The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

September 21st, 2011

50 Years Ago

The Springhill Record January 1, 1953 – Living Conditions Fifty Years Ago

     Fifty years ago eggs were eight cents a dozen – butter ten cents a pound – milk five cents a quart – the butcher gave away liver – the hired hand received two dollars per week and did the washing – women concealed their ankles and did not powder or paint, smoke or play poker – men wore whiskers and boots, chewed tobacco and spat on the sidewalk – beer was five cents a glass, the lunch free – laborers worked ten hours a day at one dollar per, and never went on strike – the hat check grafter was unknown – a kerosene lamp and a stereopticon in the parlor were luxuries – you could see a movie for a nickel – no one was ever operated on for appendicitis, or had their faces revamped – microbes and vitamins were unheard of – folks lived to a ripe old age and walked many miles to wish their friends a Merry Christmas.

How Different From That of Today

      Today everyone rides in automobiles or flies – plays golf – shoots crap  - smokes cigarettes – drinks the most expensive liquors – a washing machine does the washing – an ironer, the ironing – a refrigerator protects the foods – an electric radio, a toaster, a percolator are a must in most homes – most folks never go to bed the same day they get up – they only work thirty-five or forty hours per week – enjoy the highest of wages, the highest standard of living known to man and think they are having a heck of a good time – everyone blames the high cost of living on their neighbors or the politicians – these are the days of racketeering – high taxes – crime waves – speed and nerves –

     If you, my friends, still believe that life is worth living (?), I sincerely wish you and yours -

     A most Joyful and Prosperous New Year, and I do mean “You”.

                  Mayor A.J. Mason

Prize Winners at M.K. Mills’ Store

     The Christmas drawing at M.K. Mills store attracted a great deal of attention and the prize winners were: $10.00 prizes, Mrs. Seldon Thompson, Windham, and Earl Boran, Springhill.  $5.00 prize – Mrs. Leo Cameron.  Dressed Doll, Mrs. Lorraine Nelson.

Springhill Record – April 26, 1949

The Price of Coal

(By a Miner)

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Coal, they say is a min’ral

Given to us for ‘free’

All we have to do is dig it,

                       It was put there for you and for me.

But the moment we start to extract it,

The cost of production begin,

We must pay for our tools and machinery

With some incidentals thrown in.

We also have pumps, fans, and railroads,

Examiners and Overmen too,

Props, booms and packwood to pay for

And a little for profit when due.

But there’s one item missing, by Glory,

Unrecorded by pencil and pen,

It’s the misery, anguish and heartaches,

The maiming and killing of men.

Last Wednesday, the weather was stormy

The nightshift were down in ‘the hole’

A “Bump” racked the old eleven thousand

Tom paid the full price of coal.

Besides Tom, there’ve been may others

And doubtless there will be many more,

Who will pay with their poor, broken bodies

The “Full Price of Coal” as before.

Remember, we’re still human beings

We each have a heart and a soul,

Agonizing torment, pain and death

Are the prices that we pay for coal.