It's so sad how many men and now women too, tolerate the environment underneath our earth as they dig for rich veins of coal. How many avoidable death in accidents these companies could and even now avoid by keeping up the maintenance of their equipment, the coal miners individual safety equipment, fire prevention but greed takes over and corners cut. Why? Because of their overhead, the supervisor/ owner touts in excuses, in every movie and documentary, weve watched. Human life isn't respected, it's just the means to bring up the coal for the coal mines investors, the businesses that buy coal. These mighty once healthy men and women enter repeatedly ,the dark holes, pay a high price for keeping a roof over their families heads, dreams for college for their children so they never have to suffer black lung, and many other health problems. Their communities sometimes several counties away from the actual company. The company store compound no longer exists but there are still rements of its past. Old coal houses flipped into new residences. Theres still missionary out reaches, visiting still homes with forgotten families, hidden away on old winding dirt, worn paved side roads. Their children are bused to schools far away from their homes. Strikes send fears up their spine when it happens. No welfare help comes to them because of their wages, so they must depend on each other and pray for better safety, better health benefits, better for their communities where by their water hasn't already been polluted by previous forgotten closed mines up or down stream.. There are places still burning under ground, where a vein of coal exposed catches on fire, scorching the ground from underneath and communities have to leave to find a new home, because the old one isn't safe, for animal ir people. Everything used to be codependent on the coal mines. One went, everything else went. Have you ever driven behind a coal truck up a mtn, slowed by weight and disel fumes rushing into your open windows on a sunny day? The dust paints streets and homes as the parade of these trucks enter and exit the mines. Narrow roads nightmare, for regular vehicles. Today roads are wider in most places except where they can't be rerouted. Children those whom become adults unlucky unable to participate in more populated parts of their county, are left behind. Generation after generation. I wondered after Obama and Biden shut off the coal mines and exclaimed there were better environment type renewable engery. What happened to all those dependent on the coal mines.... and now I hear that coal once again IS be revived for new energy. How many former workers will return to be willing to risk everything again, just to be an coal miner?
Wow Lura! You understand the subject of this novel very well. Some of the coal industry-related issues you wrote about are highlighted in future chapters. Coal River Mountain Watch is a real organization and is located in West Virginia.
I could have majored in History. I have always been interested in various industries in WV. Due to my family members sharing stories. Then I take it farther because I wanted to learn more, ( it's adhd need to consume in researching) to understand why people lived the way they did, why did so many immigrants settle in McDowell County and they faced such dire living conditions and the coal wars, I can't remember the woman who led their fight but it was a key factor making the rest of our country aware of how then powerful coal mind owners was bullies and ravaging lives just to get their bragging rights. My Dad told me stories as we drive about, pointing places out in how They had left the coal mining counties in a state of dispair.. I've spoken with many individuals whom grew up in a variety of towns, that dont exist anymore, as well dated and married a guy briefly, whose Dad was a coal miner after he returned from Germany in WW2. My own family were more farmers, merchants, worked for lumber companies, were Carpenters, and owned a electrical company. They were from Mercer, Wyoming, Summers, Raleigh counties. My Grrams lived in around Pipestem, growing up. We have a family andcithers cementary. Also, in Camp Creek Park. Though, I never lived in several of the McDowell counties, Wyoming,etc. But, I have the family history in Twin Falls, now a state park where my Grams Grandparents and other family members had farms, and buried there. I go with her to put flowers on family members graves annually. And I just verified what county it was located but until now didn't know it was close, or in Mullins. We always refer it to Twin Falls, it had a post office once. And I was engaged to a man, whose own Mom was born and grew up there. So, my curiosity always being expanded, about the rest of why people continue to pick hollers, where many times the only sunlight is whst you see at the top of the ridge and how they seemly still survive and slowly push for new types of businesses, enlarge their communities while others wither away. These people are of a different stock. They think differently, but they mostly the warmest, friendly types. Some of us could learn to be strong in survival, like they were and are today.
