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John Sawchenko (Character representation)
Credits:Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society
2
Moving on from the Sunshine mine to the Hy-grade was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only was it a more mechanized mine, it was in Midlandvale, just a short walk from Drumheller. Okay so the new mine was great but the girls are what really captured my attention. It was like I had never seen a girl before! During my first week in Midlandvale I couldn't help but anticipate every interaction with these beautiful creatures. There was a dance held ever Friday night and I was going. I felt that this would be a perfect opportunity to introduce myself.3
Hygrade #2 Surface PlantBetween 1934 - 1950
Drumheller, Alberta
Credits:Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society
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Ada Powell, Isabelle McNeil and Jeannie Dunne1951
Drumheller, Alberta
Credits:Carla Powell
5
I finished my Friday night shift and I ran to the wash house to get ready for the dance. I pulled on my sky hook and to my disgust, someone had threaded a wire through the darn thing so it would not come down. After about a half an hour of unthreading the wire I finally got my stuff and myself together and to that dance. Although I knew who had played the prank I chose to say nothing that night?I knew better. The next day at work I arrived a little early and found the culprit's rubber boots. With grease gun in hand, I loaded those boots full of grease and waited. As soon as that prank pulling sucker pulled his boots on he knew that we were even. He stared at me and said "You didn't!""Who me?" I said?."you've got the wrong guy. Must have been the same guy who put a wire on my basket last night" and that was that.
The next Friday I learned about the dirty hug. Again I was over excited about the Friday night dance, and on my way out after cleaning myself up all of the other men coming off shift hugged me as I exited the wash house to pick up my date. I was so filthy that I had to wash up all over again and race home for another pair of clothes. Even with all of the hang ups I was not late for my date.
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The warmth of the wash house and the Good Cheer Stove20th Century
Credits:Alf Brinkman
Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society
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Man on trestle bridge. Note grain elevator in background.20th Century
Credits:Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society
8
Working at the Hy-grade felt like working in heaven compared to the cramped conditions of the Sunshine Mine. There were two workable seams: a four foot (more like three) and an eight foot (more like 5). Even so, there seemed plenty of room to move around. I was no longer a pusher either. I had studied hard and got my miners ticket while I was at the Sunshine Mine. I was a contract miner at the Hy-grade. This meant that the harder I worked and the more coal I could load the more I was paid. On average I was pulling out about 6 tons per day. If I could keep that pace up I could save enough up for a house.9
The Hy-grade Mine had more machinery too. There were electric coal cutters to make the undercut before blasting and that made my job a heck of a lot easier. As well, there was a new machine called a "joy loader". This name suited the machine, as we no longer had to manually load the coal shovel by shovel. Between me and my helper, we could load twice as much coal and do half the work?we loved it. You either love being a coal miner or you hate it. Lucky for me I loved every black minute of it.10
Miner using a Sullivan 7AU coal cutter in extremely tight conditions20th Century
Unknown
Credits:Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society
11
Underground at the Elgin Mine. Two men operating a coal cutting machine, at the coal face.Between 1920 - 1940
Drumheller, Alberta
Credits:W.J. Oliver
Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society
12
Two miners operating a coal loader20th Century
Unknown
Credits:N. Hendricks
13
Western Crown Mine, two men (Trapper Harries(L)& Bernie Doucette (R)), operating redbird coal loader1951
East Coulee, Alberta
Credits:Provincial Archives of Alberta
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