Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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September 7, 2010

Labor Day event honors area’s miners, rail workers

KATE COIL Bluefield Daily Telegraph

POCAHONTAS, Va. — Approximately 85 coal miners and railroad workers gathered in Pocahontas with their family and supporters for Labor Day celebrations featuring food, a coal miner’s march, prizes, and stump speeches from an actual stump.

Leonard Bailey, 98, won the award for being the oldest worker present at the event. after working 45 and a half years in the mining industry at mines in McComas and Edmond. Bailey was still able to drive himself to the event, which he attended with his children.

“They should hold this for people who have lived this long to see all their friends and neighbors from the coal industry so they can talk and discuss things,” Bailey said. “It honors the workers and everyone pertaining to the coal industry.”

Bailey said it was important to celebrate the workers’ contributions.

“It celebrates all of the years they worked in the mines and brings together all of the people from the industry,” he said.

Tom Childress, who organized the 19th Annual Coal Miner’s Reunion, said they estimated around 85 miners and railroad workers had shown up for the event. He said it was important for the town to take Labor Day to honor the mine and railroad workers.

“It’s a day we honor all working people, men and women,” Childress said. “This is a day to give recognition to working people.”

Childress said the event was a major success.

“It’s a rather successful event,” he said. “We had about the same turn out as last year. We had a good march up the street with many of the miners and railroad workers walking. The ones that couldn’t walk were taken in a golf cart. We had the Pocahontas Fire Department in the march and the American Legion Post 14 in Pocahontas lead the March. Not one of the miners in the march were under 65 and many of them were pushing 80.”

Wayne Van Dyke, 55, of War, worked as a miner for 36 years and came to attend the Miner’s Reunion.

“Right now, they’re showing the miners a great honor with this public event,” he said. “This is the only miner’s reunion I know of. It’s great because it’s already designated Labor Day.”

Van Dyke said the celebration brings Labor Day full circle.

“If it weren’t for our veterans, we wouldn’t be in the position to have Labor Day,” he said. “Between miners, veterans, and railroad workers, it comes full circle. One couldn’t work without the other.”

Frank Esmolarich, 69, of Pocahontas, Va. came to the event to honor the miners and railroad workers. Though not a miner himself, Esmolarich’s father worked in the miners for 43 years.

“I think it’s a great honor for these people who go down into that dark pit, as they call it,” he said. “My Dad was a miner for 43 years. He got black lung, which developed into rock dust, which turned in to cancer and killed him. I have a great respect for the miners and railroad workers. It’s great that they honor them.”

Esmolarich believes Labor Day was an appropriate day to honor the miners and railroad workers.

“Labor Day is the day everyone honors workers and it’s a great day to honor miners at this time of the year,” he said.

Toby Barber, 68, of Abbs Valley, Va. came to the event and was glad to honor the mine and railroad workers. He said he believes the work of the miners helped build the country.

“ This country is built on the backs of coal miners and people who get their hands dirty,” Barber said. “This is the day to bring people together. We should honor these people who do the real work. Everyone else is on the back of the people here today.”

— Contact Kate Coil at kcoil@bdtonline.com

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