Summary: Coal Keeps The Lights On

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ENG 101
7 October 2013
Coal Keeps the Lights On Rev. Delbert Jones lived in Harlan County, Kentucky all of his life. His grandfather and his father were both coal miners, he too carried on the tradition. After all, that is all his family and him knew. He gave the coal mines twenty two and a half years of his life. And like most other coal miners he did not reach the age of retirement before health issues wore down his once able body. Delbert started working in the mines of Harlan in 1966. When he first started his job the only equipment available to use was a shovel and a light that he
wore on the hat the barely protected his head.(Jones) 的t was total darkness, you could barely see anything you just hoped for the best when you started digging.said Delbert. 的 would work anywhere from eight to sixteen hours a day.said Delbert. He would go in at dark and leave at dark and often go without eating or taking a break because his job was so demanding. Even though mining was dangerous and vigorous work he loved his job. In 1966 his pay was $3.25 an hour, for that day and time he was making good money. In 1980 when he had to quit due to health issues his top pay was $26.00 an hour.(Jones) 的t was hard, but I had a job to do. Coal keeps the lights on.said Delbert. His job came with many responsibilities. He had to take care of himself, make sure his workers were all safe and make sure they got the job done. (Jones) When he got his job finished he was ready to go home to his wife and family. Delbert said there was nothing better than the boss saying 徹kay boys lets shut her down, its time to go home.That was something they looked forward to after a long days work. Upchurch 2 He knew when he was a little boy he was going to be a coal miner. His grandfather, father and many close relatives and friends were all coal miners. If you lived in Harlan, more than likely you were going to be working in the mines. The best thing he liked about his job was the challenge of hard work. He said he loved anything that came as challenge to him, he loved when he achieved exactly what he set out to do. (Jones) Jones said he misses working in the mines.
If his health was better he would be right back. He also said that most of his family worked in the mines, but he wouldn稚 want any of his grandchildren going through what he did to provide for his family. He said It was a good job, but he could live without the aches and pain he feels everyday. (Jones) Although life in the mines were hard, it was even harder on his body. The twenty two years he gave the mines gave him back one destroyed body. He ended up having black lung disease from inhaling all of the coal dust which eventually turned in to COPD. (Jones) He also had to go through six back surgeries from all of the bending over and crawling he had to do. He said if you work in the mines you will come out with an old tattered up and worn down body. He would love to be living in Harlan, working dusk til dawn living the coal miners life. It was and will always be apart of who he is. Two of his sons also worked in the mines along side of him. They didn稚 put nearly as many years as he did, but put enough in to both be disabled with back injuries. Jones said it was important to him that he see them get out of there before they got 澱lack lungand It take over the rest of their
lives. He said he would have loved it if his body would have let him work long enough to retire from the mines.
That was one of the goals he had set for himself that he didn稚 get to accomplish. Jones said he is somewhat thankful he got out when he did, if not the stress of the job may have been too hard on Upchurch 3 his body and he may not be here today. Jones has many friends and family that all have disabilities from the mines. His son Delbert Jones III-Back injuries, his son Eric Jones-Back injuries, friend Eddie Napier-Black lung and back injuries, friend Dudly Bodey-retired with black lung and Brother in law Cecil Bard- paralyzed waist down from mining incident. (Jones) Jones says it was not common for people to come out of the mines with a healthy able body, if you go in you will more than likely barely come out. Life as a coal miner was hard, and it still hard for many people today.任oal will always keep the lights onJones said again. He does not regret his life as a miner. Jones said he will always have respect for the people brave enough to enter a coal mine. He said if anyone wanted to know the definition of hard work that they should trade places with a coal miner for a day and they will quickly change their minds. He is proud of his twenty two years he gave the mines and would gladly use that shovel and pick if the Lord was willing.
(Jones)

Upchurch 4 Works Cited

Jones, Delbert. Personal interview. 1 Oct. 2013. 鉄ome Kentucky Coal Mines.KY Coal Mines. June 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.