Coal Miner's
Dedication Page
CHARLIE ANCIL COOK was the son of Daisy Johnson and Henry Cook. He was born in Dante, Virginia where his mother Daisy Cook lived her entire life. He lived in a mining camp and worked 37 1/2 years underground as a miner for Clinchfield Coal Company.
He spent 2 years in the service and was in Germany. He was fortunate that he did not get hurt in the mines but saw many of his fellow buddies get kill. He was in lots of the United Miners Work Strikes and he was proud to be a United Mine Worker. If it was not for men like him, the miners would not get the wages they have today and the United Miners Health card which they are trying to take away. He worked when they got the coal out by ponies and picks and shovels at first and loaded the coal by hand.
His father worked in the mines like the song says 15 tons and I owe my soul to the company store. In Dante the company owned all the houses and miners rented from the company, bought everything at the company store. So the company owned the miners. Company owned the churches, post-office. Clinchfield owned everything. They bought the land off the poor people who did not understand what minerals was, 25 cent or less for an acre.
Charlie is the one that is being held by the officer in the picture.
Submitted by: Beth Hacker
Beth's Webpage
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