My Papaw is a coal miner, and he told me all about just where he goes with his hard hat and lunch pail when he goes out.

Mine Entrance To the mines is where I go down deep underground I dig up coal from the Earth And pile it in a mound.

Down, Underground! He goes way beneath the rock to where the worms and groundhogs live all around the clock.

First I dig the coal with a machine that works like a pick and shovel while other big machines clear out all the rubble.

Then, I start to go back up And load it in my great big truck. “I drive a Caterpillar,” he said with a smile. “It’s a big loading truck that I can drive for a mile!”

When I reach the top and I’m out of the mines, I’m really glad to be back up where the sunlight shines.

I take my load and dump it out onto a train that goes about from market to market and place to place until it has been to every space. Then, its delivered to where it can be made into things for you and for me!

“So, now I know just what you do when you go off to work, but what does coal do for us?” I questioned with a smirk.

We use coal for electricity to give our world some power. Coal is the reason a light bulb works and lights up every tower!

Gasoline Coal is used for other things, too, like making plastic and steel. It powers your car with gasoline and lets you heat a meal.

I never knew how cool coal was until you told me all about everything it does for me and how to mine it out! I love you, darling, more than you know. I show you how by mining some coal.