Real Figures of the Strike
The real life people of the Strike of 1899
Joseph Pulitzer
Publisher of the World
Joseph Pulitzer was born in Mako, Hungary in 1847 were he tried to join the army, but was rejected due to his poor eyesight and overall health. After moving to America as a substitute draftee, he settled in St. Louis, Missouri. After commentating a chess game in a library, Pulitzer received his first job offer at the Westliche Post as a journalist. After four years he took over. After a short, yet successful, stint with St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he took over as publisher of the New York World in 1883 despite failing health. As his health gradually diminished, Pulitzer stepped down as editor, but continued to gain respect and success for the World.
"Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself. The power to mould the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations." Joseph Pulitzer
William Randolph Hearst
Publisher of the Journal
William Randolph Hearst was born in San Francisco in 1863 to a wealthy and successful family. He went to Harvard in 1885, but was quickly expelled due to his campus antics. In 1887, Hearst took over his father's newspaper, the San Francisco Examiner, and brought it much success within a few years. He then bought a failing newspaper called the Journal when he moved to New York City in 1895. In his first few years as publisher, Hearst began and maintained a bitter circulation war with Joseph Pulitzer and his newspaper, the World. Hearst allegedly "stole" a cartoonist and, eventually, all of Pulitzer's Sunday staff. This began a long rivalry. In 1898, the two men declared a truce and began each turning a bigger profit. Hearst's Journal sold papers by printing giant headlines over lurid stories that had a strong focus on Democratic Party issues. He continued to grow in journalism which made his a very successful businessman before he eventually began getting involved in politics.
Louis "Kid Blink" Balleti
Leader of the Strike
Kid Blink was recognized as the face of the strike. At only 18 years old with an eyepatch, Blink is the most notable and charismatic leader in the Strike of 1899. He gave many important and memorable speeches and was very respected until he was accused of betraying the strike by accepting a bribe to sell boycotted papers causing him to step down as a leader. He was arrested shortly after the betrayal and apparently gave the police a fake name. He worked a number of jobs after the strike including a cart driver, saloon keeper and even a right hand man to New York mobster Chuck Conner before his death in 1913.
*Photo to the right is of the character, Kid Blink, in the 1992 Disney film, Newsies.
David Simmons
President of the Newsboy Union
David Simmons is noted as president of the newsboy union in the first half of the strike, and treasurer in the second half after his and Kid Blink's betrayal accusations. Simmons had been selling papers on the street since he was 8 years old and was 21 at the time of the strike. At the Rally at Irving Hall, Simmons read a list of resolutions which the crowd reportedly found quite boring.
Ed "Racetrack" Higgins
Leader of the Brooklyn Union
Ed "Racetrack" Higgins was the leader of the Brooklyn Union, then the elected Vice President after Kid Blink and David Simmons stepped down. Higgins was a fixture at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track and referenced horses in many quotes at the time of the strike. He was noted to be very charismatic and humorous. Brooklyn Life said he way “a born leader of boys, and he may yet be of men,” and New York Times said “If the newsboys present could have had a vote last night, ‘Race Track Higgins’ could have had any office in their gift.”
Morris Cohen
President preceding David Simmons
Morris Cohen was the elected president of the Newsboy Union after David Simmons stepped down. Very little known but a July 20th memo from Pulitzer’s business manager, Don Seitz, named him as the boy who started the strike in New York City.
Henry "Major Butts" Butler
Henry "Major Butts" Butler preceded Kid Blink as the leader of the Upper Manhattan Union. Little is know about Butler, but he was arrested on July 31, 1899 on a charge of blackmail after telling execs at the World that he would not break the strike for less than $600 (equivalent to $21,000 in 2022).
Annie Kelly
Female Leader
Annie Kelly was one of the few newswomen who was loyal to the strike. This made her very popular with the striking newsboys; they described her as "almost a patron saint." She was the only woman to speak at the rally at Irving Hall after being pulled on stage by a crown of cheering newsboys. She said:
"All I can say, boys, is to stick together and we'll win. That's all I've got to say to you."
Aida Overton Walker
"The Queen of the Cakewalk"
Aida Overton Walker was an American vaudeville performer, actress, singer dancer and choreographer in New York City during the late 1800s. Walker began performing at age 15 and began gaining national attention in 1900 where she would begin primarily performing in musical theatre. She married another vaudeville performer, George Walker, in 1899. When her husband died in 1911, Walker began portraying elements of act in performance while dressed like a man. This received incredible critical approval. In a 1905 article from The Colored American Magazine, Walker expressed her belief that the performing arts could have an effect on race relations. She said:
"I venture to think and dare to state that our profession does more toward the alleviation of color prejudice than any other profession among colored people."