Wobblies & their impact on Grays

Harbor

by Nancy Cuyle

Much of what follows was taken from writings by Aaron Goings, who is a professor at St. Martins and an author of several books based on study of unionization on the West Coast. Copies are available for reading at the Friends of the Aberdeen Museum office, as well as, for purchase through many outlets.

The Wobblies was a nickname given to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). This was an organization that sought living wages for the hardworking laborers. Workers rights became a militant and at times violent fight. Thousands of workers joined or supported the IWW during its about 40

years of existence. The mill, logging and ship owners saw the IWW as destroying their investment and livelihoods. They fought them with means that were legal, illegal and violent in return. The numbers of workers turning to communism and socialism as a way out of their living conditions, added to the controversy and sometimes confusion over the workers’ message. One often hears about the struggles for fair treatment in the clothing industry and other large factories in the East. The West Coast story is harder to digout but no less significant. Unions had existed in the West but they were for “higher level” crafts: like brick layers,

carpenters, and printers. From 1900-10 these workers earned $3.50 to 4.50 a day*. At that same time a mill worker earned $1.75 to $2.00 a day*, which barely covered living costs for a single man let alone a family. The IWW promised to organize all workers regardless of status, race, sex, or skill. They were committed tochallenge capitalism itself, if that’s what it took to bring fair treatment. In June 1905, the IWW was founded in Chicago by a group including philosophies ranging from socialism to anarchy. It included militant and radicals members committed to do what it took to help the laboring workers. They advocated for use of direct action on the job, such as strikes, sabotage, and slowdowns, rather

Benn’s BulletinFall 2020

than waiting for political or electoral action. The IWW stepped into the West Coast lumber situation where production was the watchword. Labor worked at a fast pace to meet the insatiable demands of the marketplace. From 1900-30 logger was the most dangerous job in the

region. That was followed by lumber workers and shingle workers who faced loss of fingers, hands, and arms to the often massive saws used to handle the old growth timber. To work in the timber industry meant the acceptance that death or disfigurement was likely your fate.

The hazards were daily and loss of fellows workers regular. There were no workers compensation

(Cont’d page 3)

Thank you to Pat Hughes for catching our “hour vs day” error

Bill Murray the Grays Harbor Logger

By Ruth HamiltonYears of comedic genius on Saturday Night Live (SNL) have endeared Bill Murray to us. Also added to by his time in The Second City, Chicago’s famed comedy club. Movies like “Groundhog Day”, “Stripes” “Caddyshack,” “Scrooged,” , Ghostbusters”, “What About Bob?” are but a few of his humorous roles. His dramatic portrayals are also not to be forgotten: “Rushmore”, “St. Vincent”, “Lost in Translation” are but a few.

Many have seen his antics on golf courses around the country, as well, but did you know that he played

professional baseball in Grays Harbor? He played with the Grays Harbor Loggers at Olympic Stadium in 1978. Well, he played one game. Murray had always wanted to play professional baseball, so as part of a marketing stunt for SNL, he joined the Loggers and knocked in a couple of runs, and they did win the championship that season. Fellow players reported that he worked hard at pre-game practice and took batting practice very seriously. Though Murray wasn’t the best of the team, he played well. In his position as first base coach, he also played to the crowd.

Can you imagine the fun they must have had with him goofing in-between plays? Watch YouTube SNL "Things we did last summer" Bill Murray short to see his spoof on his time on The Harbor. Although he had already started with SNL, when he came to Grays Harbor, he had yet to land any movie roles. He was reportedly torn between playing sports and taking on a film, but made a last minute decision to accept a leading role in “Meatballs” and his cinematic star began to rise. His interest in sports has continued and he is a part owner of the St. Paul Saints independent

Did you know that he played

professional

baseball team, as well as, the Charleston RiverDogs, Hudson Valley Renegades and the Boston Rox. Numerous minor league teams have also benefited from his investment and he was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 2012. He has over 60 films to his credit, earning acclaim for both lead and supporting roles. His work in the entertainment world includes comedy, drama, voice talent, writing, directing and numerous television

Videos for Schools With COVID the change in education has been on our minds. Is there anything the Friends of the Aberdeen Museum can do to help teachers, students and parents with history education? Our idea is to make short historical videos that students might enjoy.

