COLLECTION NAME:
Colorado Coal Project
mediaCollectionId
UCBOULDERCB1~76~76
Colorado Coal Project
Collection
true
Collection Name:
Colorado Coal Project
collection_name
Colorado Coal Project
Collection Name
false
Title:
Interview with Donald Mitchell, Walsenburg, Colorado.
title
Interview with Donald Mitchell, Walsenburg, Colorado.
Title
false
Creator:
Margolis, Eric, 1947-
creator
Margolis, Eric, 1947-
Creator
false
Creator URI:
creator_uri
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n00101170
Creator URI
false
Creator:
McMahan, Ronald L.
creator
McMahan, Ronald L.
Creator
false
Creator URI:
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http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no94033808
Creator URI
false
Subject:
Coal Strike (Colorado : 1913-1914)
subject
Coal Strike (Colorado : 1913-1914)
Subject
false
Subject URI:
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http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1404237
Subject URI
false
Subject:
Coal mines and mining--New Mexico--Colfax County
subject
Coal mines and mining--New Mexico--Colfax County
Subject
false
Subject:
Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--Colorado
subject
Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--Colorado
Subject
false
Subject URI:
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http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85128770
Subject URI
false
Subject:
Coal mine accidents--New Mexico--Colfax County
subject
Coal mine accidents--New Mexico--Colfax County
Subject
false
Subject:
Coal miners--Personal narratives
subject
Coal miners--Personal narratives
Subject
false
Subject:
Coal mines and mining
subject
Coal mines and mining
Subject
false
Subject URI:
subject_uri
http://id.worldcat.org/fast/865355
Subject URI
false
Subject:
Coal mines and mining--Colorado
subject
Coal mines and mining--Colorado
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false
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http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh97002598
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Subject:
Interviews
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Interviews
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http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1423832
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Description:
Donald Mitchell was born in the mining camp of Rouse, Colorado, the child of a Scottish miner and an English mother. He describes growing up in coal camps, inventing his own toys and games. Discipline was strict, both at home and at school. He recalls homesteaders growing various crops during his childhood and believes the area was moister then, with higher stream-flows everywhere. Neighbors could rely upon each other for help during hard times. Different ethnic groups got along well. He recalls Walsenburg as a busy place, even late on a Saturday night. He started mining at the age of 18, in Taos, New Mexico, doing "company work" at $7.75 per day. This was after the 1913 strike when the company was paying $1.85 per day. The state brought in "Baldwin thugs" from West Virginia, to oppose the strikers. The militia asked strikers to surrender their weapons, and strikers saw the state militia as little more than company guards. He recalls Sheriff "Jess Farr" (i.e., Jeff Farr) and his deputy, Shorty Martinez, as company supporters. He feels that many immigrants were brought in specifically to "take jobs" that might have gone to union members. News of the Ludlow massacre spread by word-of-mouth; the press initially avoided the story. Mitchell was in Rock Springs, Wyoming at the time, but heard warnings about possible violence the night before the massacre. In 1914, violence at Ludlow subsided after the arrival of Federal troops. Working conditions improved somewhat after the strike and even more so with widespread unionization during the 1930s. After 1914, Rockefeller's businesses started a company union. In 1915, Mitchell witnessed vigilantes shooting unarmed miners and then fleeing to the courthouse for refuge. He describes the aftermath of the Ludlow strike as a "real war." He narrowly missed a 1915 explosion that killed 365 miners in 2 connected coal mines (the Dawson, New Mexico coke mine owned by Phelps Dodge). He was among the unmarried volunteers who re-entered the mine to recover bodies after an explosion. Mitchell worked as a fire boss, thoroughly inspecting the mine for gas before miners were allowed to start work. He recalls plunging in a car through the mine, in the dark, and being trapped in a cave-in. Two of his brothers also mined; 1 died in the mine. He relates union organizing efforts throughout Colorado: the northern part was organized, but southern Colorado was not until the Roosevelt administration in the 1930s. Mrs. Josephine Roach ran a model mine, with good wages and union representation. In parts of Colorado, Mitchell was fired when his union membership was discovered; he was black-listed from coal mining for a while and shifted to oilfield work. Mitchell encountered Wobblies during their strike but was not sympathetic to their cause. Unions demanded check-weighmen, to determine the tonnage produced by each miner (for those paid by production). During slack periods in the mine, he'd do ranch work. He also worked at the Monarch mine, in Boulder County, Colorado. His best earnings were in the 1920s when he would earn a full shift's wages each time he entered the mine -- regardless of the length of the task. After asking for the right to elect officers, he was called a communist by some local union officials. Both he and his brother have black lung disease (Pneumoconiosis, earlier known as "miner's consumption"). He eventually won compensation, but the process took 5 years with many examinations and delays. Mitchell believes that new coal mines will be more difficult, as the accessible coal has already been mined. He thinks that mine explosions in the area -- especially for coking coal -- were due more to dust than to gas. He fears corruption in unions and the growth of government programs. He recounts several anecdotes of accidents in the mines, some of which appeared to be deliberate suicide.
