Cornwall, a small peninsula at the southwestern tip of England, was considered the home of the finest hard-rock miners in the world. They mined tin and smelted it with copper to produce bronze.
By the mid-1800s, the mines became so deep that it was no longer economical to continue operations. At that time, an estimated quarter of a million Cornish miners left for other countries including the United States.
Many were attracted to Colorado to help strengthen the state’s mining economy.
The Cornish miners brought their unique mannerisms, superstitions and peculiar speech patterns with them. Especially noticeable was their way of adding an “h” sound at the beginning of words that had no “h” and then leaving out the “h” sound where it should be.
This was combined with other uniquely Cornish speech patterns. They would often add “you” after a statement. When asked how they were, they might answer, “Some grand you.”
They also called everyone by some endearing term such as “my son” or “my beauty.” Using “thee” for “you,” they might inquire, “‘Ow are thee gettin’ on there, my son?”
The Cornish became known as “Cousin Jacks” and their talent as miners was exceptional.
When a foreman was impressed with his Cornish miner, he would ask if there were any others like him back in Cornwall. The Cornishman usually would know of other miners wanting to leave the old country and might answer, “My cousin Jack be a very good miner and ‘ee should like a new job.” The miners reasoned that foremen would be more apt to accept another member of the miner’s family, where in fact, the “Cousin Jack” might not be related at all.
Because the men were known as “Cousin Jacks,” it seemed fitting that the Cornish women were known as “Cousin Jennies.”
Some of the mining camp saloons offered a free drink to the first patron of the day.
On a cold, snowy morning, two “Cousin Jacks” arrived simultaneously at the door of a saloon that had this particular enticement. The owner gave both a free drink, something that warmed their souls after their brisk walk from home. They decided to buy another.
As was their custom, they alternated paying for the drinks, and so it went on through the morning.
Naturally, the more they consumed the less attractive was the walk to the mine followed by a long day underground. The two men debated on whether to go to work and in their condition, couldn’t arrive at any conclusion. One of them came up with an idea to solve this dilemma. He said, “Partner, I’ll tell thee what we’ll do. We shall go out and throw a rock, and if ‘ee stays up, we shall go to work!”
One “Cousin Jack” was forced to help his wife with a boarding house and bemoaned the high cost of food in the mining camp. To get away from the house for a while, he decided to try a brand new saloon.
A stuffed owl was mounted in back of the bar as a novelty item. The first thing that caught the eye of the Cornishman was that owl. Apparently he had never seen this type of bird in the old country and asked the bartender, “Ere, my son, ‘ow much is that flat-face chicken up there?”
The bartender responded, “That’s no flat-face chicken, that’s an owl.”
Misunderstanding the reply, the Cornishman retorted sharply, “I don’t care ‘ow h’old ‘ee is, ‘ee’s good enough for me boarders!”
One Colorado Cornish miner claimed he worked so high in altitude that he could hear the angels sing and down so deep in the earth that he could hear the Chinese doing their dishes!
Methodist Bishop Donald H. Tippett lived in Central City and came in contact with many Cornish miners. He recalled that the camp was so crowded that the miners were forced to sleep three to a bed.
Whenever one of them wanted to turn over he shouted, “Ready?” The second man would repeat, “Ready.” The third man would then say, “Turn.” All three would then turn over in unison.
One night, three Cornish miners were rather drunk and wandered into the St. James Methodist Church during a revival meeting. Finding a pew at the back, the trio sat down just as the evangelist was warming up the crowd with a hymn.
The verse went, “The judgment day is coming, are you ready?” The preacher repeated in a loud voice, “Are you ready?” The miners found it irresistible and joined in with a shout, “Turn!”
The Cornish miners had many superstitions and strongly believed that a woman in a mine was bad luck. Whistling in a mine was frowned on.
Greatly feared were the “knockers.” They were big-headed, small-eyed, wide-mouthed, evil spirits that could vanish in a puff of smoke.
According to the Cornish, a “knocker” stood about 2 feet tall, and was believed to be the spirits of dead miners. They wore tiny miner’s boots and colorful shirts.
The “knockers” used small hammers and picks to torment the Cornish miners while they were at work. Mine explosions and cave-ins were blamed on the “knockers.”