Tunkhannock

 We arrived in Tunkhannock on July 21 in order to overlap for one day with Beren, Arlene and Oriana. They had opened the Cottage (which involved cleaning all the dishes, pots and utensils in the kitchen which had mouse shit and urine on them), packing away 90% of the items in Rubbermaid containers, sweeping and buying groceries.  When they left on Tuesday, we started on our project, building the screened-in porch on the east side of the Cottage.  We do enjoy wonderful sunsets over the pond many evenings.  We enjoy the pond even more (it is very full and also has lots of pumpkinseeds and bluegills which nibble on your toes).

On the weekends, we try to go places.  Here are Mom and Bob at the Anthracite Coal Museum.  It is fascinating.  98% of the anthracite coal in the US is located in 498 square miles in northeastern PA.  It burns hotter and cleaner than bituminous coal.  The industry used a huge number of immigrant workers from many parts of the world who were paid poorly, were considered independent contractors, but who came anyway because life was better than that at home.  Soon after the miners came industrialists figured out that their wives and daughters could work in silk and spinning factories (and be paid poorly and exploited too).

This is the first parlor stove that was designed to burn anthracite coal.














                 
                 

Due to the immigrant work force (Polish, Jewish, Irish, Slavic), safety notices had to be in multiple languages.










Here is one of the spinning machines.