Questions, questions

Back in 1972, a team of research assistants asked residents of Cobalt, North Cobalt, Haileybury, and New Liskeard a series of questions. The goal of the interview project was to amass as much information as possible about Cobalt’s pioneer days.

The typewritten transcriptions of the interviews are kept in binders in the local history shelves of the Cobalt Public Library. But in many cases, without the list of questions, the answers are confusing.

1. Current name
2. Nick name
3. Maiden name
4. Address
5. Telephone number
6. Age
7. Where were you born
8. Where were your parents born
9. Where was your family from originally?
10. When did you arrive in Cobalt
11. What method of transport did you use
12. What route did you take to get to Cobalt
13. How many people were in your family when you arrived
14. Husband’s original occupation in Cobalt.
15. Wife’s current occupation in Cobalt
16. Husband’s current occupation in Cobalt
17. Wife’s original occupation in Cobalt.
18. What were your impressions of Cobalt when you arrived?
19. What was Cobalt like when you came here?
20. Why did you come to Cobalt
21. When you first arrived what type of employment was available and
22. What were your working hours?
23. How much were you paid per week?
24. What was your first home like?
25. How did you spend your first Christmas
26. How far did you have to go for water?
27. What did you have in the way of lighting
28. What type of stove did you cook on?
29. What kind of heating did you have?
30. What kind of shops were here when you arrived.
31. What kinds of entertainment were available
32. What types of sports did you participate in as a youngster
33. Did you attend school in Cobalt
34. How many years of schooling did you have.
35. What means of transportation were available when you arrived.
36. Who was your first doctor?
37. What were the hospitals facilities like at this time?
38. Where was your first child born?
39. What age were they when they quit school and went to work
40. Where did they work?
41. What were the mines like in the early days?
42. What type of contests did the miners have in the old days?
43. What was a miner’s typical main meal?
44. What was a miner’s typical meal?
45 How did you spend your first Christmas
46. How did you dress on weekdays?
47. How did you dress on Sundays?
48. How did you spend your Sundays
49. Are there any special treasures you have kept through the years?
50. What do you like about Cobalt now?
51. Why do you like these things?
52. What changes have been made over the past years that you liked?
53. What changes have been made over the past years that you don’t like?
54. What don’t you like about Cobalt.
55. Why don’t you like it?
56. Would you like to see any particular changes in Cobalt?
57. If yes, what kind.
58. What time of year do you enjoy most in Cobalt?
59. What form of entertainment do you find for yourself?
60. Have you any hobbies.
61. What do you think is the answer to Cobalt’s unemployment problem?
62. What sort of people do you think would be interested in what Cobalt has to offer?
63. What has Cobalt to offer the visitor?