By: Jennifer Potash
A portion of Mother Jones’ March of the Mill Children, the 1903 march that helped bring about child-labor laws, will be re-enacted Wednesday along Nassau Street.
Mary Harris "Mother" Jones led a march of several hundred children employed in mills and factories from Philadelphia to Oyster Bay, N.Y., home of President Theodore Roosevelt, in July 1903.
The re-enactment will kick off at 9:45 a.m. at Monument Drive by Princeton Borough Hall and wind up at Tiger Park off Nassau Street in Palmer Square.
The New Jersey Chapter of the AFL-CIO is sponsoring the march and a memorial marker and plaque in Mother Jones’ honor to be placed in Tiger Park.
After much discussion about the appropriateness of a marker, the Princeton Borough Council approved the small granite memorial last month. Laurel Brennan, treasurer of the state AFL-CIO, said Tuesday the memorial was nearly complete and would be ready by Wednesday.
In Tiger Park, Betsey Means, a Chicago-based historical actress, will portray Mother Jones and give the labor leader’s speech in which she lambasted the wealthy students of Princeton for benefiting from the gains of children’s labor.
Following the performance and speeches from politicians and dignitaries, the centennial commemoration will adjourn to the Nassau Inn.