▁ ▁We ▁fran k ly ▁own ▁that ▁the ▁scenes ▁at ▁Pitts burgh ▁and ▁Chicago ▁were ▁worthy ▁only ▁of ▁the ▁sav ages ▁who ▁in ▁earlier ▁years ▁ro asted ▁and ▁otherwise ▁tort ured ▁the ▁Roman ▁pri ests ▁in ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Ri ot ▁and ▁an archy ▁are ▁mere ▁bar bar ism . ▁ ▁Effect ▁on ▁organized ▁labor ▁As ▁French ▁points ▁out , ▁the ▁strike ▁and ▁en su ing ▁ri ots ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁greatly ▁strength ened ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁organized ▁labor , ▁which ▁had ▁strugg led ▁for ▁years , ▁and ▁especially ▁through ▁the ▁de pression ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁to ▁form ▁coh er ent ▁and ▁effective ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁institutions . ▁He ▁quoted ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁Kn ights ▁of ▁Labor ▁as ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁ri ots ▁was ▁to ▁" sol id ify ▁and ▁organ ize ▁the ▁working ▁men ," ▁and ▁French ▁continues ▁to ▁clarify , ▁" es pecially ▁for ▁political ▁action ". ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁The ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁investig ating ▁committee ▁noted ▁an ▁unusual ▁aspect ▁of ▁this ▁strike : ▁the ▁notable ▁participation ▁of ▁women . ▁They ▁supplied ▁strik ers ▁with ▁tea ▁and ▁coffee ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁night s ▁of ▁the ▁strike . ▁They ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁carrying ▁away ▁goods ▁as ▁the ▁strik ers ▁and ▁mob ▁lo oted ▁rail ▁cars ▁and ▁stores . ▁One ▁study ▁by ▁Bruce ▁suggested ▁that ▁strik ers ▁from ▁the ▁rail road ▁composed ▁a ▁minor ity ▁in ▁the ▁mob s , ▁with ▁most ▁being ▁made ▁up