1 Life at American gold mines in northern Korea : Independence Day a century ago

Tabowie Mill at the OCMC gold mine concession in northern Korea in the early 20th century / Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection

On May 31, 1926, U.S. President Calvin Coolidge called upon the American people to “renew their fidelity to the fundamental principles of the Declaration of Independence,” and suggested that the period between June 28 and July 5 be known as “American Independence Week.” Patriotic celebrations were to be held throughout the U.S., including the ringing of bells at 11 a.m. on June 28, when millions of children would recite the official Patriot’s Pledge of Faith.

The American community in Korea was no exception. The Oriental Consolidated Mining Company (OCMC), an American gold mining concession in northern Korea, faithfully celebrated the Fourth of July every year. The company was known for its patriotism, and even its non-American employees looked forward to the Fourth of July — even if their reasons were more about not having to work.

According to Kenneth Moyer, then 23, every day at the mine seemed the same, even Sundays, except the Fourth of July. “That is the only day the mine and mills shut down out here,” he explained in a letter home to his mother. He went on to add that “there will be lots of entertainment that day also there will be lots of people in from outside towns (girls too).”

Kenneth Moyer, left, at Tabowie Mill in the late 1920s or early 1930s / Robert Neff Collection

Although most of the Westerners employed at the camp were men, there were female family members and occasional visitors, mainly missionaries. But, Moyer complained, there weren’t enough women at the concession to dance with. He then added, “Believe me that girls around here are nice and they don’t act like the flirts that are back home.”

The Fourth of July program for 1916 / Robert Neff Collection

Moyer assured his mother it was going to be a “swell celebration,” then jokingly reminded her that he was on the entertainment committee. “Now that is sure hard luck for the ones that expects to be entertained as I am afraid they will be badly disappointed.”

In a letter to his mother dated July 5, Moyer wrote: “Gee I had the swellest time on the Fourth. I won four first prizes which were: Shot-put; Billiards, Horse-shoe and Tennis (mixed doubles). Now don’t you think I am pretty good?! You might tell Bud that I would like to have him out here to [beat] in billiards also in the shot-put.”

His description of the event was brief, but other accounts of earlier and later Fourth of July celebrations suggest there were many competitions and events. There was plenty of fine food served at the picnic and dinner — canned peaches, a favorite among Koreans, and chicken, which was a constant presence at the Western bachelor table, and often a cause of complaint. There were competitions for both Western and Korean miners, many of them related to mining and woodcutting. And there were sporting events — some whimsical, others more serious.

Tennis courts at the OCMC gold mining concession circa 1920s / Robert Neff Collection

Events for the Koreans included: the 100-yard dash for boys, the 100-yard dash for men, bicycle race, greased pig chase, greased pole climb, sack race, donkey race, egg race, wheelbarrow race, macaroni-eating contest, pillow fights, wrestling bouts, boxing for boys and the mysterious — and somewhat ominous — “string eating contest.” These events were well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by spectators.

The events for the Western miners included the running high jump, standing broad jump, running broad jump, the hop, skip and jump, the shot put, the 100-yard dash, bicycle races and tennis tournaments.

However, the most important sporting event was baseball. In the 1910s, the concession had its own championship series made up of two teams — the Outside and the Inside, so named because of their locations within the mining community. The rivalry between the two teams was spirited. According to the 1916 Fourth of July program:

“AS THE ‘OUTSIDE’ SEES IT”

Names unlike faces do not change with defeat it seems, as is

common with Northern Chosen Baseball teams.

One is “Outside” the other called “Inside.”

And the “Outside” twice been on Win-side

While the Lose-side with “Inside” name still beams.

“ECHOS FROM THE INSIDE”

The “Outside” has been crowing,

O’er the winning of the cup,

O’er the great baseball they’re playing,

And the way they’ve showed us up,

But let me tell your people,

It wasn’t playing, wasn’t luck,

The way they’ve won the last two years,

To Maibong took the cup,

The “Outside” looked things over,

Figured – as things stood they’d lose,

So they began to “holler,”

More men, they wished to choose,

So the “Inside,” noble-hearted,

Says “of course, take three or four,

We don’t dare take advantage,

You won’t play and will get sore,”

So give them all the men they want,

It won’t do us much harm,

For this is now the third time,

They say, “THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM”

In the early years, only the Western miners played, but by the 1920s Western teams from Pyongyang and even from China were occasionally invited to compete. The long distances and difficult travel conditions placed the visiting teams at a clear disadvantage.

By the 1930s, Korean teams were also taking part. Judging from the scores, even the home field advantage of the mining camp teams was not always enough to win.

Baseball field at the OCMC in 1916 / Robert Neff Collection

While baseball was the chosen sport of the concession, Moyer does not appear to have been a fan. In his surviving letters home, he makes no mention of the game. He did, however, frequently mention billiards. In early January 1927, he informed his mother that he often played pool at the concession’s clubhouse. He reminded her that he had won the tournament on the Fourth of July and was “figuring on winning” it again. He also warned his brother that as soon as he returned home he would “whip the tar out of him” as there was no one on the concession who could beat him.

We don’t know how he did in the Fourth of July tournaments in 1927 and 1928 — those letters are missing — but we do know he had mixed results in 1929. In his letter to his mother, dated July 9, he wrote: “Dad-gum-it I didn’t get a single prize this year on the Fourth, which means that everything that I tried I was beaten.”

His only hope of winning a prize was in the mixed doubles tennis tournament. He and his partner were in the finals, but the match was postponed because there was too much work to be done.

The OCMC clubhouse circa 1920s-30s / Robert Neff Collection

Despite his complaints, in the same letter he also revealed a small victory of a different kind:

“The club bought a new [Orthophonic] Victrola so they raffled the old one off at the club on the Fourth and I was the lucky one to draw it. The old one is a Victrola and when bought new cost $250 so you see I got quite a nice Victrola. It sure is a beauty and for the house it sure sounds fine, but for the club they wanted one better so we could dance.”

Over the next decade the OCMC continued to hold annual Fourth of July celebrations, but they were no longer described in detail in the hometown newspapers or the local Japanese and Korean press. In 1939, the OCMC was sold and the foreign miners left the country. The Korean gold miners remained in the concession, and it would be a little over six years before they could celebrate independence of their own.

My appreciation to Diane Nars for her invaluable help and for allowing me access to her collection. I would also like to thank the Blain, Lower, Woods, and Morris families for providing me with their family memoirs and pictures.