The Agency saw the wisdom of Manager Wright's
The Pinkerton Labor Spy. i8i
action, and proceeded to look for a new operative. However, pending the hiring of a new man, the Agency ordered No. 31 to remain at Redding, a little town very close to Keswick, and to report from there to Manager Wright if he discovered any union men on their way to seek employment at the mines of the Mountain Copper Company.
No. 31 did as instructed, and in order not to draw suspicion on himself, got all kinds of odd jobs about Redding. In this manner the operative hid his identity, and at the same time kept Manager Wright posted as to every union man who was about to apply for work at his mines. It goes without saying that none of these men had luck.
Operative Cochran's work at Redding enabled Manager Wright to turn away such a large number of union applicants, that he finally became very desirous of keeping No. 31 at Redding indefinitely. Mr. Wright's only fear was that if the operative stayed too long at a little place like Redding, without steady emplo)rment, he would be suspected, and his usefulness destroyed. But, unexpectedly, an event, lucky for the Agency, Mr. Wright and the operative, occurred, which solved this problem.
The executive heads of the Western Federation felt chagrined at the total destruction of the Keswick Local of the order, and, naturally, were anxious to revive it. The only way they could hope to accomplish this was to have a large number of Federation men obtain employment in the company's mines. This, they figured, would be comparatively easy, as many Cripple Creek strikers were Westward bound, and would no doubt apply for work at Keswick. The Federation therefore felt if they had a trusted agent at or near Keswick to look out for the interests of the union and post union miners how to get work without arousing suspicion, that the Keswick union could once more be put upon its legs. Such a trusted agent the