description
Donald Mitchell was born in the mining camp of Rouse, Colorado, the child of a Scottish miner and an English mother. He describes growing up in coal camps, inventing his own toys and games. Discipline was strict, both at home and at school. He recalls homesteaders growing various crops during his childhood and believes the area was moister then, with higher stream-flows everywhere. Neighbors could rely upon each other for help during hard times. Different ethnic groups got along well. He recalls Walsenburg as a busy place, even late on a Saturday night. He started mining at the age of 18, in Taos, New Mexico, doing "company work" at $7.75 per day. This was after the 1913 strike when the company was paying $1.85 per day. The state brought in "Baldwin thugs" from West Virginia, to oppose the strikers. The militia asked strikers to surrender their weapons, and strikers saw the state militia as little more than company guards. He recalls Sheriff "Jess Farr" (i.e., Jeff Farr) and his deputy, Shorty Martinez, as company supporters. He feels that many immigrants were brought in specifically to "take jobs" that might have gone to union members. News of the Ludlow massacre spread by word-of-mouth; the press initially avoided the story. Mitchell was in Rock Springs, Wyoming at the time, but heard warnings about possible violence the night before the massacre. In 1914, violence at Ludlow subsided after the arrival of Federal troops. Working conditions improved somewhat after the strike and even more so with widespread unionization during the 1930s. After 1914, Rockefeller's businesses started a company union. In 1915, Mitchell witnessed vigilantes shooting unarmed miners and then fleeing to the courthouse for refuge. He describes the aftermath of the Ludlow strike as a "real war." He narrowly missed a 1915 explosion that killed 365 miners in 2 connected coal mines (the Dawson, New Mexico coke mine owned by Phelps Dodge). He was among the unmarried volunteers who re-entered the mine to recover bodies after an explosion. Mitchell worked as a fire boss, thoroughly inspecting the mine for gas before miners were allowed to start work. He recalls plunging in a car through the mine, in the dark, and being trapped in a cave-in. Two of his brothers also mined; 1 died in the mine. He relates union organizing efforts throughout Colorado: the northern part was organized, but southern Colorado was not until the Roosevelt administration in the 1930s. Mrs. Josephine Roach ran a model mine, with good wages and union representation. In parts of Colorado, Mitchell was fired when his union membership was discovered; he was black-listed from coal mining for a while and shifted to oilfield work. Mitchell encountered Wobblies during their strike but was not sympathetic to their cause. Unions demanded check-weighmen, to determine the tonnage produced by each miner (for those paid by production). During slack periods in the mine, he'd do ranch work. He also worked at the Monarch mine, in Boulder County, Colorado. His best earnings were in the 1920s when he would earn a full shift's wages each time he entered the mine -- regardless of the length of the task. After asking for the right to elect officers, he was called a communist by some local union officials. Both he and his brother have black lung disease (Pneumoconiosis, earlier known as "miner's consumption"). He eventually won compensation, but the process took 5 years with many examinations and delays. Mitchell believes that new coal mines will be more difficult, as the accessible coal has already been mined. He thinks that mine explosions in the area -- especially for coking coal -- were due more to dust than to gas. He fears corruption in unions and the growth of government programs. He recounts several anecdotes of accidents in the mines, some of which appeared to be deliberate suicide.
Description
false
Description Type:
summary
description_type
summary
Description Type
false
Publisher:
University of Colorado Boulder Archives
publisher
University of Colorado Boulder Archives
Publisher
false
Contributor:
Mitchell, Donald
contributor
Mitchell, Donald
Contributor
false
Date:
1978-02-05
date
1978-02-05
Date
false
Date:
1978-06-25
date
1978-06-25
Date
false
Date:
1978-06-28
date
1978-06-28
Date
false
Type:
Text
type
Text
Type
false
Format:
application/pdf
format
application/pdf
Format
false
Identifier:
narv_coloradoCoal_transMitchell.pdf
identifier
narv_coloradoCoal_transMitchell.pdf
Identifier
false
Identifier ARK:
identifier_ark
https://ark.colorado.edu/ark:/47540/fp459955z75c
Identifier ARK
false
Language:
English
language
English
Language
false
Relation:
Title: Interview with Donald Mitchell, Walsenburg, Colorado (part 2 of 2)
relation
Title: Interview with Donald Mitchell, Walsenburg, Colorado (part 2 of 2)
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Relation:
Title: Interview with Donald Mitchell, Walsenburg, Colorado (part 1 of 2)
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Title: Interview with Donald Mitchell, Walsenburg, Colorado (part 1 of 2)
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Relation href:
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Coverage (Spatial):
Ludlow (Las Animas, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
coverage__spatial_
Ludlow (Las Animas, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
Coverage (Spatial)
false
Coverage (Temporal):
1913/1978
coverage__temporal_
1913/1978
Coverage (Temporal)
false
Coverage (Spatial):
Dawson (historical) (Colfax, New Mexico, United States, North America) (populated place)
coverage__spatial_
Dawson (historical) (Colfax, New Mexico, United States, North America) (populated place)
Coverage (Spatial)
false
Coverage (Spatial):
Walsenburg (Huerfano, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
coverage__spatial_
Walsenburg (Huerfano, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
Coverage (Spatial)
false