[Granville-Hough] 25 Jan 2009 - Coal Mining in the family

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

Some time ago, grandaughter Susanna Hough and I
discussed the Steckelberg coal mining operations.  It was a family type
business, where the owners worked both in the offices and in the mines.
  Henry started his day by going around the city and picking up his
Polish miners and others in a flat-bed truck.  He then was overseer down
in the mine.  I never heard of anyone getting black lung, but Henry
could tell he was allergic.  His brother-in-law, "Bim" Lincoln, had TB
and worked in the mine until he was unable to do it any longer.  Carol
and I saw Uncle Bim Lincoln in an Oklahoma Hospital after the war, and
he seemed to be very sad and depressed.  The sulfa drugs developed
during the war had stopped the TB, but there was still lung damage.  I'm
sure the coal dust did not help him, but just settled in his lungs.