On this day in 1898, the Battle of Virden began when armed members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) surrounded a train full of strikebreakers and exchanged fire with company guards. 13 people were killed, dozens more wounded.

After a local chapter of the UMW began striking at a mine in Virden, Illinois, the Chicago-Virden Coal Company hired black strikebreakers from Birmingham, Alabama and shipped them to Virden by train.

The company hired armed detectives or security guards to accompany the strikebreakers, and an armed conflict broke out when armed miners surrounded the train as it arrived in town. A total of four detectives and seven striking mine workers were killed, with five guards, thirty miners, and an unrecorded number of strikebreakers wounded.

After this incident, Illinois Governor John Tanner ordered the National Guard to prevent any more strikebreakers from coming into the state by force. The next month, the Chicago-Virden Coal Company relented and allowed the unionization of its workers.

"When the last call comes for me to take my final rest, will the miners see that I get a resting place in the same clay that shelters the miners who gave up their lives on the hills of Virden, Illinois...They are responsible for Illinois being the best organized labor state in America."

Mother Jones

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  • PaX [comrade/them, they/them]
    ·
    3 days ago

    (read slowly with a pause at the comma and repeat) Big choppa, big floppa

    Vocal stim thread? Would love to hear and pick up yours maybe

    • rtstragedy [she/her, fae/faer]
      ·
      3 days ago

      i quietly beatbox at random moments, i don't even know where i picked it up (the beats are in my head, they gotta get out...)

      i also mix up phenomes or add extra sounds to certain words (see name): stragedy, stanima, oppucation, pizzer (most a sounds at the end of words get turned into er)

        • rtstragedy [she/her, fae/faer]
          ·
          3 days ago

          i could probably unlearn the phenome mixing and additional things, i wonder how i sound at work, lol, but idk i just like to make words more fun to say or w/e

      • GalaxyBrain [they/them]
        ·
        3 days ago

        I drum and whistle and hum but that's also me genuinely writing songs while working. While doing stuff I'll think of paets that are giving me trouble and bang out Lil drum beats and stuff to get a collection of riffs into a song. I can make a drum set out of the stuff in a kitchen real fast

        • rtstragedy [she/her, fae/faer]
          ·
          3 days ago

          that's pretty cool, i dont really know how to apply my skill unfortunately, i haven't played drums in like 20 years lol, and i haven't written songs in at least 10.

          • GalaxyBrain [they/them]
            ·
            3 days ago

            I'm a mid musician but can write songs like nobodies business. Bass is my main instrument, I'm.left handed but learned to play right so going to strumming on guitar has always been hard so in bands I've often written guitar parts on bass or keys and then tabbed it out for the guitarist or taught them by ear depending on the person, I dunno, I've got a Lil mixing board in my head and I plat with it until I can co.e home and do it for real. I've written albu.s at work

            • rtstragedy [she/her, fae/faer]
              ·
              3 days ago

              damn that's great, i have not played a lot of bass ... i cant handle the fret spacing ... violin and guitar are a bit easier for me, violin comfortable, guitar tolerable except certain chords.

              also a leftie! i consider it a plus, haha, since i consider LH harder on both my instruments