The World of the Miner

By Ron Mishkin

Miners are a breed apart. I can say that because I am a former underground hard-rock miner in zinc and copper mines and a geologist in iron mines. We work in damp, dark, dirty, dangerous, and claustrophobic conditions that can range from extremely hot and humid in the mines in Arizona to freezing in the high mountain mines in Colorado. One of the worst fears many people have is being buried alive. Miners must overcome that fear while working hundreds or even thousands of feet underground in the tight black chambers of the mine.

Most hardrock (metal) mines are deep and steep so miners must climb muddy ladders through nearly vertical openings or "raises" to go from one level to another. A raise can be 300 feet high -so - even though you are deep underground, you now have to overcome a fear of falling.

A miner must be acutely aware of his working environment at all times and must be sure to perform his tasks perfectly. He must bar down all loose overhead rock and install rock bolts. Leaving a loose chunk overhead is an invitation to disaster. He must be sure no unexploded dynamite remains in the muck pile after a blast. A friend in my car pool was killed in a horrible accident. He was crushed by a five ton chunk of magnetite while setting up a blast.

With all of these hazards and consequences, why would anyone choose to be a miner? Miners are a brotherhood of guys who love the adventure of it. They are great practical jokers and love breaking chops. Like nailing your lunchbox to a plank or placing a peanut butter and grease sandwich in your lunchbox. And miners like being miners. They have a lot of pride in what they do, because they realize the rest of us could never do this job. It helps that the pay is very good. For all of the dangers, in a way, miners are stress-free. They get to wear crummy clothes, drill holes in solid rock, swear all day, blast the ore down, and go home whistling.

Miners know that they are providing the resources that make the wheels of civilization turn. Without mining we would be back in the Stone Age. In fact, I believe the men who go down into the earth are heroes. Their willingness to descend into the black depths and wrest minerals from the unforgiving earth makes our way of life possible.

January 16, 2011 - Ron is a graduate geologist from the University of Texas at El Paso with extensive experience in underground mining. He has worked in the Franklin Mine, Richard Mine in Rockaway Twp., Scrub Oak Mine in Mine Hill, and the Magma Copper Mine in Superior, Arizona.