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Colorado Coal Project
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Colorado Coal Project
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Colorado Coal Project
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Colorado Coal Project
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Title:
Interview with Alfred Owens (part 2 of 2)
title
Interview with Alfred Owens (part 2 of 2)
Title
false
Creator:
Margolis, Eric, 1947-
creator
Margolis, Eric, 1947-
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http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n00101170
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false
Creator:
McMahan, Ronald L.
creator
McMahan, Ronald L.
Creator
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http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no94033808
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false
Subject:
Coal Strike (Colorado : 1913-1914)
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Coal Strike (Colorado : 1913-1914)
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http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1404237
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false
Subject:
Labor disputes--Colorado
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Labor disputes--Colorado
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false
Subject:
Lungs--Dust diseases--Colorado
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Lungs--Dust diseases--Colorado
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false
Subject:
Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--Colorado
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Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--Colorado
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http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85128770
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Subject:
Coal miners--Children--Colorado
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Coal miners--Children--Colorado
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Subject:
Coal miners--Personal narratives
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Coal miners--Personal narratives
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Subject:
Coal mines and mining
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Coal mines and mining
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false
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http://id.worldcat.org/fast/865355
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Subject:
Coal mines and mining--Colorado
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Coal mines and mining--Colorado
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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:
In order to be with his friends, retired coal miner Alfred Owens started work at the age of 14, trapping a door. He worked with a pick and shovel 10 hours per day, for $1.10 per day, 6 days per week in a non-union mine. He worked for 40 years and was not injured until 1958. At the time of the Ludlow massacre, he was on a site in Rugby, Colorado. He speaks highly of Mother Jones, who began union organizing in this area. After the massacre, he didn't feel there was anything he could do -- the militia was in place, followed by the U.S. Army -- but he feels they won that strike, gaining higher wages and shorter work-days. His last work was in the Morning Glory mine in 1958. He stated he was on a pension now. He'd prefer that his son and grandsons not work in the mine. He started work in 1907, in Hedron, working under Mr. Mitchell. Many of the bosses were Scottish or Welsh. Owens has heard that some Italian or Slavic immigrants "bought" their jobs, by paying the pit bosses for choice jobs in the mines -- he doesn't know this to be true. Owens's father was also a miner, though he never took his son into the mines. As needed, the mines would move miners around, at no cost to the workmen. Owens's family moved from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Rugby, Colorado, to New Mexico and back to Colorado. His father and the children played in a band. When the mines were active, the coal towns were lively with sports and other entertainment. Growth of oil and the gas industry led to a rapid decline in the demand for coal, as did the reduced demand by railroads. The area around Walsenburg produced "domestic coal" while the mines near and south of Trinidad produced "coking coal." Owens was in the area in 1927 for the "Wobbly" strike, but he did not go out on strike (which was over quickly where he was working in Ravenwood). During the 1913 strike he didn't work. He recalls talking to John L. Lewis, whom he respected. He was temporarily blinded due to a welding accident in the mines. During his mining career, lighting switched from oil to carbide lamps to electric lights. After WWI, he switched briefly to railroad work, but returned to mining and drove a 5-mule team. As an African-American, he didn't see much prejudicial behavior in the coal mines, nor in the coal towns, and he stated, after a day's work "everyone was black." In the coal towns, all the ethnic groups lived together. He talks about Sheriff Jeff Farr ("Fatty Farr"). While they got along okay, the Sheriff did run the deptartment on his personal whims and is alleged to have stolen land from Hispanics. Owens felt many miners brought accidents upon themselves through carelessness. He reports lots of coal dust in the mines, especially from the cutting machines. Owens is on a black lung pension, himself. In Kennilworth, Utah he ran a cutting machine that used water to reduce coal dust. Government inspectors visited the mine yearly for safety testing, but too often knew little about mining. By the 1940s, he averaged $25 per day and he quit after his 2nd injury in his 60's. He did contract work and pay was determined by quantity of coal he cut. He also shot the coal he had cut, drilled holes, loaded them with powder, tamped it down and lit the shots. He usually started work in the afternoon, after previously cut coal was loaded out. He would work long shifts, sometimes until the next morning. He was a popular co-worker, as others couldn't load coal until he had cut and shot it. His retired life is a comfortable one.
