In the early morning hour Owen Rodericks prepares to take his first ride as a coal miner deep into the dark ground beneath him. The cage suddenly shoots to the surface with a jerk. The gate opens and in seconds he is jammed in with ten other men. A bell rings, and the cage plunges over 300 feet into the mine. Gasping for breath, Owen leaves the cage and staggers along through the darkness. His miner's lamp attached to his cap is the only light penetrating the darkness all around him. In these narrow tunnels he wonders if he will ever again see the light of day. But he learns to trust his miner's lamp, and gradually he masters the ways of underground mining. In time he overcomes his fear of choking confinement and follows this light until he returns to the surface and daylight once again.1…