Rock Burst

Bert and Marie Russell offer readers grassroots cultural history in this collection of interviews with ordinary people, who often lived extraordinary lives, in the mining district and neighboring areas of north Idaho. Here are stories of miners who worked hand-in-hand with death - an all too frequent visitor summoned by rock bursts, fires, accidents, or the painful, life-shortening disease, silicosis. Readers will find a wealth of information about how certain processes were performed: how ice was cut, stored, and sold for refrigeration; how to walk on floating logs and how to roll them (birling) in competitions; how various jobs in the mines were performed; or how logging crews were fed and their food prepared. Here too are details about working conditions: how early miners were totally unprotected from particulates that damaged their lungs: how they emerged from the hot mines in wet clothes that froze in the winter chill; how lack of safety regulations put their lives in danger; how the prospect of unionization brought turmoil to the community; and how young children performed the work of adults for minimal pay.

Author

Together, Bert and Marie Russell collected interviews, information and photos from old-timers over many years. Rock Burst is one of six books produced by the couple. Calked Boots, Hardships and Happy Times, North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, Swiftwater People and The Sawdust Dream all reflect the lives of working men and women in the Coeur d'Alene region.

Bert was born in Harrison, Idaho and worked as a logger, river driver, shipyard electrician, timber cruiser, rancher and writer. Bert passed away in 1997. Marie continued to keep the stories told by these pioneers alive by making the books available to the public. Marie donated the books she had on hand to the Museum of North Idaho. Marie died Dec. 2014.

Contents

"We Were Miners Then"

PART ONE Working in the Mining District

John Appleberg with Arthur Norlen
Otto Starke
Canyon Silver Story
Calin Bates
Vina Grosberg
John Dennis
Felix Legault
Raleigh Hughes
Maidell Clemets
Sylvan Agarla
Palmer "Polly" Anderson
Betty nd Ernie Damiano
Charles and Teg Addington
Elanor and Bill Lamb
Onni Rantanen

PART TWO . . .and Down the Valley
Irv and Ruth Hanson
Frances Hunt
Ruth Hoerschgen
Stanley Cochrane
Jay Higbee
Henry Buchanan
Maggie Nearing Kindsvater
Henry Morin

Appendices
News Stories
Joe Hill
Labor-Mine owner Strife of 1892 and 1899
Mines Mentioned in Rock Burst
Glossary
Bibliography

Index