The Cripple Creek Strike. 1903-1904

MRS EMMA F. LANGDON

Publication: Copyrighted by Mrs Emma F Langdon, 1904, Victor, Colorado

First edition. 8vo. Original dark green cloth, titles and decorations stamped in gilt on the front cover, [12], 248 pp., frontispiece [portrait of the author], introduction, illustrated mostly from photographs, folding plate of the United States Reduction and Mining Plant at Colorado City. Illustrations are primarily views and portraits from photographs, 20 of which are full-page. Inscribed on the front pastedown sheet: "From Florence Rylon / To Henry Linde / Dec. 22, 1905, A. D. / McCabe, Ariz." From Ghosttowns.com: "McCabe's post office was established December 31, 1897 and was discontinued October 31, 1917. All that is left today at McCabe is some mining equipment and the cemetery with headstones still readable. Approximately 600 people lived here and McCabe even had a six-bed hospital. McCabe was plagued with bad luck. First there were several fires, one of which burned 14 buildings on July 5, 1900. Then, a smallpox epidemic in 1901 necessitated a quarantine barrier. 1913 marked the closing of the mine and the town slowly died." This is the first and scarcest of several editions of "The Cripple Creek Strike," with the book's "unanimous endorsement of the Colorado State Federation of Labor" in 1904. Mrs. Langdon dedicates it to the Western Federation of Miners, who "have made a lawful, law-abiding and manly fight against the lawless, corrupt and un-American methods of those against whom they have grievance." It outlines "the efforts of organized opposition to unionism and trades unions to crush the same in the Cripple Creek district, the greatest gold producing district of its area in the world, by disinterested eye-witness." The State government, in the service of rapacious business interests, has become a "military oligarchy." Mrs. Langdon dramatically portrays the heroes and villains of the struggle. She was not as "disinterested" as she claims as her husband, Charles G. Langdon. was a linotype operator at the Victor Daily Record; the Colorado National Guard arrested and imprisoned him. A bit of cosmetic touch-up to the spine ends and corners, else a very good sound copy of a scarce title. Not in Eberstadt, Soliday, or Graff. Decker cites a later edition.

Inventory Number: 51967