Welcome to Calm History. I'm Harris, and this podcast is my quirky mix of education with sedation.

So go ahead, lean back, put up your feet, and settle into my time machine of tranquility.

I hope this episode distracts and relaxes your overactive brain squirrels.

In archive episode number 32, I covered the history of coal.

Well, now you get to hear the actual experiences of a coal mine worker in 1908.

And it's filled with curious details about fire damp, stink damp, oil lamps, coal blasting, caveins, underground

railroads, grinding machines, dwarfs, buried treasures, and a phantom mule.

Yeah, I said phantom mule. Yeah, I said, phantom mule.

You'll also hear about a heartwarming friendship,

along with a tiny twist at the end,

which is 100% true.

In the near future, I'll stitch together both of my episodes about coal into a one-hour

extended bonus episode for my SOC Plus members. Not only that, but I also plan to do two more

bonus episodes about coal.

One will highlight the struggles of coal miners

in regard to mine safety, mine owners, and mine unions.

And then, in another bonus episode,

I'll introduce you to the patron saint and protector of mine workers,

the brave and foul-mouthed mother Jones.

So, stay tuned for that.

But for now, a coal miner's experience in 1908.

In July of 1908, at the age of 23, I began working in one of the largest coal mines in the United States.

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