Our first recording is for Veterans Day. The keynote speaker will be Jim Daly, Retired Captain of the United States Marine Corp and President of the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We plan to have it completed in early September so teachers can build it into their curriculum.

If this is successful we will make more, aiming to keep them between 3

and 5 minutes as educators recommended. Our committee is excited and working hard to make this a preferred way to share history that focuses on how our local area ties to many beyond our borders.

Videos will be put on You Tube and available to the public as well as the school system.

We will keep you informed on our progress and hope you will take a few minutes to check out our videos as they are finished.

As always we welcome help and ideas if you can be a part of this project.

TriviaWho built Aberdeen’s

first saw mill? Answer Page 4

Wobblies

(Cont’d from Page 1)

benefits. That is one thing many unions offered. Meanwhile Grays Harbor cut, produced and shipped lumber at an epic pace. The lumber production was record breaking and Grays Harbor was the “Largest Lumber-Shipping Port in The World.” In 1924 Grays

Harbor became the first port to ship out over a billion board feet of lumber by water. The Grays Harbor Washingtonian bragged: “Grays Harbor would be the only lumber port in the world able to talk in billions while others were talking millions in the lumber game.” The struggle between & owner and worker was literally all out war. Workers were seeking compensation for the full fruits of their labor, while employers and owners wanted a free hand to gain wealth and recognition for their investment. The fight was ugly and intense. Aberdeen passed a municipal law banning “left-wing” political speeches. This was, of course, meant to stop men seeking workers to become union members. Employers formed “citizens committees” and vigilantly groups who “helped” police by arresting activists. Fire hoses, clubs and sometimes even guns broke up groups. Union members were refused credit at local merchants. The vigilantes rounded

up unionists and chased them out of town. Finally in 1912 the public speaking law was overturned. With their free speech victory in hand the IWW and other unions representing longshoremen, shingle weavers, sailors, and electrical workers called a strike in the spring of 1912 which lasted 3 months. Within a week of the walkout, union membership was increasing by 125-150 a day. On March 23rd, two parades, each a “half mile long” and fronted by women and members of the Finish socialist band, converged at Electric Park on the border of Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

In desperation employers, police and others raided IWW

headquarters and rounded up as many as they could and “escorted” them out of town. But the unions continued to grow. In the midst of WWI the unions struck. Employers said it was a stance against tyranny in Europe. So workers took their protests to the job. They returned to work but worked slower. They were VERY careful to follow safety rules. They sometimes needed retraining on operations. In the end the owners, “for patriotic reasons,” agreed to a wage increase, eight hour days and improved conditions in logging camps. But the struggle was far from over. Another time you can read of the lynching in Centralia or the 1923 shooting, in the back of the head, of an Aberdeen unionist, William McKay. As late as 1931 the IWW was hosting dances, concerts &

lotteries to fill their coffers. But they began losing favor as less radical groups stepped forward to carry on from the IWW’s hard fought gains. The Depression and the nation wide fight against Communism probably also added to the toll. Their time had come and gone.

WWII Goes Red Grays harbor had their own “Rosies” working in the two Boeing plants providing air craft parts. But did you know the significance of the red lipstick many wore?

It seems that Hitler proclaimed his dislike of lipstick and what a “proper German woman” would wear. So patriotism was a big factor. Soldiers were trying to look their best in their uniforms and women were no exception. During the war, the American military forces commissioned the first “Victory Red” lipstick. The clear, strong tone looked vibrant when worn with the standard-issue, olive-drab jacket and skirt. The caps worn by women in the armed forces often featured a brilliant red braid trim detail, and “Victory Red” also accentuated this band.

