Yours respectfully,
Having foreseen the trouble at Colorado City, Mr. MacNeill had also prepared for war in another direction, namely in Florence, Colo., where his company also operates a large reduction plant. At this point J. H. Cummins, No. '23, and subsequently operative ♦T. J. Conibear, No. 18, were doing excellent work. Very little of importance ever occurred in Florence, yet we will give an extract from the report of No. 23, to illustrate the care taken by the Agency and the trust to keep the men at each of the company's plants under surveillance.
At the time these events were transpiring the superintendent of the company's plant at Florence was John Q. MacDonald, who was also mayor of Florence and a colonel of the National Guard. Indeed, during
♦Operative Conibear both preceded and succeeded Operative Cummins. Cummins only worked temporarily on this operation, due to the fact that one night, Operative Conibear, while riding down hill from work, fdl from his bicycle and was almost killed. His fellow-workers and the B. P. O. Elks, of which he was a member, took the best care of him; but after he recovered he resumed the operation, and subsequently served quite a long while as President of the Florence Millmen's Union.
The PiNKERTON Labor Spy. 4S
Governor Peabody's administration any mine owner or mill manager who cared for the position could become a colonel or general of the state militia, merely for the asking.
Dear Sir: —
OPERATIVE NO. 23 REPORTS:
Florence, Colo., Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1903.