fascinating comments in the book: in one district "all the bosses were Welshmen" etc. Also on the egalitarian and philosophical leanings of the railroad Hoboes. Good insights on the rise of the Temperance movement among Finnish miners (Prohibition was also a major plank of the Finnish SosDems.). Also good descriptions of immigrants sticking together as well as being ostracised by the wider society. w.r.t Ludlow, there is a description of the similar labor riots in Leadville in 1896, with the MWU ordering 1500 rifles and ammo and culminating in the sending in of two regiments of soldiers and "persecution of the miners".
PS: I agree that that the desecration of the Ludlow memorial is vile.
John
Automatic digest processor <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
There is one message totalling 16 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Ludlow Massacre Memorial
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Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 15:54:43 +0100
From: Keith Ramsey
Subject: Ludlow Massacre Memorial
For an update on this story and an account of the Colorado Coalfield War
with contemporary photographs, see the Colorado Springs Independent at
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/current/cover.html
Keith Ramsey
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End of mining-history Digest - 30 Jun 2003 to 1 Jul 2003 (#2003-164)
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