Women at Coal Pits in the Old Days #10 (Woman Helper Pushing a Mine Car)
1958 - 1963

Mukashi Yama no Onna #10 (Hako o Osu Onna no Atoyama)
[Women at Coal Pits in the Old Days #10 (Woman Helper Pushing a Mine Car)]
20.6 x 29.0 cm Ink Painting

In many levels called kanekatas, the beams of support units often broke and sagged from rock pressure after the removal of the main safety coal pillars (ryuzu) around the levels. In such cases, women helpers could not raise their heads as well as put their hands on the edges of their mine cars when pushing them. They could not pile coal above the edges of their mine cars, and so the load was inevitably reduced to 80 % of the usual. The deduction caused a loss of about 20 % of their wages.
Additionally, levels were naturally driven upward and inclined so gently that loaded mine cars went down smoothly and empty ones rather slowly (at pits run by Mr. Aso).
Levels for thin coal beds, including new ones, generally had low roofs and helpers could not keep their heads raised when pushing their mine cars in them.

[Translator's Notes: At some coal pits including Mr. Aso's coal pits, as mentioned here, a normal load of coal would extend past the edge of the mine car. The low ceilings of levels prevented miners from piling their coal that high.]

Lyrics of "Gotton Bushi" Song at the Top Left
Mitemo zounto suru Kanaya n tan no tsutsumi, sama-chan ga "Ompuru, ompurupun" to yuta tsutsumi. Gotton!

I shudder at the sight of the pond of the pit of Kanaya at which my sweetheart said shuddering, "Ompuru, Ompurupun (onomatopoeias to express one's fear)." Gotton (Clang)! (Interjected chant)


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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