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The Lost Soul Of A Miner

 

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 My dad got right up to him and saw was he was wearing, very old bibbs and the helmet was a outdated helmet that is obviously very old.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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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, TravisLee, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

DancingSheDevil (6 posts)
 
4 years ago (2020-02-25)
Hi, I would love to narrate this story on my channel may I have your permission I will add a link in the description crediting yourself as the author:)
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
Jav,

Bless you, I realize who sang it originally, it's why my comment started out with the disclaimer (As sung by Johnny Cash). I used that version cause the first time I heard it I heard the Johnny Cash version... Made me cry as well... It's a Great Song.

Respectfully,

Rook
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
And the final line of the original song was
"At the bottom of this hole lies a big, big man.
Big John"

Jav ❤
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
Rook,
That song was done by Jimmy Dean. You know, the sausage guy? I can't let that go uncorrected as this is one of my top three songs that make me cry.

Jav
TravisLee (1 stories) (4 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
oh wow, that song is exactly a good song for the story. It was fascinating to here the story ffom my father because many men saw him, and litteraly quit over how much they saw him minding his own bussiness
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
Having posted that I wonder if the 'John' your Father saw and the other miners saw repeatedly may have been the 'creation' of the 'collective mind'?

How many miners 'focused' on a protective 'spirit/energy' of some sort? How many of them, over how many years would it take for either the thought to 'take form' or perhaps an 'entity' was attracted to the energy put forth by such thoughts and that entity took on the 'form' of a Very Large Miner... And became a comforter/protector there with-in the mine?

This is a Theory that would be fascinating to investigate and attempt to prove if it could happen or not.

Thanks for sharing and allowing the creative thoughts to begin flowing.

Respectfully,

Rook
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
(As sung by Johnny Cash)

Big John
Big John

Every mornning at the mine, you could see him arrive.
He stood 6 foot 6, weighed 245.
Kind of broad at the shoulders, narrow at the hip.
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John.

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John

Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone.
He didn't say much, kind of quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all, you'd just said hi to Big John.
Somebody said he came from New Orleans,
Where he got into a fight over a Cajun Queen.
And a crash and a blow from a huge right hand,
Sent a Lousiana fella to the promise land.

Big John
Big John
Big bad John
Big John

Then came the day at the bottom of the mine,
When a timber cracked and men started crying.
Minors were praying, and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought they had breathed thier last
Cept' John.
Through the dust and the smoke of this man made hell,
Walked a giant of a man that the minors knew well.
Grabbed a sagging timber and gave out with a groan,
And like a giant oak tree he just stood there alone, Big John

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John

And with all of his strength, he gave a mighty shove.
Then a minor yelled out, 'theres a light up above!'.
And 20 men scrambled from a 'would be' grave
Now there's only one left down there to save, Big John.
With jacks and timbers, they started back down,
Then came that rumble way down in the ground.
And as smoke and gas smelched out of that mine,
Everybody knew it was the end of the line, for Big John.

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John

Now they never re-opend that wortheless pit,
They just placed a marble stand in front of it.
These few words are written on that stand,
'At the bottom of this mine, lies one Hell of a man, Big John'

Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
TravisLee (1 stories) (4 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-06-07)
zzsgranny, what about his name? I'm just curious, any question feel free to ask
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
 
12 years ago (2012-06-06)
Huh...I wonder if by chance you or your Dad know if this spirit's nick-name was "Big John" or possibly "Big Bad John"?

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