WE NEVER FORGET: Fellow Worker Joe Hill, True Blue Rebel

Submitted by JayRaye on Wed, 12/02/2015 - 12:54pm

Joe Hill died game.
-Ed Rowan
November 19, 1915

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WE NEVER FORGET
Joe Hill, True Blue Rebel
1879-1915

Joe Hill was born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund in Gävle, Sweden. He immigrated to the United States in 1902 and, at some point, began using the name Joseph Hillstrom. He joined the Industrial Workers of the World, most likely in 1910 in Portland, Oregon, and soon thereafter began writing songs under the name of Joe Hill, eventually becoming the most popular rebel songwriter of his time. His songs were published in the songbook, "I. W. W. Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent," famous then and now simply as the "Little Red Songbook."

By the time of his murder at the hands of the Utah (in)Justice System, Joe's songs were being sung on picket lines all across the nation, in Britain, Australia, and many other far and distant lands, where, after his death, his ashes were scattered to the winds. Perhaps, some fading flowers will yet arise to take up the cause of Industrial Freedom for which Fellow Worker Joe Hill so courageously gave his life.

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My Last Will
by Joe Hill
(November 18, 1915)

My will is easy to decide,
For there is nothing To divide,
My kin don't need to fuss and moan—
"Moss does not cling to a rolling stone."

My body? Ah! If I could choose,
I would want to ashes it reduce,
And let the merry breezes blow
My dust to where some flowers grow.

Perhaps some fading flower then,
Would come to life and bloom again.
This is my last and final will,
Good Luck to All of you, -JOE HILL.

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Envelope for Joe Hill's Ashes
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Letter to Fellow Workers from Big Bill Haywood re Joe Hill's Ashes
"We have tried to carry the will of our martyred Fellow Worker into effect."
Signed: "Yours for Industrial Freedom, W. D. Haywood."

Joe Hill, Haywood's letter re ashes, Jan 3, 1917.png

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SOURCE
JoeHil2015.org
http://joehill2015.org/

IMAGES
Joe Hill by L. S. Chumley, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/books?id=WIjiCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT74&lpg=PT74&dq=l+s+c...
Joe Hill, ashes envelope front
http://garagecollective.blogspot.com/2010/12/little-packet-containing-as...
Joe Hill, ashes envelope back
http://garagecollective.blogspot.com/2010/12/little-packet-containing-as...
Joe Hill, Haywood's letter re ashes, Jan 3, 1917
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IPoEAqaU4yk/TRhNUvJlRzI/AAAAAAAAAXc/nHb_32PMuc...

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Joe Hill's Ashes
-by Otis Gibbs

Every time I dream about better times
I can feel Joe's ashes stirring deep inside,
Waitin' on chance to shine...
Waitin' on a chance to shine...

Joe Hill's Ashes by Otis Gibbs, to purchase
https://otisgibbs.bandcamp.com/album/joe-hills-ashes

Tags:

Hellraisers

We Never Forget

Labor Martyrs Project

Joe Hill

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Comments

Submitted by kharma on Wed, 12/02/2015 - 2:31pm

Thanks for this tribute JayRaye.

What does "Joe Hill died game. -Ed Rowan November 19, 1915" mean? I noticed it at the top of your diary and wondered what was the significance of "game"? Thanks

—

There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties.. This...is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.--John Adams

Submitted by JayRaye on Wed, 12/02/2015 - 2:50pm