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Come on guys,tell us how you got started in the coal mines.My grandfather,Father,Uncles,all worked in the mines.Helen wva,my grandfather and dad worked years ago.My grandfather died of black lung in 1977.My uncle was hurt in the mines and can barely walk today.After I watched my grandfather suffer from black lung for 20 years and lose his battle,I moved away from west virginia.Coal miners and thier families are the best people you will ever meet.
My Dad got killed in the coal mines, when I was 2 years old. I had an uncle that was riding the motor in the mines and he raised his head and it took the whole top of his head off.
The problem in WV is that's about all there is to make decent money.
I moved from there in 1993. I miss the people and all my friends there. The people are so different from the people in Cincinnati. They are so courteous.
Anyone remember what the scrip money looked like that they paid the miners?
I went looking in the State Archives for pictures of coal mine script, haven't found it yet. The search is a bit clunky and turns up titles but none have links, it's more of a catalog of what they have in the archives.
It was time well spent because I did find this eye opening look at the Buffalo Creek Disaster. Follow the arrow links at the bottom of each page.
There's also this section on The Omar Project, with some pictures of life in a mining town from the 1930s. Again, follow the links at the top and bottom of each page.
This photograph was actually taken at Stirrat, down the road from Omar. There were miners from three mines - #19, 18, and 15 – going into the pay office at Stirrat. The car at the right has a sign for Maytag. A lot of companies did business on credit. A collection guy would come to collect from the people who owed them. There was a Y where the passenger train turned around at Stirrat when there were steam engines. When diesels came in they could run back and forth and didn’t need a turnaround.
“Payday, coal mining town. Omar, WV”
Marion Post Wolcott, September 1938
Last edited by Two-Rivers; 10-08-2010 at 08:19 PM..
Reason: Editing
I have a question about why the Chilean miners were able to last so long down there. And, now they're all being rescued. Everytime there is a mine cave-in in W. Va or PA it seems that our guys don't fare as well.
I have a question about why the Chilean miners were able to last so long down there. And, now they're all being rescued. Everytime there is a mine cave-in in W. Va or PA it seems that our guys don't fare as well.
I think the difference in this situation is, that this was a simple collapse, without fire, explosion, flooding, or poisonous gases in the air which have been present in the recent mine disasters here in the US.
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