Journal of Louis Tyler

By: Joshua

The first steam engine invented by James Watt

James Watt

26th January 1896My grandsire told me the story of the machine that changed the world, it was something that modernized the way we live our lives today, the steam engine, invented in 1781 by James Watt. He told me it was a marvelous invention it could work everyday and in any condition. It brought us out of the rural environment to a more urban one. When he worked in the fields in the country it had depended on the weather and the four seasons. When there wasn’t wind or water they couldn’t spin a wheel, when the animals work sick they couldn’t work. He told me these steam engines enabled a range of manufacturing machinery to be powered. The engines could be cited anywhere that water and coal or wood fuel could be obtained. Steam engines could also be applied to vehicles such as railway locomotives, its also often used in factories as well. It seemed so amazing, a machine that could work all the time even in the winter! His father was a wealthy farmer, but over time there wasn’t as much work in the country and he moved his family to the city. He told me my great grandsire was business partners with the innovative man, James Watt, the person who invented the splendid machine this is what kicked off our family’s wealth. He realized what the steam engine in order to function need a energy source, what better energy source than coal. He started our family’s coal mining business. I had always admired him; every time he saw an opportunity he seized it.

When I was 5 years old my grandsire took Alfred and I on his ship that was powered by the magnificent machine he told me about. We traveled around the British Empire on a steam ship. My brother and I found it ever so fascinating that welsh coal could power this enormous vessel. Later on that day the captain of the ship explained to us that it was the coal that made the water exceedingly hot until it turned in to steam and that caused the boat to move. We were ever so curious about how such little coal managed to bring us this far out in the Empire, we were later informed by a sailor that the coal they used was very special, it had high calorific value which meant with little amounts it could still create a lot of energy. This prolonged voyage took us to the India to acquire cotton, spices and tea. We watched from our balcony as the workers transported the supplies into my grandsire’s vessel. I heard him unleash his demency on his workers for they were not fast enough, I learned that time like this it was all about productivity. I asked my grandsire why we needed this much material, at first I thought it was for our own consumption, it was only later I realized it was distributed through the country. My grandsire made a lot of money by doing this. It seems like everything people do now is only for the pursuit of money and power.         It’s amazing all the things the steam engine could do, it allowed them to work anytime, now they could work everyday and not depend on what the seasons and weather is like. Steam could also spin a wheel. There isn’t a need to depend on water or wind. One of my grandsire’s workers working on the field once told me, if you can spin a wheel you could do anything.

Queen victoria Discussion of the mines act

27th January 1896My father, Sir Humphrey Tyler, was very disenchanted the day it happened.He had recently just purchased a mine, his business just kicked off and the Queen Victoria put a Mines Act in place. My father was so angry that he couldn’t have women or children working down in the pit for him. I remember him chaffing with his employer in charge of the miners. I asked him why he was so mad about not letting children or women work for him on his property. I couldn’t understand what the big deal was, I remember hearing him say that he lost a lot of money because he paid all of all the workers in advanced to motivate them to work harder. Furthermore he said he didn’t want to go through the hassle of employing more people. He was even more enraged with me because I came up with the idea; I thought that would motivate the miners causing them to work harder. But now 2/3 of his miners have left with the money my father generously donated them.I get scared when he was mad, his face would turn blood-red and he would direct his anger towards the people around him. After he calmed down he explained to me that he was already being generous to them, offering them job to work for him in the mine, they could be replaced easily. Thousands of people are looking for work and they should be thankful that they have a job! He wanted me to help him look for more people to employ; he wanted me to learn about the coal mining business, one day he wants me to be in charge of the business he established.

After hearing father’s opinions I found the rule outrageous, I strongly believe that it is not only bad for the coalmine owners but also the miners themselves. With the rule in place the bread winners of the family, as father called them, will have to work extra hard. Now they would be the only one in the family working in the mines and the amount of coal they got us dictated how much they got paid. I heard my father discussing with some of his other employers if he should close the mine, I knew at that time I was too small to know about any of his business, but I remember how much I wanted to work with my dad on his mine and run the family business all by myself. I thought I ruined my chance and I wouldn’t be apart of my father's business, because I gave my father my incorrect advice and cost him a fortune. At this point I was still young and I was still confused, I wasn’t really sure what to do with my future. Now that there couldn’t be child labor to work down our mines I wasn’t sure if I should continue down this path of the coal mining business or if I should go explore the vast countries my grandsire once took me to visit when I was young.Many years later my father passed away with The Pock, and left the mine with my brother. My brother took me along with him and let me help him run his business, sadly the mine was all out of call and in 1876 Alfred opened a new mine, the Pendyrus Coal Mine. 

Pendyrus mineDeath of the miners after

the explosion

January 28th 1986 When I took over the Pendyrus mine after my brother Alfred passed away I made a fortune, a surplus of coal was extracted everyday. It was all about productivity at the time. With the money I got from the coal I built the magnificent town Tyler Town. It was a great place to live. I remember that day oh so vividly, Monday 28th January 1896. I was reading the report about the coalmine disaster and I heard noises at the front of my mansion. I didn’t know what it was. There shouldn’t be that many people out on a Monday morning. When I was in pondering one of my maids rushed in and exclaimed that there was a riot going on outside my property. I stormed out of my office and walked out to my veranda and saw people shouting and throwing things in disapproval. I remember how furious I was at the people, ruining my lawn causing havoc and disturbing everyone in Tyler town. I had no idea what was going on, what were these people doing here. I don’t remember anytime I was more furious than this.

When one of my workers brought me a letter that stated my mine has exploded I was more enraged, my main source of income was destroyed! I yelled out for my workers and demanded a report about the disaster. I was informed that no.8 pit had a devastating explosion also causing havoc in no. 7 pit. I was disappointed when I heard that 58 of my miners perished in the disaster, but much more disappointed about my coal! The workers could be replaced easily, but the coal cannot be. My coal mining business was already going on a downhill spiral, there was less and less coal in the mines. Some of my miners reported by next year our current mine would be all out of coal. At this point I wasn’t sure what to do with my career, I do remember hearing about a business opportunity in India and Australia. I remember traveling to India with my grandsire and Alfred, I think this is the suitable path for me to go down. I could go and urbanize the rural country’s, that may be a good business opportunity.I think India should be the path to go down, its such an exotic country. Who knew a place I visited as a little kid could influence my decisions in the future. I believe this is the best path to go down.