COLLECTION NAME:
Colorado Coal Project
Record
Collection Name:
Colorado Coal Project
Title:
Coal mining methods and conditions and the Columbine Massacre
Creator:
Margolis, Eric, 1947-
Creator:
McMahan, Ronald L.
Subject:
Coal mines and mining
Subject:
Denver post
Subject:
Coal miners--Personal narratives
Subject:
United Mine Workers of America--History--20th century
Subject:
Interviews
Subject:
Columbine Mine (Weld County, Colo.)
Subject:
Coal miners--Labor unions--Colorado--History--20th Century
Subject:
Coal miners--Colorado--History--20th century
Subject:
Industrial Workers of the World
Subject:
Rocky Mountain Fuel Company
Subject:
Roche, Josephine A. (Josephine Aspinwall), 1886-1976
Description:
Retiree, Charles Bottinelli talks about his life as a coal miner, which began at age 16. He recounts not being paid for "dead work" and being charged for dynamite. He describes techniques and machines that were used, such as the puncher and cutter. These led to miners being paid by the hour rather than by the tonnage. The only way families survived was through credit given by local businesses during the summer, when there was little work, and by gathering discarded coal in the winter. He talks about differences between the IWW and the U.M.W.A and recalls the Wobbly-led strike of 1927, which many people supported but the Denver Post did not. He gives an account of the Columbine Massacre, where guards killed and wounded striking miners. He lauds the decency of Josephine Roche, president of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company. After two bad accidents, he quit mining.
Description Type:
summary
Publisher:
University of Colorado Boulder Archives
Contributor:
Bottinelli, Charles
Date:
1984-12-09
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Identifier:
narv_coloradoCoal_transBottinelli.pdf
Language:
English
Coverage (Spatial):
Colorado (United States, North America) (first order administrative divisions)
Coverage (Temporal):
1908/1956
Coverage (Spatial):
Columbine Mine (Weld, Colorado, United States, North America) (mine)
Coverage (Spatial):
Louisville (Boulder, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
Rights:
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