Under the sea

September 14.
Heavy rain this morning extended our time at the breakfast table, for telling stories and remembering times these five friends have shared. I also did some research  for my salon topic.
A quick call home indicated that Crispin was released and doing okay for now, but decisions ahead on what can or should be done for him.
The hosts here were giving guests suggestions for a rainy day. We decided to take their recommendation for the miners' museum in Sydney. A bit of a haul in the rain, but worth the effort.
As it turns out, Nova Scotia sits on enormous bituminous coal deposits. But amazing to us was that the seams run out from land, under the ocean.
Our guide worked in the mines for 40 years. He gave a thorough explanation of the history and experience of working these mines. When the mines were closed, they reached as far as seven miles out and 2700 feet below the surface. The commute by mine train was a hour and a half out and back.
The descriptions of working  conditions - even in later years - were horrifying. On top of that, the miners paid rent on company housing, bought coal from the company to heat their houses, had to buy their own tools and supplies, plus shop the company store for food and clothing. The operating principle was to keep the workers always in debt to the company. On payday, all these charges were subtracted from their pay, meaning the net was small or nothing.  When several sons (as young as nine) from many families joined their fathers, in hopes of making enough to pay off the debt so they could leave, the  company cut wages and days the miners could work, ensuring more credit purchases from the company store in addition to rent and other costs.
Of course, the miners finally rebelled, and of course the government supported the owners, sending police and troops to quell the uprising. Eventually, public opinion supported the miners and some reforms on wages and safety were granted.
Ultimately, concerns over burning coal closed the mines for good.
To illustrate all this, we were taken into a sample mine to experience the low ceilings (in one stretch, slightly over four feet), to see some of the tools, and get an idea of the noise level. At every turn, just beyond the timbers on either side supporting the roof, was gleaming coal, floor to ceiling, as far as you see. Quite an experience.
We ate in a former company duplex  house, opened up to be a restaurant, toured another as it was in the day as well as the company store.
Then the drive home in only misty rain, followed by my salon on sailing - an overview of basic concepts and types of boats.