Coxey’s Army Stalls in Puyallup
Industrial marchers find themselves stranded and under federal surveillance after failing to secure a rail transport to Washington D.C.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Seattle-Tacoma army of 'Commonwealers' remains camped at Puyallup, awaiting a chance to secure rail transport eastward. Gen. Cantwell, who once threatened to supersede Gen. Shepard and take charge of both commands, is losing his influence, appearing worried and lacking his former bravado. The Seattle army held a private meeting at the big unfinished hotel this afternoon for comfort and encouragement. United States Marshal Drake has every point guarded by deputies, and since no freight trains leave at night, it is difficult for the marchers to steal a train. Meanwhile, both divisions joined in a mammoth street parade, marching up all the principal streets and stopping in front of Meyer House to give three cheers. The army is being well fed on private property by consent of the owners, though their goal of reaching Washington City seems increasingly unlikely.
“The star of Cantwell, who at one time threatened to supersede Gen. Shepard and take charge of both commands, is distinctly on the wane.”
The 1894 'Industrial Armies' were a desperate response to the Panic of 1893, echoing modern concerns over economic mobility and civic protest. While these marchers used the nascent rail infrastructure to 'steal' rides to D.C., their struggle highlights a long history of Seattle-area labor organizing often meeting intense federal suppression.
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