Labor Day weekend is the appropriate time to post this look at neglected working class folk hero Joe Magarac. This figure was the Steel Mill equivalent of Paul Bunyan and John Henry.
Though mostly associated with Polish-American steel workers in Pittsburgh, PA the general figure of a literal “man of steel” helping and protecting his coworkers can be found from the East Coast through the American Midwest. Sometimes the figure is Croation or some other ethnicity instead of Polish.
Written versions of Joe Magarac and/or similar steel worker tall tales seem to have started around 1930 or 1931. Oral legends about such figures – but not specifically Joe Magarac – have been dated as early as the 1890s.
Vintage advertisements from tattered old newspapers indicate that such Man of Steel imagery may have been used for the steel industry prior to World War One. This “Which came first, the chicken or the egg” dilemma for Joe Magarac and other Steel Men puts one in mind of the quandary surrounding Billiken lore.
As a lame play on words since this is Labor Day season I’ll present Joe Magarac’s origin and then depict his tales as “Labors” like in The Labors of Hercules.
BIRTH – Joe Magarac supposedly sprang into existence from a mound of iron ore and – depending on the version – that mound was either in Pittsburgh or the Old Country. Magarac emerged from the melting mound fully grown and spoke broken English like so many of the other Polish steel workers. He was called into being by the urgent need to catch up on production since the current shift had fallen dangerously behind.
Joe was 7 or 8 feet tall, his flesh was like solid steel, his torso was as wide as a smoke-stack and his arms were as thick as railroad ties. His surname Magarac meant “mule” in the workhorse sense, referring to his stamina. Joe’s appetite was such that he carried his lunch in a washtub instead of a standard lunch box.
Magarac’s favorite leisure time activity was polka-dancing and halushkis were his favorite food.
THE LABORS OF JOE MAGARAC: Continue reading
Representatives from film, literature, television, gaming, comic books and the arts will be there.
NUMBER ONE GOES DOWN – In the NJCAA the HINDS COLLEGE EAGLES welcomed the top ranked, two-time defending champions – the EAST MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE LIONS. A 13-10 lead for the Eagles in the opening Quarter remained unchanged at Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Lions on top 16-10 but Hinds College dominated the 4th, including a pick-six as they toppled Number One 24-16. 
AND NUMBER FOUR COMES TUMBLING AFTER – Meanwhile the COAHOMA COLLEGE TIGERS took on the visiting 4th ranked JONES COUNTY COLLEGE BOBCATS. The Tigers led 6-0 in the 1st before the Bobcats went up 7-6 at the Half. Coahoma College seized an 18-7 lead in the 3rd Quarter and won it by a final score of 18-10. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER NINE – Up in the NAIA the 23rd ranked ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS traveled to face the number 9 team in the nation – the DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS. The Battlin’ Bears defense kept the Blue Hawks off the scoreboard the entire 1st Half as a 3-0 Rocky Mountain College lead in the 1st Quarter became 10-0 at the break. That became a 20-7 advantage in the 3rd Quarter before the Battlin’ Bears had to hold on by their fingertips in the 4th for a 23-21 upset win. 
Journalist and strong female role model Kelli Ballard courageously continues to compile as comprehensive as possible a breakdown of the additional crimes committed by people in the country illegally. 
BIETIGHEIM (1886) – Published anonymously in 1886 this work of alternate history accurately predicted some of the actual results and fallout of the coming First World War (1914-1918). Bietigheim is presented as a series of John Minor lectures about world history as seen from “futuristic” 1932. 
Ms Nevada – Katie Jo Williams – has been blacklisted and prevented from competing in the Ms America pageant for 2019. Naturally if she had implied that police routinely murder or had endorsed protecting illegal immigrants who rape and murder from being turned over to ICE it would have been no problem. 
NUMBER TEN TRIUMPHANT – In the sole NAIA game yesterday the 10th ranked REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Rottweilers) hosted the WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY WARRIORS. The Warriors, coming off last year’s 7-win season, gave the Eagles almost more than they could handle in the 1st Half, holding Reinhardt to a mere 3-0 lead by the break. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Eagles up 9-0 before RU went on to win the game 16-6. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER THREE – In the NJCAA the 6th ranked SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS visited the number 3 team in the nation – the GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS. The Broncbusters led 3-0 in the 1st Quarter and 13-3 at Halftime, but the Badgers had a 24 point 3rd Quarter enroute to a 30-27 comeback victory. 
NUMBER SIXTEEN FALLS – The FORT SCOTT COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS welcomed the 16th ranked HIGHLAND COLLEGE SCOTTIES yesterday. These two Jayhawk Conference rivals served up one of the best games of the day in a tightly fought smash-mouth affair. In the end the Greyhounds knocked off the Scotties by a final tally of 20-16. 
PART TWENTY-SEVEN: Here is a look at some of the Fool Killer’s targets from James L Pearson’s April of 1920 issue. As always we find an intriguing mix of attitudes, some of which would please us today or anger us today. 
Time for another round of Faculty Lounge Fascist Roundup! 
