Childhood Lost, Goodlin Linda a.

When the coal miners in Central, Pennsylvania decide to strike for better working conditions, many families lost their jobs and their company-owned housing. James Millward went to work with his father when he was only nine years old to supplement the family income. 1891 was a time of change for the coal industry, and for the miners who stood against unsafe working conditions, and the twelve hour work day. Child labor was prevalent in all of the coal mines, and many children lost their lives working in the harsh conditions. James lost his childhood by going to work at such a young age. Life was hard in the coal-patch towns, and many died of disease and mining disasters. This story reflects the immigrants of the coal era in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.