description
In order to be with his friends, retired coal miner Alfred Owens started work at the age of 14, trapping a door. He worked with a pick and shovel 10 hours per day, for $1.10 per day, 6 days per week in a non-union mine. He worked for 40 years and was not injured until 1958. At the time of the Ludlow massacre, he was on a site in Rugby, Colorado. He speaks highly of Mother Jones, who began union organizing in this area. After the massacre, he didn't feel there was anything he could do -- the militia was in place, followed by the U.S. Army -- but he feels they won that strike, gaining higher wages and shorter work-days. His last work was in the Morning Glory mine in 1958. He stated he was on a pension now. He'd prefer that his son and grandsons not work in the mine. He started work in 1907, in Hedron, working under Mr. Mitchell. Many of the bosses were Scottish or Welsh. Owens has heard that some Italian or Slavic immigrants "bought" their jobs, by paying the pit bosses for choice jobs in the mines -- he doesn't know this to be true. Owens's father was also a miner, though he never took his son into the mines. As needed, the mines would move miners around, at no cost to the workmen. Owens's family moved from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Rugby, Colorado, to New Mexico and back to Colorado. His father and the children played in a band. When the mines were active, the coal towns were lively with sports and other entertainment. Growth of oil and the gas industry led to a rapid decline in the demand for coal, as did the reduced demand by railroads. The area around Walsenburg produced "domestic coal" while the mines near and south of Trinidad produced "coking coal." Owens was in the area in 1927 for the "Wobbly" strike, but he did not go out on strike (which was over quickly where he was working in Ravenwood). During the 1913 strike he didn't work. He recalls talking to John L. Lewis, whom he respected. He was temporarily blinded due to a welding accident in the mines. During his mining career, lighting switched from oil to carbide lamps to electric lights. After WWI, he switched briefly to railroad work, but returned to mining and drove a 5-mule team. As an African-American, he didn't see much prejudicial behavior in the coal mines, nor in the coal towns, and he stated, after a day's work "everyone was black." In the coal towns, all the ethnic groups lived together. He talks about Sheriff Jeff Farr ("Fatty Farr"). While they got along okay, the Sheriff did run the deptartment on his personal whims and is alleged to have stolen land from Hispanics. Owens felt many miners brought accidents upon themselves through carelessness. He reports lots of coal dust in the mines, especially from the cutting machines. Owens is on a black lung pension, himself. In Kennilworth, Utah he ran a cutting machine that used water to reduce coal dust. Government inspectors visited the mine yearly for safety testing, but too often knew little about mining. By the 1940s, he averaged $25 per day and he quit after his 2nd injury in his 60's. He did contract work and pay was determined by quantity of coal he cut. He also shot the coal he had cut, drilled holes, loaded them with powder, tamped it down and lit the shots. He usually started work in the afternoon, after previously cut coal was loaded out. He would work long shifts, sometimes until the next morning. He was a popular co-worker, as others couldn't load coal until he had cut and shot it. His retired life is a comfortable one.
Description
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Description Type:
summary
description_type
summary
Description Type
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Description:
Video interview of Mr. Owens resumes on pg. 42 of pdf transcript; 10:00 -- Little segregation in mining camps, militia massacre in Trinidad, memories of John L. Lewis (pg. 47 of pdf transcript); 20:00 -- Recalls his work in the mines and his memories of the town and his family (pg. 52 of pdf transcript); End of Owens interview on video (the last five pages of Owens pdf are not on video); Remainder of this video begins interview with Mr. and Mrs. Todd (Todd2 pdf)
description
Video interview of Mr. Owens resumes on pg. 42 of pdf transcript; 10:00 -- Little segregation in mining camps, militia massacre in Trinidad, memories of John L. Lewis (pg. 47 of pdf transcript); 20:00 -- Recalls his work in the mines and his memories of the town and his family (pg. 52 of pdf transcript); End of Owens interview on video (the last five pages of Owens pdf are not on video); Remainder of this video begins interview with Mr. and Mrs. Todd (Todd2 pdf)
Description
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Description Type:
Segment Sequence
description_type
Segment Sequence
Description Type
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Publisher:
University of Colorado Boulder Archives
publisher
University of Colorado Boulder Archives
Publisher
false
Contributor:
Owens, Alfred
contributor
Owens, Alfred
Contributor
false
Date:
1978-02-05
date
1978-02-05
Date
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Type:
Moving image
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Moving image
Type
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Format:
video/mov
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video/mov
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Identifier:
125-Owens-Todd.mov
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125-Owens-Todd.mov
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Identifier ARK:
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https://ark.colorado.edu/ark:/47540/jh021c9935pq
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Language:
English
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English
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Relation:
Title: Interview with Alfred Owens
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Title: Interview with Alfred Owens (part 1 of 2)
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Relation:
Title: Alfred Owens and Walsenburg area
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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
Coverage (Temporal):
1902/1978
coverage__temporal_
1902/1978
Coverage (Temporal)
false
Coverage (Spatial):
Rugby (Las Animas, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
coverage__spatial_
Rugby (Las Animas, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
Coverage (Spatial)
false