This stort orginates from my father who has spent many years as a coal miner. He started in the mines in 1977 right out of high school so he worked in some pretty old mines that were still operating in our state of Utah that was once considered the coal capital of the world in the 40's up. Our home town of Price, next to Helper has a lot of history from coal mining, to even family growing up with Butch Cassidy. But to get to the story of course it all started out with my father who was working in a coal mine that was being shut down to open up another. The history of the mine goes back to the early 1900's. To add to the chill factor of the story, in the 1920's the same mine exploded under methane and killed upward of 20 men. This is where the story begins.
My father actually wasn't working this particular day but had planned to take his friend to the job to pick something up, but since it was a mine and what he had to pick up was deep down in the abandoned work shop. My father patiently awaited about a half hour for his friend to show come back out. He was getting impatient by the time and decided to go in and see what was up. Walking in a mine, it is so dark you can put your hand on your face and you can't even see it.
As my dad proceeded through the mine he saw one of his co workers that he knew in the distance from his helmet light shining. My dad decribed the man he worked with, very tall, very burly. He walked up to him kind of curious why he was there because it was shut down during that day in that part of the mine. As my dad walked up to him he noticed he was quite taller, somewhat 7 feet tall with a big chest, not burly. Right there he knew it wasn't him but to see who it even is considering the darkness you need to get right up and shine your helmet light on them.
When my father got to the man, my dad said he stood a foot shorter than this man, (my dad is 6'4) he said what are you doing Ed? (who he thought it was) he didn't mutter a word. My dad got right up to him and saw was he was wearing, very old bibbs and the helmet was a outdated helmet that is obviously very old. He couldn't see his eyes but he stood right up to this man knowing he wasn't even there.
Looking at this man who is dressed like a century long gone and a sense of where he was. The best part is when my dad left back out to the car and waited for his friend. When his friend got back he asked him who is that one guy that is in shaft 3 or whatever? He replied, "Oh, you met John, I run into him all the time." He didn't have to explain much due to the history and the obvious situation my dad was in. Everyone who worked there has seen him. Sometimes he walks around minding his own business like he was still working there.
My dad is not a liar, nor exaggerator. This is a true story. Many grown men working in that coal mine have met this ghost, hundreds of times. Some men even quit over the wandering spirit.
It wasn't my dad's last time running into him.
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