Inverness Miners' Museum
Inverness, Nova Scotia

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The Broken Ground: A History of a Cape Breton Coal Mining Community

 

 

WILLIAM PENN HUSSEY

THE MAN & HIS ROLE IN THE INVERNESS MINING INDUSTRY

1888-1899

William Penn Hussey was born at North Berwick, Maine, in 1847. At the age of eighteen he was actively engaged in mining the California fields but returned to the east where he set up a business devoted to the wholesale and retail of coal in the community of Danvers, Massachusetts. According to "The Danvers Mirror" he became known as "a reputable and honest dealer, " and soon amassed a small fortune. Realizing that industry and fidelity were the requisites for success W.P. Hussey set out to capitalize in another geographical area where coal was in abundance but the courage, determination, endurance, and plan to make the project a financial success was lacking. The area of interest was Broad Cove on the western coast of Cape Breton. The year was 1888 and Hussey, as a knowledgeable coal developer, soon realized the quality and potential of the fields but faced major obstructions. The impediment facing Hussey was the cost of developing a coal field where a harbour, a railway, and a local market, was deficient. This combined with an uncertain world market constituted a rather depressing outlook. In any case, Hussey accepted the challenge and prepared to expedite his scheme. A man of intense determination, he set up the continuous exploration of the Inverness coal fields and made them work to his advantage.

From local stories it is obvious that the personality and character of Hussey borders on the most controversial topics. A man of excessive weight who rode around on a big white horse, wearing cowboy togs, a six gallon hat, and two pistols dangling on each side of a gun belt does not seem consistent with his role as the industrialist As a shrewd and excellent organizer he capitalized on his own character, purchased the land for $62,500 and pushed with remarkable energy. Attempting to float his scheme in England, Scotland, France, and Switzerland, Hussey readily enlisted the assistance of wealthy capitalists and attracted unlimited capital.

When discussing this episode with A.M. MacKinnon and John Ryan in 1964 as part of my River Street Interviews I was told an intriguing story. A rich manufacturer from Zurich, Switzerland, by the name of Mr. Neagli, was attracted by Mr. Hussey's publicity campaign and decided to come to Broad Cove for an eyewitness account. Since Hussey was one not to leave anything to chance, he hired several of the workers to paint walls of rock that stood facing the sea, the darkest black. When the Swiss investor arrived on the scene, he looked from the deck of his ship and marveled at the colossal black wall of coal Such was his confidence in the scheme that he said he would be willing to invest a million dollars immediately. Without delay, the transaction was made and Hussey immersed himself in further development of the Broad Cove Mine.

In the winter of 1894 he got an Act of Incorporation passed, through the Legislature of Nova Scotia for the Broad Cove Coal Company Limited. It was from this point that Hussey engineered a dormant properly into a viable industry. After his return from Europe he went to Broad Cove as Manager and Treasurer of Ms Company and purchased large tracts of land around the mine and projected harbour. He then proceeded to build a narrow gauge railway from the coal pits to the proposed harbour a distance of two miles away. The railway was then equipped with small coal cars and a plug engine. With the purchase of a powerful clamshell dredge with its fleet of scows, Hussey went to work with cool determination and within several weeks opened a channel between the sea and MacIsaac's Pond. The reorganizational stage lasted approximately three years and. the establishment of a profitable mining industry in the Inverness area was taking form. Unlike most mining communities that became wholly dependent on the mining company to provide goods and services, Inverness attracted independent merchants, and within three years of Hussey's arrival, the shape of greater things to come were observable.

Since acquiring an interest in the Inverness area coal fields by the summer of 1888, Hussey was determined on making the project a success. From this date he employed close to fifty men from various regions of the county and set about constructing and making preparations for a new era of development. Besides erecting cottages and houses, Hussey opened fee veins at a number of points and continued the work of constructing a railroad from these points to MacIsaac's Pond. While this activity was in progress the dredging of the Pond continued. At this instance, an average of 100 men a day were empio3fed on the pier work, dredging, and building operations in order to secure a sound shipping route. Once the basic preparations were completed the Broad Cove Mining Company hired 50 miners and was in production. Coal was taken from the mine, loaded into boxcars, and then pulled along the track to the shipping piers whose channel at this time was 15 feet deep at low tide and could accommodate large steamers. At the harbour it was stored in chutes until vessels from eastern Canada and Maine arrived to pick up the cargo.

From coal miner interviews in the 1960's one should readily sense the feeling of betrayal and disgust some miners felt toward the Hussey's. One of the miners interviewed actually voiced his contempt for the American capitalist by stating that he was "...one who used the people and the miners to his own advantage. By leaving at a crucial time he showed that his interest was primarily in making money and not helping the community prosper." Many others felt the same way although they were not as critical and bitter. The reaction of the citizens certainly did not signify a whole-hearted approval for the unexpected move but then again many respected and admired the Hussey's for their role in developing their community. At the time of the sale, newspaper stories (Inverness News) stated that: " the Canadian Government had been impressed at Hussey's industry, fidelity, thoughtfulness, and kindly treatment of employees. "

 

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