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Virtual Book Fair Exclusive

John Clince I.W.W. Membership Card, or "red card

[Industrial Workers of the World / I.W.W. / IWW]; John Clince

$500
  • Condition: Very Good
  • Binding: Ephemera
  • Publisher: Industrial Workers of the World
  • Date: 1907
  • Seller SKU: 68593

Industrial Workers of the World, 1907. Ephemera. Very Good. 8pp. [10.5cm]. 1/4 black cloth over brown card stock. The I.W.W. logo is stamped in black ink on the cover. The four pages (one sheet) marked "Dues" are detached but present. John Clince was an Irish American blacksmith in Tacoma, Washington. Clince belonged to union no. 545 (Smelting). He was admitted on transfer from a defunct Smelter's union. His membership card was issued on July 5, 1907, in the very early years of the I.W.W. and during the 1907 Tacoma Smeltermen's Strike. The strike began on March 30 and ended on August 12, with the goal of a 50¢ pay increase. Clince's membership is recorded, by due stamp and ink stamp, until June 19, 1908.

On July 23, 1908, a strikebreaker named John Clince stabbed Melburn Lewis, a member of the Tacoma longshoreman's union Local 23, after a reported altercation with several union members. Clince was arrested and jailed, with the Alaska-Pacific steamship company providing bail and legal defense. Though no definitive link was found, the records show only one John Clince in Washington State around this time.

Offered by Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA

Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA
Specializing in Children's Books, Illustrated Books & Wordless Novels, Modern First Editions, Native Americana, Natural History, Radical Politics & Labor, Utah & The Mormons, Western Americana and Western Exploration.
Ken Sanders Rare Books is a full-service antiquarian bookshop in downtown Salt Lake City. We have a vast inventory of used and rare books, a handful of new books, and an ever-changing selection of art, ephemera, maps, photographs, and postcards. We also offer book purchasing and appraisal services.
We specialize in Utah & the Mormons and Western Americana, with emphases on the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, Yellowstone, and other national parks. The literary West is well-represented here, with deep selections of Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, B. Traven, and more. We offer rare and collectible books in many subjects, including Literature, Art, Photography, Children's and Illustrated Books, and Wordless Novels. Much of our 4,000 square feet of floor space is devoted to our general stock of affordable and carefully chosen titles. Serious collectors and casual shoppers are equally welcome, and browsing is encouraged. You can also search a portion of our inventory here on the website, but remember that much of our stock is uncatalogued; call or come in if you don’t see what you’re looking for.
Proprieter Ken Sanders has been buying, selling and collecting books since childhood. He co-owned and ran the legendary Cosmic Aeroplane Bookstore in the 1970s and founded Dream Garden Press, our in-house publishing company, in 1980.
Contact the Seller
Ken Sanders
209 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Phone/Text: (801) 521-3819
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All items subject to prior sale. Orders filled upon payment. We accept check, money order, PayPal ([email protected]), and credit card (Visa/MC/AmEx/Discover). Billing terms will be arranged for institutions according to their needs, and for customers who have established credit with our company. All items are guaranteed authentic and as described, autographed items are guaranteed indefinitely. Items may be returned for a full refund within ten days of receipt, prior notification requested.

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