Writers And Miners

J. B. McLachlan was a fiery, idealistic Scot who came to Canada with a vision of a better world. He settled in Cape Breton, and there he worked in the coalmines beside hundreds of men and boys from all parts of the world. In the first decades of the twentieth century mine owners cared little for safety or working conditions: miners and their families were virtual serfs of the company. As their wages were squeezed lower, mine workers fought back through their union--with J. B. McLachlan at its head. The response of the authorities was fierce. The miners faced soldiers, machine guns, prison sentences, starvation, homelessness. They were betrayed by American union leaders. Throughout, J. B. McLachlan stood firm for his principles and ideals. The Company Store is the story of a remarkable Canadian, and of a little-known part of our industrial past.

An action-packed thriller from global bestseller Wilbur Smith "Underground Manager,"he said. There was a long silence and he could hear the man breathing on the other end. "Speak, man, what is it?" "The whole bloody thing has come down,"said the voice. It was husky, rough with fear and dust. "Where are you speaking from?"Rod asked. "They're still in there," said the voice. "They're screaming in there. Under the rock. They're screaming."' Nothing drives men to danger like gold... Rod Ironsides is the honest, expert manager of the successful Sonder Ditch gold mine and its hard-worked miners. But honesty and expertise count for little, when faced with desperate bosses and a crew who'll break every rule to get their own illegal share of the precious metal. Under the command of the obsessive, meticulous Dr Steyner, Rod is forced into greater and greater risks. For if the mine goes down and takes the lives of the men with it, someone stands to make millions -but Rod will be the one who pays

Originally published in 1939 this text describes the working life of a typical Welsh miner as well as the author's own experiences in the lock-outs of 1921 and 1926. It demonstrates B.L. Coombes's desire to offer an accurate account of the lives of miners and their families working in the South Wales coalfields.

Raised in Reserve Mines, Sheldon Currie teaches literature and writing at Saint Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. His books include 'The Story so Far'.

"Lost Treasures & Old Mines" brims with stories of gold fever, copper ore, and silver mining in the American Southwest.

Johnny McCarthy is a third generation coal miner whose father and grandfather died in the coal mines of Ireland. Johnny digs coal for the Stone Mountain Coal Company in Matewan, West Virginia in the early 1920s. He is staunchly devoted to his family and the coal company based on the loyalties his father has taught him. But in W.Va, he faces the challenge of union organizing, workplace violence, and the difficulty of providing enough food and clothing for his family. In addition, he deals on a daily basis with the dangers of the mine, including explosion, cave-ins, darkness, and rats. And don't forget the low pay in scrip along with the company store, the company preacher, the company school, and the company doctor. The coal miner's son is caught up in the historic choices he must make between hopeless servitude and the life-threatening dangers of joining the union. "Johnny McCarthy, A Coal Miner's Son" is the story of one miner's adventure that takes him beyond the Matewan Massacre to finding out who he really is. No dull passages here. This book is raw, gritty, and filled with suspense. Truly hard to put down.