Telegram from Frederick Burbidge to F.W. Bradley, July 27, 1899

The Bunker Hill Labor History Collection provides a brief glimpse into one of the most volatile time periods in the history of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. This was a time of great unrest between the miners and mine operators, involving threats and underhanded dealings from both sides. Throughout the Collection, there are mentions of murders, explosions, labor spies, the use of bull pens, and the declaration of Marshall Law. The reports of Thiel Operatives hired by the mine operators to infiltrate the unions highlight the violent attitudes toward the mine operators and “scabs” or non-union men hired in the mines. The Collection also includes correspondence detailing day-to-day operations of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company, as well as receipts and invoices, and correspondence on various legal disputes the company is involved in. In the telegram shown here, Bunker Hill General Manager Frederick Burbidge informs Bunker Hill President Frederick W. Bradley in code of a recent sentencing in a murder trial. - Amy

From the Bunker Hill Labor History Collection. You can see more images from the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mines in the Barnard Stockbridge Photograph Collection.