| Summary: | In this interview, Anderson Underwood discusses his work in the ore mines. Anderson says he worked 31 years in the mines, 19 of those as a driller. He describes the work as dangerous, although he says the company had numerous safety protocols for them to follow. He remembers seeing accidents and being in a close call himself. He describes the process of drilling. He also recounts doing track work, which he liked because working with the other men was fun. They sang songs to keep themselves in rhythm and occupy their time. Anderson says that in the twenties there were few whites in the mines except the bosses, although more whites came in as the process grew increasingly mechanized. He recalls hearing about convicts mining, but he also says he remembers that convicts works on farms sometimes. He says the farming work would have been easier. Anderson also recounts the organizing of the labor union in the mine. He says there were no secret meetings, as was common, but there was a lot of violence. Blacks and whites were together in the Mill Mine union. Eventually, that union was taken over by the United Steelworkers of America. Anderson also describes the closing of the mines in the fifties and the problem of long-time ore miners developing silicosis. Anderson's family was in sharecropping before they came to Bessemer to mine. He compares farm work to mine work. He says, "Farming the best life in the world if you got something to farm with." He didn't find enough money in it, however, which is why he became a miner.The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.
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