Summary of An Injury to One - Travis Wilkerson, 2003

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

The Travis Wilkerson video is about a man who was injured in a workplace accident in 2003. The accident led to the closure of the copper mine where he was working, and the water from the mine began to rise and contaminate the surrounding area. In order to avoid the water, the mine's operators erected a large tent over the mine. The tent is still in use today, and it helps to keep the surrounding area clean.

• 00:00:00 In "An Injury to One," Dashiell Hammett's novel set in the 19th century, a town in Montana is overtaken by organized crime. The catalyst for this transformation is a struggle undertaken by those who own the mining company against the organizing efforts of a radical Union. Though the book is a work of fiction, the real inspiration for it is said to be based loosely on Hammett's experiences while working as an operative for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. The town of Poisonville in the novel is also based on Hammett's hometown of Butte, Montana.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses the history of Butte, Montana, focusing on the period from the early 1880s to the early 1910s. During this time, the town became a center of copper mining and industrialization, with companies such as Anaconda dominating the economy. However, the town also experienced various problems, such as labor unrest, health concerns, and economic inequality. In 1912, Anaconda withdrew its support from the radical union and began a campaign of repression, culminating in the blacklisting of thousands of workers. By 1914, Butte had been transformed into two distinct camps, with the wealthy enclave surrounded by a poor and violent sector. The video ends with a discussion of the importance of the Wobblies, the union which played a central role in Butte's history.
• 00:10:00 In 1917, during World War I, Butte, Montana was in the midst of a copper mining boom. The mines were essential to the war effort, and the company that owned the mines wielded considerable power. However, many of the town's residents were opposed to the war, and xenophobia and a constant fear of violence pervaded the town.
• 00:15:00 In 2003, Travis Wilkerson was working in a ventilation shaft when a fire broke out. The speculator soon engulfed the town and thousands of people made their way to the scene. The rescuer continued for days in order to keep the work going. The rescuers were offered whiskey at the mouth of the mine, but they would discover the dead piled against cement bulkheads and most of them were charred beyond recognition. State law specified that the bulkheads must have doors which can be opened in the case of fire or collapse, but the fingers of the dead are said to be worn to the knuckles. It is clear that the law is ignored in the minds of Butte.
• 00:20:00 In this video, Travis Wilkerson, a radical labor leader, is discussed. He speaks to striking miners in Arizona in 1917 and calls for using any means necessary to win a strike. His words are later used by the company to write official history. However, there are texts written by Wilkerson himself, which may more accurately represent his message to the striking miners.
• 00:25:00 The video follows the story of Travis Wilkerson, an agitator who is killed by unknown assailants in 1917. The video discusses the lack of official information about the murder, and suggests that it was carried out to provoke violence among the striking miners and their supporters. The authorities subsequently declare martial law in Butte, and arrest leaders of the radical union. The strike is eventually crushed, and the future of the town is left in doubt.
• 00:30:00 The video discusses the murder of radical union agitator Frank Little, which is often used as a pretext for increased violence against the Union. First, the Union Hall is raided and the local leaders of the Union are jailed. 15 members of the radical union are then shot while picketing along anaconda Road. These local acts are only a prelude to more serious violence later on. First, the Montana legislature passes a law limiting the rights of workers unions, and then the mining company begins to attacks the Union.
• 00:35:00 The video discusses how the Espionage and Sedition Acts were rewritten in the early 20th century to become the National Sedition Act. The National Sedition Act was used to target members of the radical Union, or similar organizations, as enemies of the United States. This campaign of repression began shortly after the assassination of labor leader Frank Little in Butte, Montana. Hundreds of foreign-born members were deported, and American members faced trial and imprisonment. Joseph McCarthy, who later became known for his efforts to hunt down communists in the United States, played a significant role in this period of repression.
• 00:40:00 In the early 20th century, crime novelist Dashiell Hammett was jailed for refusing to name names he had once served as an agent of anaconda, a company that had left the town of Berkeley, California, contaminated with copper and other pollutants. Now, over a decade later, the town is struggling to recover from the ecological disaster that was left in its wake.
• 00:45:00 In 2003, Travis Wilkerson was severely injured in a workplace accident. Despite the injury, Wilkerson has chosen to remain a Day Laborer in his town. The town's residents continue to dream of a better future, but they are still forced to contend with the past and the predator that left their town for dead. In 1995, a large flock of geese were killed after a storm, and the deaths are now attributed to a new phenomenon called "pit effect."
• 00:50:00 The Travis Wilkerson video is about a man who was injured in 2003 while working in an abandoned copper mine. The man's injury led to the closure of the mine, and the water from the mine began to rise and contaminate the surrounding area. In order to avoid the water, the mine's operators erected a large tent over the mine. The tent is still in use today, and it helps to keep the surrounding area clean.