Interview with John Peoples, 1957 June 13 [audio](part 1)
- Family's Irish origin and immigrating to the United States; Fire at the keg mill; Working at Hagley with members of his family; Workday at Hagley and wagesPartial Transcript: "I first come over here we live over near the keg mill on the other side of the crick there..."Synopsis: Peoples talks about immigrating to the United States from Ireland when he was about eight years old. He talks about watching the keg mill burn down. He talks about starting to work at Hagley Yard and how he got his job. He talks about other family members who worked at Hagley. He talks about the type of products produced at Hagley when he worked there. He talks about his wages and how they increased when he reached the legal age of majority. He continues to talk about daily work at Hagley.Keywords: County Donegal, Ireland; Hagley Yard; Immigration; Wages; Yellow School (Wilmington, Del.)
- Getting iron for use at Hagley; Machinists at Hagley; Making and buying kegs for powder; Story about his foreman's deathPartial Transcript: "I think there was a place here in town..."Synopsis: Peoples talks about buying iron for use at Hagley. He talks about the mold shop at Hagley. He talks about how the machinists and craftsmen that worked there did their jobs. He talks about making and buying kegs for shipping powder. He tells a story about being sent home from work because he was sick with quinsy but then having to help carry his foreman out of the yard because he had a stroke and collapsed.Keywords: Gentieu, Pierre A., 1842-1930; Hagley Yard; Iron; Mold shop; Quinsy; Squirrel Run (Del.: Village); Strokes
- 1890 explosion at Hagley; Wages; Employee turnover at Hagley; Jobs after working at Hagley; Operation of a water turbine powered mill; Fishing on the Brandywine; Flooding on the Brandywine; The narrow gauge railroadPartial Transcript: "I remember the day of the explosion, we all ran up to the yard..."Synopsis: Peoples talks about the 1890 explosion at Hagley Yard. He talks about his wages and says he made $9.75 a month, and the powder men earned $40 per month, he says that they paid 3 or 4 dollars per month rent. He talks about who was allowed to live in a DuPont owned house. He talks about some of his jobs after leaving his job at Hagley. He talks about how the water turbine powered mills worked. He says that some of the men fished from the creek and recalls the dangers of venomous snakes in the powder yards. He talks about flooding on the Brandywine. He talks about the narrow gauge railroad.Keywords: Brandywine Creek; Du Pont, Francis Gurney, 1850-1904; Explosions; Fishing; Hagley Yard; Narrow gauge railroads; Pennsylvania Railroad; Snakes; Squirrel Run (Del.:Village); Wages; Water power
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