Tonopah, Nev. Sep. 16, 1919.
To Gov. Emmet Boyle,

Dear Gov: --

The wind to-day blew a veritable gale, and this may be attributed somewhat to the rather small crowd that assembled at the ball park. The brand of weather was so disagreeable that it was to a large extent impossible to catch the drift of the speaking. For that reason the orators curtailed their haranguing. And they were also few in number. However, I managed to “scoop” a few notes, which follow:

The chair: “Owing to the disagreeable weather we will shorten our remarks. In event that Divide should open up, the married men should be given first opportunity to go to work, providing they are ready to “dig up.”

Mr Clifford: “Do not let the other fellow do the thinking for you. Use your own noodle. It seems queer that the working class who are being exploited by the “Capitalistic class” would listen to any suggestions from them to obtain better conditions when they are fighting you in order that you shall not get what you are entitled to. Let every man think for himself. They so not make any suggestions to win. They simply try to defeat us. When they criticize you may be sure that our actions are absolutely correct. The Professor of the Columbia University has some conception of organization. He is in touch with the laboring classes all over the world. This is an institution that turns out lawyers. He made the statement that no man could live respectably on less than 75 cents an hour. If they cannot love in Chicago on that, then we cannot live here. We are living in another age; an age of machinery, when working hours are curtailed. If the people were to work as long as they used to half of the population would be in abject poverty. 8000,000 lbs. Of copper we produced during the war. A few men were able to sell it at 23 cents and buy it back at less that that figure. In referring to solidarity the speaker hoped the other side would learn something about it.”

Mrs. Jordan: “(The speaker made reference to “ivory solidarity,” but the wind was so high it was impossible to catch what was said.) Continuing she said: Sometime ago a man was shot and the papers made no mention of the occurrence. Taking up the question of “bootlegging,” and “deportation,” the Attorney General said: if you will furnish us with the necessary information we will take the necessary steps to bring the guilty parties to justice. But nothing was done by him or the operators. A private citizen spent $105 to bring back the deported man. We are going to have one of the greatest boons Tonopah ever enjoyed. We are going to have freedom of speech. This is what we did not have three months ago. If a man offers his opinions he is classed as on I.W.W. or anarchist. Again referring to the deported man, the speaker claimed he was left on the desert without water, The citizens who helped depart him should be punished. I want you never to forget the point we have gained the freedom of speech. It is worth more than dollars to me. They preach about being law abiding. If they would abide by the law we would not be paying out money to protect us.

We will be self governing, and let them take this burden on their own shoulders. They are getting the cobwebs off their eyes.”

The chair: “I would like to ask if you would like to go to Arizona? All the miners there have pretty homes. If they are not gong to give us a decent wage we can do to British Columbia and Mexico. We are going to stand pat. The government is taking 65% excess profit tax from the sale of the operator’s product, that is the reason they want to close down the mines. The Belmont paid last year $300,000 in dividends after the govt. was paid 65% excess profit tax. Here you are fighting for $1 a day to live on. Stay right on the ball park grounds until the $1 a day comes through. If we don’t win this year we will next year. If the contractors in the Divide want to pay the wage scale, let them go to work.”

Mickey Sullivan: “Of course you are all out for you own interest and said you were going to stay here until you get the dollar a day. That’s the main thing. We figure on staying here until we get our demands. I just got a letter from Spokane, Wash., We are going to get the help all the lumber jacks in the northwest to aid in winning this fight. These fellows are behind us to win this fight. The boys in Seattle also want to know how the boys are getting on. You can get their support from there. There is no chance of any scabs coming in here. You have able men to support the strike. The only thing left for you to do is to stay here until you get the $1 a day. You have the country behind you and not one scab in Tonopah. You have the best bunch of young fellows here I ever saw. They are up here attending the meetings and they are all with you. You have the women and the business man with you and you can’t lose the fight. Live up to the law. Do not give any one a chance to come back at you. Do not start an argument. They tried to break you up, but they did not make it stick. The men who remained down town thought they would get the $1 a day, but you will probably bring home the “bacon” right here. In a few days there will probably be something new develop. May be in the next four days. If the wind keeps up we will arrange for a hall. (A woman – “We will stay right here”).

The char: “Silver is going up and the Sunbeam is going down. But if they have anything in the sunbeam they will get it. By the tail end of the week there will be something doing in the Divide. There is underhand work going on by the operators, but if they need powder and timber at the Divide we will rustle and get it for them.”

The meeting thereupon adjourned until 2 P.M. Wednesday Sep. 17.

Respectfully submitted.

Alfred Boyle, Reporter.

Read More of Governor Boyle's Correspondence.