Coal Mining

“Poverty at its Worst”

                                                             By Collette

During my life, I have visited several mines. Each time I was struck by the extreme poverty of the region where they were located. While the people with whom I traveled were interested in the innovations of the equipment used by the companies, I was drawn to the people who actually worked in the mines. Museums located on the site included pictures of the miners. They appeared shabbily dressed, covered with coal dust and invariably were very young.

The only mine I have visited near where Emily’s story takes place was operational nearly 40 years ago. The cage my husband and I rode in to the mining level had room for only two people at a time. I was just a little claustrophobic as we descended into the darkness. The other memory I have about the mine was I could not stand up straight in any shaft (remember I am short?). It also would have taken forever to send a crew of miners down the shaft with such a small cage, as well as, return everyone to the surface at the end of the day.

The other mine that I recall vividly was much larger, but non-operational. In fact the company was in the process of reclaiming the region and cleaning up damage done over many years. The cage at this mine held ten or more miners packed in like sardines. Again, it was difficult traveling up and down in such close quarters. I was also next to the bird cage that held a yellow canary that traveled with the miners each day and was used to determine if poisonous gasses were present
in any shafts. (A dead bird meant get out of the mine immediately.)

Working below ground with no sunlight every day, breathing the cloying dust that blackened lungs, doing back-breaking work for a penance each day and living in utter poverty was one of the worst jobs during the 19^th and 20^th Centuries. Only newcomers to America desperate for work would have worked under such miserable conditions.