I was born on 26-4-08, at a place called Fatfield, in County Durham. I was four years old when I moved to Newburn. I was brought up in the local school. My mate and I used to go into the pit on a Sunday morning, as his father was house keeper. We used to clean the stables out. When I was fourteen, I was got a job as a pony driver. When I came to eighteen, I was set on as a pony putter supply, the men who were winning the coal, with empty tubs. Then when I came to be twenty-two, I was given a cavil in at the coal face, which I worked for a few years, then the pits became mechanized, and I went into bargain work. To make the main road into the district, I was taking down a four feet thick caunch to make good pack walls to keep the sides right of the district, and an erect
arch girder four feet apart. Then I was praised by the miner inspector of the walls and timber I had set up and he told manager who was with him, that I was the man to set on the Deputy work as I had something to show the men. So I was drawn from the face I was working on and placed into a district what was in trouble through Deputy's neglect. It was in an awful state of repair so I took it upon myself to pull all the four foot rails out, and relay with long nails and in three weeks I had doubled production. I was sent into other districts, to use my experience in production. I was made Deputy then. I was asked if I would work one shift at night, with all wall cutters as they were not getting the places cut,owing to the cutter pushing the times out of position. I soon cured that. I went to see the black smith to make chips for the turns which held the rails in position. Then the boss came to me and told me that he required a good man and a fire, and a rescue biogradesman. I had to away with the biograde to pass an examination for it, so why not go for my under managers certificate. I went to Kings College on weekends. On my last day as I was sitting for my rescue biograde certificate, I took a severe pain in my chest, and on my road home, I called upon my Dr. but he turned me away from his door. Six hours later, I was at my place of work in the pit when an ulcer burst. My Dr was sent for, he just left me lying there. Two days later, I had another spill up. My Dr was sent for again. He sent me to hospital where no one could help me due to the Dr.'s Negligence. All they could do was give me a bed for the night. It was bed 13 in Ward 13, two lucky numbers to start with. I had prayed to my Lord Jesus Christ for a week and the next day a vision came to my bedside, and said that I was over the border and far through. There was no hope for me, I died at that point, I went to the ceiling and I was looking back at myself in bed. I was taken by my my left hand down the corridor of life, of course I did not know what it was, as I thought at that given time that I was on my road to hells flames as the heat was terrific. I got through that and found myself in a strange pit, there was a long corridor, black and dark, with a light gleaming in it. As I approached it a woman's voice said, "I will help." I felt the soft hand take hold of mine and draw me to another corridor and let me go. It was not very long but a bit brighter. I came into a garden where the flowers were like banks on both sides of my path. As I got through this, I came to the most peculiar garden I had ever seen. There was no road but I had to pick my way down then go around a bend in my path then I came to a small group of people who seemed to say, "My, where have you been? My it has taken you some time to come, my, what have you been doing you have been this long time?" They all stood up and turned around pulled up their shrouds upon their shoulders and walked to some gates. I followed behind, a half gate opened up and they went through but the gate closed against me. I thought, "what funny people... where am I?," as I stepped back to see if there was a name over the gate.
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