The front page, as always, was filled with three- and four-line advertisements for Newcastle, Silkstone, or Wall's-End coal, Bailey's elastic stockings, ladies' abdominal belts, Pulvermacher's Patent Galvanic Chain Bands, Antakos corn plasters, Iceland Liniment for chilblains, and "Want Places" appeals from wet nurses, scullery maids, and cooks, each willing to supply testimonials about their skills and finer qualities.

NPR: Excerpt: 'Exiles'

Wall Street values the reserves of coal companies at 7 cents per million Btu of chemical energy.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The investigations into coal ash have been ongoing ever since a retention wall owned and controlled by the TVA broke in December 2008.

FORBES: Coal Ash Spilling Into Obama and Romney Race

Yes, smaller coal producers have suffered too, some even going to the wall.

ECONOMIST: Coal