Once in a while we find a wonderful glimpse into life in early
Joplin. One of these is the article, “’Twas Only a Joke” by
Robert S. Thurman of the University of Tennessee. Thurman
recounts the practical jokes that people played on one another
in Joplin at the turn of the century. Although miners worked
long hours in hazardous conditions, they found time to play
jokes on one another. Those who suffered the brunt of the jokes
were often greenhorns, who Joplin miners dubbed “dummies,” and
other outsiders who decided to try their hand at mining. Thurman
recounted the story of two men who went into the mining business
together at Duenweg. Their mine operation consisted of a pick,
shovel, a windlass and can, some drills, blasting powder, and a
dummy to help them. The two partners hired a man from Platte
County, Missouri, to work as their dummy. Unbeknownst to them,
the dummy was an out-of-work miner with plenty of experience
under his belt. The two partners would explain the dummy’s tasks
to him in the simplest te