Material Type

Recording

Date Range

1993

Physical Description

1 VHS T-120. Length: 120 minutes.

Physical Condition

Excellent

Acquisition Source

Sir Alexander Galt Museum

Scope and Content

1. Julius Peta. 44 minutes.

2. Jim Stewart. 27 minutes.

3. Don livingstone. 49 minutes. 1. Julius Peta. 44 minutes. - He started at No. 6 mine in 1931 at the age of 16. Describes his first job as a trapper. Talks about other jobs he had. He eventually got his fire boss and pit boss papers. When No. 6 closed he pick mined at Rollingson Mine for 2 years, and then went to Kerralta where he had the position of mine manager. After 2 years at Kerralta he went to No. 8 mine where he got a fire boss position. He was eventually promoted to mine examiner and then section boss, a position he held until the mine closed in 1957. Describes the duties of fire boss, mine examiner, section boss, and shot lighter. Talks about the test he took to get his fire boss papers. Discusses booster fans and the brantish? man's job. Talks about miner's tools and mining equipment. Talks about the conditions underground and how hard the work was. Describes a carbine light, electric light, and how the lanterns were used to monitor miners coming , and going from the mines. Talks about mining equipment, mechanizing, and advances in technology. He describes a miner's day - time he started, hours worked, tons of coal loaded per day, wages, and payroll deductions. Describes the shearing method of mining. Mentions that miners were frozen to their jobs during WWII if they had

miner's papers. Discusses the annual miner's picnic, sports teams, social activities outside of work, role of the wife. Talks about accidents in the mines, and relates stories about the times he felt nervous while working alone. 2. Jim Stewart. 27 minutes. - He started working in the mine in 1942 at the age of 30. His father worked at No. 6 and then No. 8. He started as a company man, went to contracting, and then got his fire boss papers. Talks about the floor heaving at No. 8. Following the closure of No. 8 he worked at the Shaughnessy Mine. Talks about problems with the union over fire bosses not being members of the union. There was a strike and the mine ended up closing. Talks about mining tools and equipment. Talks about the temperature in the underground tunnels. Talks about the stables at No. 8 and Shaughnessy. Talks about having to pump water out of the tunnels. Talks about wages and payroll deductions. Relates a story about a time in Shaughnessy he was checking rooms and went into one that was squeezing. He was afraid it would cave in before he got the equipment out. He talks about his leg being broken in a cave in. It happen in October and it was spring before he could go back to work. He stayed at the Gait Hospital in a ward with 4 beds, 3 of which were occupied by miners. Relates two stories, one about coming across a dead miner and another about finding an unconscious miner. 3. Don Livingstone. 49 minutes. - He is the 6th generation of his family to work in the coal mines. He started at No. 8 in 1939 following university. To get mine manager papers it was a requirement that he work underground for a minimum of 3 years. His first job was a timberman's helper. He describes the duties of the job. No. 8 heaved a lot and timbers were replaced regularly. One of the reasons No. 8 closed was because it was difficult to maintain with the heaving and water in the tunnels. Talks about different mining machines and diesel locomotives used to pull the coal cars. Talks about gas levels in the Lethbridge mines and safety lamps. He describes a typical work day in the mines - hard work, days went by fast, co-workers were good workers, 8 hour days (this did not include the time it took to get underground or back to the surface), wages. He outlines his career working for the mines. Talks about the annual miner's picnic and sports teams. Tells a story about his father driving to work and picking up miners along the way. Everyday there would be about 12 men hitching a ride. Talks about the death of a miner in a cave in at No. 8 Mine. Talks about the size of No. 8 mine, and the responsiblilties of the various shifts. Talks about how dark it was underground and which areas of the mine were lit. Describes how the the coal was mined - cutting machine, blasting, electric cutters, duck bills, conveyor belt. Talks about slack vs lump coal and storing the coal. Lists the different positions in the mine and gives a brief description of each. Talks about the selling price difference between lump and slack coal and why miners were not paid for the slack coal in their cars. Describes the pumpman and weighman jobs.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19971067014

Collection

Archive

Less detail