Overview of the strike

Violence subsided until the middle of August, when some mines in the region attempted to begin operations once more. Striking miners again terrorized those men who attempted to go to work. In most cases these men were illiterate, non-English speaking immigrants with little or no idea what was going on around them. Others were contract labor hired through companies in Chicago or New York. The strikers viewed all as "scabs", and angry picketers gravely injured some. Parades originally intended to show the solidarity of the strikers were coincidentally timed to begin at the same hour in which men were going to work, and violence typically erupted quickly. Men (as well as innocent bystanders) were killed and gravely injured in gun battles between strikers and deputies, especially the Waddell men. After several instances of violence between parading strikers and non-strikers, injunctions were passed by local courts that made it illegal for the strikers to parade past their former places of employment. This angered union workers further, and battles began in the courts in addition to those on the mine ranges.

In attempting to restart mining operations, the companies refused to deal with workers associated with the WFM. In addition, all proposals for arbitration laid forth by the union were ignored, again because of the companies' reluctance to recognize the union in any way. The union, fearing its message was not reaching the general public due to the support given the companies by local media, started its own newspaper, the Miner's Bulletin. This paper criticized the governor for calling in troops, for not forcing to companies to arbitrate, and for not calling for the legislature to investigate the strike. It also featured attacks on the mining companies, the Waddell-Mahon men (termed "gunmen"), the scab labor brought into the area, and on the deputy sheriffs (now numbering nearly 1,700) defending the mine property. Also at or around this time, a group called the Citizen's Alliance was formed, its interests being to keep the effects of the strike on the businesses of the area to a minimum. In reality, the Citizen's Alliance was more a group dedicated to supporting the mining companies and in opposition to the strikers.

By this time (October 1913), several of the larger mines in the area had resumed either full or partial operations. Either the men had grown tired of the strike and returned to their jobs, or (more commonly) the companies had replaced those who were on strike. Many thousands of men ended up leaving the area permanently as a result of this, most heading to the iron mining ranges of Minnesota. The strike continued, although the numbers of workers supporting the unions were dwindling. Support from other unions across the country was dwindling as well, and those men still not working were receiving less and less assistance from their locals.