Miners remember various aspects of life in the Walsenburg mine camps. As children, they had chores, sold milk or newspapers, and collected and sold junk. For fun, they swam in irrigation ditches, played ball, and picked fights with kids from other camps. By 1930 seventeen was the minimum age to work in a mine but many lied about their age, and some companies employed them at age 10 or 12. Later memories are of being cheated by the weighman, miners carrying all their money in their lunch buckets, and bootleg whisky, which was often buried in the ground during the Prohibition. Walsenburg still had something of the Old West. Later the KKK was active and quite powerful. They recall details about Shorty Martinez, Penitent Catholics, and working as cowboys in the summer.
description
Miners remember various aspects of life in the Walsenburg mine camps. As children, they had chores, sold milk or newspapers, and collected and sold junk. For fun, they swam in irrigation ditches, played ball, and picked fights with kids from other camps. By 1930 seventeen was the minimum age to work in a mine but many lied about their age, and some companies employed them at age 10 or 12. Later memories are of being cheated by the weighman, miners carrying all their money in their lunch buckets, and bootleg whisky, which was often buried in the ground during the Prohibition. Walsenburg still had something of the Old West. Later the KKK was active and quite powerful. They recall details about Shorty Martinez, Penitent Catholics, and working as cowboys in the summer.
Description
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