Fuels Used by Pit Workers #1 (Distribution of Coke)
1958 - 1963

Yamabito no Nenryo #1 (Gara no Haikyu)
[Fuels Used by Pit Workers #1 (Distribution of Coke)]
21.0 x 30.0 cm Ink Painting

The area where pit workers' houses stand in a row is called tanjugai today and the houses look better than before. However, they were humble houses called nayas (barns) for pit workers called ishiyamatos in the past. It was difficult for people in every coal pit to get enough of the kinds of fuels they needed at that time. It may sound a little strange if I write that pit workers mining coal could not get fuels freely. However, in the Meiji era (1868-1912), they worried about getting coke (gara) because they did not know how to make them from fine dust coal like today. Lack of coke was caused because lump coal was necessary to make it and the second-class washed coal used to make it was mainly used for boilers. Additionally, coarse lumps of selected coal were not distributed to miners as the material to make coke because of the effect on finance.
Mine companies sometimes managed to distribute coke to their workers. Each one went to buy it from early morning on the distribution day, shouldering coal baskets. Coke making places in the pits were considerably far from miners' houses. It was hard work to shoulder and carry baskets full of heavy coke made from the second-class washed coal or rust coal.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

<<Last pictorial record    Next pictorial record>>

<<Last 10 items  141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145｜146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 |   Next 10 Items>>

145／306