Hoquiam Salary Grab

Aberdeen Daily BulletinFebruary 5, 1905

...The board (county commissioners) orders that the bills of Seth Warren for $100, I. B. Cooper for $60, for salary for the month of January, 1905 as justice and constable respectively, of Hoquiam precinct, be allowed in the amount claimed. The board does not consider that the

above named officials are entitled to any salary whatsoever from the 1st

to the 9th of January…..But the prosecuting attorney advised them they would not prevail with the current superior court - so they paid. The title of the article, makes it clear where the Bulletin’s support went!

###The Friends’ office is located in the Aberdeen Art Center, 200 W.

Market (K St. side). With Covid 19 we are open, masked and distanced on Th & FR 1-4pm. Please give us a call about First Friday - 360-533-1976 or email friends98520@gmail.com. We continue to maintain our website, www.aberdeenmuseumfriends.org and Facebook, The Friends of the Aberdeen Museum.

###

Trivia (from Page 2)

Who built Aberdeen’s first saw mill?

A. J. West

Aberdeen Museum of History Update

Hope you saw the Aberdeen Museum Facebook photos of the artifact collection being reunited from various storage locations to a single, fire protected warehouse. Despite the pandemic, the Aberdeen City Museum Board is moving ahead with plans for a safe, distanced working arrangement for volunteers to continue sorting, cleaning and building records of the collection recovered from the Armory fire, as well as new items being donated. Call 360-533-1976 if you would like to be involved.

Aberdeen Herald February 15, 1912

MOTOR CAR SERVICETO MCCLEARY SUNDAYNew Car Will Begin Run,

WhichGives Promise of

ThrowingTrade to Harbor

The motor car service between the Harbor cities and Elma and McCleary will go into effect next Sunday. The time card

has been changed since last printed and the

following schedule has been decided on:

Leave McCleary 7 a.m.; Rayville,

7:15; Whites, 7:18; Elma, 7:35;

Macks, 7:11; Satsop, 7:13; Montesano,7:56;

Aberdeen, 8:20; arrive Hoquiam 8:40. Leave

Hoquiam, 10:45; Aberdeen, 10:55;

Montesano, 11:20; Satsop, 11:32; Macks,

11:35; arrive Elma 11:45. Leave Elma

11:59; arrive Mc-Cleary, 12:30. Leave

McCleary,1:20; arrive Elma, 4:50 and connect with trains

Nos. 365 and 322.

February 25, 1898 (Friday):

Vidette research indicated writing by Mary

Jane Hill Byles (1833-1916), wife of David Byles

although just signed “Pioneer Grandmother”.

The family moved to Grays Harbor...

“The first election was at Westport. I told my husband I wished to attend, so we started very early in the morning with Messrs. Arch and Ed Campbell, Karr, Milroy, and Young, myself, husband and babies, in a large sailboat; all smooth sailing until we got opposite James' rock, when the tide left us; we would have to wait for the tide, so I said I had rather wade out the half mile to James' cabin than to sit there six hours. So the men took a baby apiece and started for shore. My husband and Mr. Karr wished to carry me, but I preferred to

wade, so took their arms and stepped out, sometimes knee-deep and sometimes waist-deep, but I made it. On reaching the house the difficulty was in getting dry clothes. Mother James and her daughter being very small and I very tall, but I got into Mother James' clothes and I would give a dollar if I had had my picture taken. My dress just came to my knees and the stockings just touched the hem of my dress, and her shoes were much too short. After we got through laughing I put my clothes out to dry. The boys all sat in the sun until they dried off, and when the tide turned we started for the polls to vote---but after all they would not let me vote. Don't tell me that the women can't go to the polls to vote, for they

can if the brethren will let them…”

Think now how easy voting is compared to those days when it was difficult to reach the polls and only white men were allowed to cast ballots. Exercise

your rights!

But it wasn’t only voting that was hard---

“The first time I was in Montesano I came up the river in a sail boat. Mother Medcalf and her son, John, met me at the river with an ox cart. John walked in the mud up to his knees and we had to lay down to keep the brush from pulling our heads off. There was no one living where the city of Montesano now stands... People say to me, "What did you do for a doctor?" We worked hard, ate hearty and slept sound; when we felt indisposed we made tea

of wild cherry and dogwood bark and rested awhile. The first doctor that came to this county was Dr. Casto, about twenty-four years ago. Then the people began to get sick and they have wanted a doctor ever since...

