| Summary: | In this interview, W. J. Ridgeway talks about his work in the coal mines. Ridgeway describes the processes of his job at length. He says he liked mine work because he had no boss standing over him watching him all the time. Ridgeway also tells the story of how he worked in the first mine in the state to have a labor union, in the 1920s. It was run by a man from Pennsylvania, who was used to unions. After the operator signed a contract with the union, the mine went out of business because the man couldn't stay competitive with his earnings. Ridgeway recalls how the state militia tried to break the union by bringing in farmers and other men to work, telling them they could make a lot of money. They were guarded and separated from the unionized workers at first, but sometimes the unionized workers would find a way to win them over anyway. He also adds that the union was integrated--perhaps the only thing in the state that was. Ridgeway remembers prisoners working at mines. His grandfather was in prison and ended up at Flat Top mine. He says his grandmother worried a lot about him. She ran a boarding house for white miners. He says his wife also worried a lot about his work in the mines.The digitization of this collection was funded by a gift from EBSCO Industries.
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