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John Mitchell's great days as a labor leader and as a miners' leader were over when I became acquainted with him on the Industrial Commission. That doesn't mean that I didn't know him a little when he was a miner and the leader of the miners. I did, but I only knew him slightly. I first met him at some meeting of the AF of L where I was very much an outsider. I was just listening to what went on and trying to sell a bill of goods about workmen's compensation to somebody or other. I was trying to interest a few members. I was with Paul Kennedy at one of the annual meetings of the AF of L. I can't think what city it was in. We were trying to find members of the AF of L who would be interested in workmen's compensation and would take a leading part in it. Among other people that we met and talked with was John Mitchell, who seemed to be really interested. He was the head of the miners at the time. He, of course, couldn't take what he called a leading part because he had to follow the lead of his own union, but he seemed to be interested in the idea. I remember thinking that he was one of the more progressive
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