Bill Sikes
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Bill Sikes
Bill Sikes. Illustration shows a large mean-looking man labeled Coal Trust patterned after Charles Dickens character Bill Sikes from the novel Oliver Twist. He is holding a club labeled Control of Rail Roads in his right hand and looking down at a cowering man/dog figure labeled Independent Mine Owner. On a table on the left is a bottle labeled Rebates. Date 1906 March 7. Bill Sikes. Illustration shows a large mean-looking man labeled Coal Trust patterned after Charles Dickens character Bill Sikes from the novel Oliver Twist. He is holding a club labeled Control of Rail Roads in his right hand and looking down at a cowering man/dog figure labeled Independent Mine Owner. On a table on the left is a bottle labeled Rebates. Date 1906 March 7
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Media ID 7353130
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10606741
EDITORS COMMENTS
This striking illustration, titled "Bill Sikes and the Coal Trust," was published in Puck magazine on March 7, 1906. The image is inspired by the infamous character Bill Sikes from Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist," but in this rendition, Sikes represents the powerful Coal Trust, a monopolistic organization that controlled the coal industry during the early 20th century. Sikes, depicted as a large, mean-looking man, towers over a cowering figure labeled as an Independent Mine Owner. With a club labeled "Control of Rail Roads" in his right hand, Sikes exerts his dominance over the smaller figure. The Independent Mine Owner, represented as a man or a dog, is a symbol of the small, independent coal mine owners who were being crushed by the Coal Trust's monopolistic practices. On the table to the left, a bottle labeled "Rebates" sits ominously. Rebates were kickbacks paid by railroads to the Coal Trust in exchange for preferential treatment on shipping rates. This corrupt practice allowed the Coal Trust to maintain its monopoly and drive smaller competitors out of business. The illustration serves as a powerful commentary on the rampant corruption and monopolistic practices that plagued the coal industry during this time period. It highlights the struggle between the powerful Coal Trust and the small, independent mine owners and sheds light on the destructive impact of monopolies on fair competition and economic equality.
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