Herbert Hungerford was born at Binghamton, New York, February 22, 1874. He was brought up on a farm, obtained the groundwork of his education in district schools, and graduated from the academy at Windsor, New York, in 1895. The following year he entered Syracuse university, but was compelled to leave at the close of the freshman year on account of illness. Serving as a private in the First Regiment of New York volunteer infantry during the Spanish-American war, he, while the regiment was stationed at Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, established, edited and published the News Muster, which was a unique contribution to the curiosities of journalism, being the first illustrated newspaper published by a body of soldiers in the field. At the close of the war he returned to Binghamton and there organized the initial branches of the Success league. Later he was called to New York to further and take charge of the development of the organization in question, which is a federation of literary, debating and self-culture societies. The league has developed rapidly under his direction, now having branches in every state and in nearly every city and town of importance in the United States. He was married, in 1898, to Grace M. Whipple, of Binghamton, New York. JOHN MITCHELL. The story of the early struggles of the labor leader, John Mitchell, is both pathetic and inspiring. A son of the common people, he has risen from being a poor door-boy in the coal mines of Illinois, to a position of great trust and general honor. Mr. Mitchell was born in Braidwood, Brill county, Illinois, February 4, 1869, being the son of Robert and Martha Mitchell. Compelled to leave school at the age of ten, his subsequent education was obtained by night study. He afterward studied law, worked on a farm, became coal miner and was finally attracted to the labor movement, which at that time was directed by the Knights of Labor. In 1888 he took an active part in trade union affairs as president of the local organization of the Knights. Knowing that knowledge is power, he read everything that came within his reach and joined debating societies, athletic associations, independent political reform clubs and various other organizations, in order to take advantage of the several opportunities that they presented to him. When, in January, 1890, the order of United Mine Workers of America was organized, he was among the first to be enrolled, and in January, 1898, was elected its vice-president. He has been re-elected every year since, is also second vice-president of the American Federation of Labor and a member of various committees at the National Civic Federation. During the five years of his leadership the union has grown from a membership of forty-three thousand to a membership of over three hundred thousand. He has brought about many reforms in the interests of labor. His chiefest achievement is that of securing a settlement of