1Hello, I’m Professor Williams and I teach at Northeast University. Today, I’m here to talk with you about coalmines. Coalmines are one of this area’s most treasured and historical sites. In fact, the mine site attracts visitors and tourists from around the country, giving the nation a peek into our small town. I call it our small town because this is where I was born and raised. Although I eventually moved away to attend college, I came back often to see family and friends. As a child, my parents first took me to see the coalmines and mining museum when I was 11 years old.
2I had already known what to expect once we got there since I had read Nathan Connor’s book, Exploring the Mines several times growing up. In his book, he compares the underground mines to a massive cave, waiting to be explored (Connor 45). I must say, with my first visit to the coalmines, that’s exactly the feeling I got as the mine elevator slowly took us down into the dark, cool underground maze. I can still remember squinting to try to adjust to the darkness, and even feeling a little scared inside as we went down that first time.
3I visited the coalmines several times after that, either with my family, or through school trips. However, once I graduated from high school, it would be another 10 years before I returned. This time, I was seeing the mines as a teacher of history, and I used my return visit to do research for a book I was working on about the coalmines.
4It may sound funny, but I still got those same mixed feelings of fear and excitement as the elevator took me down into the cool underground. But once I got out my pen and paper, and the tour guide started to fill me in on what he knew about the mine and its history, it was all business. Much of the machinery and tools the miners had used were still down there. In fact, my tour guide was even using an original “coal oil” lamp to light our way through the mines. The coal oil lamps were one of the most important pieces of equipment to the miners, and each miner had his own special lamp (Johnson 79).
5I had started my research on the mines with the goal of writing about the mine itself; the look and feel of the mine, and the coal it produced that helped fuel machinery and heat homes. However, in the end, my book ended up being more about the miners than the mines. Most miners endured long and hard hours of working underground, and without receiving much pay. Perhaps Marybeth Anderson said it best when she called the underground mines, “a great place to visit, but not somewhere I’d want to work” (Anderson 121).
6I couldn’t agree more.
Works Cited
Anderson, Marybeth. Working Underground: Stories from Miners. New York: Viking, 1997.
Brady, Andrew. A View From the Underground: Photographs from America’s Coal Mines. Boston: Imagination, 1980.
Connor, Nathan. Exploring the Mines. New York: Penguin, 1965.
Johnson, Cathleen. “A Life Underground: Essential Tools for a Miner.” New York Times.
15 May 1905, natl. ed.: B1.
Newsome, Ann. A History of America’s Fossil Fuels. Boston: Grammercy, 2002.
Peterson, Horace. Fueling the Country: How Coalmines Changed the Nation. Chicago:
Viking, 2004.
Quentin, M.J. “Were You Related to a Coal Miner?” Hampton Gazette. 5 January 1999: E8.
Stanley, LizBeth. How Native Americans Were Affected by the Hunt for Coal. New York: Bantam, 2009.
Tropez, Hannah. “Coal Mines across America.” Virginian-Pilot. 13 December 2000: A2.
Zeek, Terrence. “African Americans and the US Coal Mines.” Philadelphia Inquirer. 1 April 2006, E4.
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The text is a transcript of a speech delivered by Professor Williams on the topic of coalmines, highlighting their historical significance and personal connection to the professor's life. Below is a brief summary of the key points from the speech.
Summary:
Introduction to Coalmines: Professor Williams introduces himself and discusses the importance of coalmines in their local area, emphasizing their role as a tourist attraction.
Personal Experience: He shares his experience visiting the coalmines for the first time at age 11, influenced by Nathan Connor's book, which describes the mines as a vast cave system. The anticipation and slight fear of entering the mines are noted.
Against a Historical Background: Over the years, he visited the coalmines multiple times for various purposes, including school trips. After a decade absence, he returned as a history teacher conducting research for a book on coalmines.
A Research Perspective: On this visit, he experienced similar feelings as during his childhood visit but shifted focus to documenting the history and industrial significance of the mines. He describes unique details like the use of coal oil lamps by miners.
Focus Shift to Miners: Initially aiming to write about the mines themselves, he shifted to the stories of the miners, recognizing their difficult work conditions and low pay. He quotes Marybeth Anderson on the contrast between visiting and working in the mines.
Conclusion: Professor Williams concludes with a personal sentiment that resonates with the challenges miners faced versus the romanticized allure of coalmines as a tourist destination.
Works Cited:
In the latter part of the speech, a list of sources that informed his research and provided context for his discussions on coalmines and miners is provided, including works by Marybeth Anderson and Nathan Connor, among others.
The speech encapsulates both personal reflection and historical inquiry, providing a rich insight into the life and work of coal miners amid the backdrop of the coal mining industry’s significance in American history.
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