God bless the old pioneers, and may they all go to heaven when they die...”

The Reading Corner News

The Friends established a reading/research corner in their office some time ago. The public is invited to come in and peruse our many picture files. One can read about Harborites whose biographies we have collected (We always want more if you have one to submit.), read our interview transcriptions or research in our slowly growing city directory collection. Our offices are open Thursday & Friday afternoons. Traffic is low and social distancing is being followed. So come in and read. Our chairs are comfortable and you are welcome to coffee or hot chocolate.

We have also decided to add one more option for our members only. A selected portion of the collection will be available for check out reading. Titles, available for loan will be posted. We ask that all materials be returned in two weeks. Some titles will include: “The Red Coast” - the struggle to Unionize logging, mills & shipping. Ed Van Sycles books “They Tried to Cut it All” & “River Pioneers”, Beast Man – well documented history of John Turnow, “The Colonel & the Pacifist” detailing Grays Harbor ties to the WWII Japanese internment.

Come visit us.

Logging Camps Will Open At Once

The Washingtonian: 1917-09-09

General resumption of logging operations throughout the Grays Harbor district will be started during the coming week by operators who now are confident that the backbone of the strike is broken. Several camps are to reopen the first of the week and practically all of the companies

have announced an intention of reopening soon after the first heavy rain has fallen and dampened down the woods sufficient to reduce forest fire dangers. The Hutchinson camp will be opened Monday and it is announced that a full crew has been secured. The Stearnsville camp at Stearnsville will be started Wednesday and the Hale Logging company will start its camp sometime next week. "Only Americans are to be employed by us when we resume," Manager Clifford Shaw, of the Polson company, largest logging outfit in the world, said last night. Several of the Polson camps, including camp 4, will start tomorrow and others immediately after the first rain. Plans for their early reopening are being made now. Men are reported to be coming back to the Harbor in large numbers, and camp operators say there is no trouble now in getting men, especially since they are free from being interfered with by pickets. Yesterday the two Wilson Brothers camps at Independence opened with full crews of 70 men

each, and Superintendent Dan McGillicuddy said he had enough men to spare to start a large grading crew to work. Nine logging camps were in operation yesterday in the Grays Harbor district and this number will be greatly increased during the coming week. Camps besides those of Wilson Brothers, which were running yesterday, were two of the Chehalis County Logging and Timber company, and one each of the Wynooche Timber company, Schafer Brothers, Lester's, Rowland Brothers, the Aloha Timber company and the National Lumber company. Manager E. V. Eubanks of the Grays Harbor Logging company which operates two large camps on the Wishkah north of Aberdeen, said last night that these camps would be opened as soon as enough rain had fallen to fill the streams and result in large enough freshets to permit the company's present stock of logs to be floated out. A shortage of logs is the only thing which is keeping all the Grays Harbor sawmills from resuming. In Hoquiam the E. K. Wood and Lytle mills closed last night for

a few days awaiting the arrival of logs. In Aberdeen four of nine sawmills now are idle through inability to get logs, but these will be opened as soon as a log supply is assured. Despite the strike, lumber shipments from the Harbor have been fairly heavy. Last month 1927 cars carrying approximately 57,810,000 feet of lumber cleared from the Harbor district. In addition to the about 10,000,000 feet was shipped by water.

- Aberdeen Poem - Child’s Gold

Elizabeth Achey Malinowski (1889-1989)

I love to pick gold buttercups

because nobody cares–Their faces don’t all

straighten out,till nothing’s left but

stares.And if I should forget

them,and sometimes let them

wilt,Why no-one makes me feelperhaps I should be “kilt”.

Buttercups are the smartest flowers

they know just where to grow–

Down by the little brooks and swamps

just where I love to go.They have such little softy

stems,they are not hard to pick;They grow down low so I

can reach,they have no thorns to

stick.I think I’ll go for

buttercups,so bright, so green and

gold–I’ll sing as I pick

buttercups–all that my hands can hold.

**** Summer Error

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