He wrote up daily reports of the convention's proceedings, and mailed them to a secret post office box of the Denver Agency. The Denver office revised and wrote up his
The Pinkerton Labor Spy. 183
reports as fast as they came in, and in thrifty, Associated Press style, serving many clients at once, sold complete copies to a number of Colorado mine and smelter owners, at twenty or twenty-five dollars per copy. This underground associated news service is a feature of labor conventions. In this phase of the game, the work of Frank E. Cochran may well be likened to the work of A. W. Gratias.
After the convention was over, the operative returned to Keswick and recommenced his old knavery with renewed energy, until the Federation, disappointed at his utter lack of progress, revoked his commission and discontinued his services.
The work of the Agency in this case resulted in the disruption of a small local union. We shall now describe how it broke up and totally destroyed a powerful national railroad order in the State of California.