A few years ago, I met a man who had begun working in the mines when he was seven years old, thanks to my friend David Lewis, who took me to meet him. This is not the old man’s story but it inspired me to write about children in the mines. They worked in the mines in order for their family to get extra money and although it is something this country is not proud to admit, children worked in mines, factories and worked hard until there was a law that voted against it. It was not something they did for their own good, but for the good of their family…for survival. The old man that I met spent the rest of his life working in a coal mine. He said, and I will never forget it, ‘My pap said he got lonely like working in the mine and wanted me to go in with him.’ Seven years old! My heart ached for that old man who was in his seventies and had spent most of it under the ground. I hope you like this story and will give me feedback on it. If so then I will continue about this young boy.
(1916) Old man Cap Smith worked in the logging woods all his born life. He was a mule skinner, or to those who didn’t know the term, he hauled logs out of the woods by a mule. He was tall, but he had been bent over since he was young, from going inside a mine with his pa when he was not more than seven years old. He used to tell anybody who would listen, “Why them mine warn’t morn eighteen inches high. I started going with Pa ta keep him company, he tolt me, but truth war, we needed th money. We lived in a little green house, not morn a shack in th mining camp, but hit war a sight bettern living in thet two room log cabin whar th wind might cut ye in two when ye laid on a pallet on th floor come night time. The floor war hard packed dirt an colder n ice come winter time an hottern hades in th summer. I kinda liked living in th cabin though fer ye could jest go outdoors an up th holler an tree a squirrel er two or mayhap a coon. Ain’t like thet in no camp house. I guess we might a lived in th cabin right on but my Uncle Seth sold th rights o th land ta th coal company an th next thang ye knowed, we war put out o th cabin. Uncle Seth didn’t mean no harm…he jest signed his x right on th line the man tolt him ta sign. He war a nice enough man but adder whut happened, I never did trust no stranger. I warn’t but seven yar old but I remember hit like hit war yesterday. Pa was workin in the mine but thar warn’t no houses open so we had ta find some place ta live. Thar war eight o us younguns an one on th way. I war the oldest boy though I had three sisters oldern me. Well, sir, we moved under a cliff fer a while an hit war right cheerful like, sich as hit war, but my Mam was allus sick like living thar. She had the pleurisy, she said, though she never did go ta th doctor. “
“We didn’t hav much ta move, so Pa borrowed his Pa’s mule an hauled hit all on a sled. Thar war one bed, hit being Mam an Pa’s an the two youngest littleuns, th second set o twins, a long table an a few old broken down cheers, but mostly we used them big ole lard buckets to sot on. We hed plenty o dishes an stuff like thet, woman thangs Pa allus said, so somehow we made hit. Pa had his two guns, a twenty two an a shot gun and he had a old pistol. Mam built a far outside ta cook on in th summer an in th winter we used the ol farplace, sich as hit war. Mam hated thet ole farplace fer she war shore we would burn up alive in hit.”
“Th onliest way Pa could git a camp house war ta sign me on ta work with him, but I didn’t know hit then. Not thet hit would make a difference, fer I honored my Pa an Mam an never sassed er back talked them none.”
“My older sister, Nance, war tickled ta death ta move inta the camp house. She would be shore ta make new friends, er so she thought. Hit war the first time thet we knowed thet we were mighty pore. Th people on one side o us only had three younguns an they all slept in beds, not like us an they had a real stove ta cook on. We war tolt th first time thet Mam built a fare outside thet we couldn’t do thet. Hit war all new ta us. We warn’t usta enybody tellin us what we couldn’t do. This man all dressed in a fancy uniform, come ta th door an knocked right hard like an my sister run ta see who hit war with th rest o us younguns trailing right behind her. Well, sir, my sister war a right comely girl…some might say she was right purty. She war only fourteen but neigh growed as she could be. The man who had knocked at our door like the devil, suddenly couldn’t hardly talk none, but he managed ta git aholt o his self ta tell us thet Mam had ta put th fare out. She could build a fare on wash day, but not ta cook a meal. Ye could smell the food cooking all through the camp. Hit war pinto beans and corn bread but man Mam could shore cook her some beans. Well, ta make a story short thet man sot down on a lard bucket and took some o them beans and corn bread thet Mam offered him. Next thang we knowed some other women in th camp come over with food and plates. Some o them couldn’t speak a word o Anglish. I thank they were Italians thar an them thar Polocks and Lordy knows what else. Hit war th best food eny o us ever had. Thar ended up being nigh onta thirty people all eatin and drinkin in our yard thet day.”
“Hit war like a party fer us younguns, but us older kids knowed right then and thar thet we were dirt pore. Suddenly we knowed we war dirty an our hair war stringy an our clothes were nearly in rags. We hed been a right smart cleaner afore we lived under thet thar cliff. An Mam war about wore out having so many younguns and all. Two sets o twins had about kilt her. I heared her tell Pa thet she shore hoped thisun warn’t another set o twins. Pa jest laughed, “Hit might be three o them this time!” Pa laughed heartily but Mam didn’t crack a smile.”
“I’ll never ferget th first night we slept on the floors! They war real wood floors! None o us younguns could remember sleeping on enythang but cold hard earth and under the cliff it had been even colder. Hit war in the spring o the year when we moved under the cliff and Mam worried mightily about snakes. Course us younguns played so hard we didn’t have no problem sleepin, even on the cold ground. Course being the onliest boy I had a lot of chores ta do. I had to carry water from the branch an it seemed a long ways off an thar war forever water ta be brought in. Mam had a sight o clothes ta wash an we would carry them down ta the branch an beat them amonst th rocks ta git them clean. I allus managed ta git a little time ta do thangs thet I loved specially if hit meant putting food on th table. I would head ta th river every changt I got ta go fishing. I allus loved ta fish. I would take my little sister along with me ta ketch crawdads. She war a good crawdad gal. Hit takes a sight o patience ta ketch them thangs, an I liked ta ketch them but my time was allus limited so I had ta spend hit on fishing fer hit would make a good meal fer us. Lordy, we loved a good mess o fish. Mam would clean them down at the branch and roll them in meal an fry them in lard an she would make hush puppies ta go with them. Hit war a meal fit fer a kang!”
“I loved ta squirrel hunt too an hit took a half dozen o them ta make us a good meal. If she had hit, Mam would cook some sweet taters ta go with em an she would bake a big pan o biscuits in a cast iron pan on th far ta go with hit. They ain’t nothing like sweet taters throwed in the far an cooked away from th high heat with th juices running from they skins.”
“Mam an Pa was right frugal with they money when they got a few dollars. Course Pa war paid in script when he war in th mine an th company store war higher a kite on eney thang they fotched. When I went ta work with Pa, he bought me a chaw of baccy each week an th rest war spent on food an sometimes a bit o clothing when hit was a necessity. I never really liked to chaw, so I would give mine ta Mam. She kept hit hid until she sot down at night an then she would chaw a bit. Hit was her only real thang that war hers alone. Course I am gittin ahead o my story!”
Well, enjoy the holidays and remember to smile at someone and to bring Christmas into each day of your life and pray for your enemy if you can. It’s right hard to do sometimes! And while you are at it, remember we are so blessed in these times in so many ways. Blessings.
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