It's so sad how many men and now women too, tolerate the environment underneath our earth as they dig for rich veins of coal. How many avoidable death in accidents these companies could and even now avoid by keeping up the maintenance of their equipment, the coal miners individual safety equipment, fire prevention but greed takes over and corners cut. Why? Because of their overhead, the supervisor/ owner touts in excuses, in every movie and documentary, weve watched. Human life isn't respected, it's just the means to bring up the coal for the coal mines investors, the businesses that buy coal. These mighty once healthy men and women enter repeatedly ,the dark holes, pay a high price for keeping a roof over their families heads, dreams for college for their children so they never have to suffer black lung, and many other health problems. Their communities sometimes several counties away from the actual company. The company store compound no longer exists but there are still rements of its past. Old coal houses flipped into new residences. Theres still missionary out reaches, visiting still homes with forgotten families, hidden away on old winding dirt, worn paved side roads. Their children are bused to schools far away from their homes. Strikes send fears up their spine when it happens. No welfare help comes to them because of their wages, so they must depend on each other and pray for better safety, better health benefits, better for their communities where by their water hasn't already been polluted by previous forgotten closed mines up or down stream.. There are places still burning under ground, where a vein of coal exposed catches on fire, scorching the ground from underneath and communities have to leave to find a new home, because the old one isn't safe, for animal ir people. Everything used to be codependent on the coal mines. One went, everything else went. Have you ever driven behind a coal truck up a mtn, slowed by weight and disel fumes rushing into your open windows on a sunny day? The dust paints streets and homes as the parade of these trucks enter and exit the mines. Narrow roads nightmare, for regular vehicles. Today roads are wider in most places except where they can't be rerouted. Children those whom become adults unlucky unable to participate in more populated parts of their county, are left behind. Generation after generation. I wondered after Obama and Biden shut off the coal mines and exclaimed there were better environment type renewable engery. What happened to all those dependent on the coal mines.... and now I hear that coal once again IS be revived for new energy. How many former workers will return to be willing to risk everything again, just to be an coal miner?
Wow Lura! You understand the subject of this novel very well. Some of the coal industry-related issues you wrote about are highlighted in future chapters. Coal River Mountain Watch is a real organization and is located in West Virginia.
I could have majored in History. I have always been interested in various industries in WV. Due to my family members sharing stories. Then I take it farther because I wanted to learn more, ( it's adhd need to consume in researching) to understand why people lived the way they did, why did so many immigrants settle in McDowell County and they faced such dire living conditions and the coal wars, I can't remember the woman who led their fight but it was a key factor making the rest of our country aware of how then powerful coal mind owners was bullies and ravaging lives just to get their bragging rights. My Dad told me stories as we drive about, pointing places out in how They had left the coal mining counties in a state of dispair.. I've spoken with many individuals whom grew up in a variety of towns, that dont exist anymore, as well dated and married a guy briefly, whose Dad was a coal miner after he returned from Germany in WW2. My own family were more farmers, merchants, worked for lumber companies, were Carpenters, and owned a electrical company. They were from Mercer, Wyoming, Summers, Raleigh counties. My Grrams lived in around Pipestem, growing up. We have a family andcithers cementary. Also, in Camp Creek Park. Though, I never lived in several of the McDowell counties, Wyoming,etc. But, I have the family history in Twin Falls, now a state park where my Grams Grandparents and other family members had farms, and buried there. I go with her to put flowers on family members graves annually. And I just verified what county it was located but until now didn't know it was close, or in Mullins. We always refer it to Twin Falls, it had a post office once. And I was engaged to a man, whose own Mom was born and grew up there. So, my curiosity always being expanded, about the rest of why people continue to pick hollers, where many times the only sunlight is whst you see at the top of the ridge and how they seemly still survive and slowly push for new types of businesses, enlarge their communities while others wither away. These people are of a different stock. They think differently, but they mostly the warmest, friendly types. Some of us could learn to be strong in survival, like they were and are today.