Coal Mining Blues

Coal Mining Blues.  Kadizzle started his career way back when Kentucky didn't have any union men.  Not really, but it seems that long ago when Kadizzle used to get up from bed at night, and get ready for the midnight shift.  Way up the little valley in the hills past Benwood  Kadizzle would head to the mine.  The mine was just a change house, some small offices, and mainly a shaft.  As mines progress new shafts are put down to get people to work.  Otherwise you would spend a lot of time riding underground just to get to where you will remove the coal.  Kadizzle can remember so well sitting in the cool evening air waiting to hop on the elevator and go down to the mine.  All the miners sat around dressed in filthy cloths with their headlamps on. Coal mines run on time.  If you are not at the bottom of that shaft when the man trip comes you don't get another chance. Just go home unpaid.  Kadizzle was always amazed by the elevators that took miners down to the depths.  The amazing thing is they are identical to elevators in a big office building.  The inside of the elevator is a nice stainless steel finish and the button panel is just the same. Only one problem, you do not get to select the floor you will get off on.  There is only one button, and that takes you to the basement.  In the basement it is a whole different world. The mantrip is there to take you back into the mine where the coal is cut.  Eight hours later you emerge, go up the elevator, and try to wash the coal dust off.  It never works. Your body is permeated with coal dust.  In the shower room you scrub, and scrub, but when you go  to the bar people know you are a coal miner by the raccoon eyes you have from the coal dust under your eyelids.