'All White Oak mines are electrically equipped and of course this mining machine is operated by electricity. The machine is mounted and transported on a specially designed truck and moves under its own power from one working place to another. It is taken from the truck by the machine operator and his helper and moved to the place of the coal and placed in cutting position as you see in this picture. The machine consists of an endless chain with bits inserted, which act as cutters. The machine cuts a kerf or hole along the bottom of the coal about 4 feet and extending back six feet under the coal. The fine coal made by this machine is what is commonly known as bug dust. Cutting machines are operated at night and each machine is capable of cutting twenty places on each shift. These machines are operated on tonnage basis and these operators earn high wages.'
'West Virginia has produced 20 percent of all the coal mined in the United States since 1800, a survey shows. The survey, by the Bituminous Coal Institute, also showed that during the 20 years from 1930 through 1949, West Virginia led all states in soft coal production. Picture courtesy of the W. Va. Dept. of Labor.'
