Here in New England, this term is often used among geologists to describe those of us who work on bedrock geology, vs. the "softrockers" who are concerned with non-lithified glacial and postglacial sediments.
I'm not sure what the bedrockers are called in states beyond the glacial limit, where the rocks are deeply weathered to saprolites!
Woody Thompson
Maine Geological Survey
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Claughton
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 4:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Hardrockers / hard rock mining
I've had the following query on the term 'hardrocker' as used to denote a miner working on hard rock mining and it's first use in North America - is it perhaps of European origin?
>My name is King Adkins and I am a professor at the South Dakota School
>of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota. I'm doing research
>into our school nickname, "The Hardrockers." Located in the Black Hills
>of South Dakota, I know, of course, that the term relates to hard rock
>mining, but my interest is in tracking down the origins of this
>specific term. Was it for instance, a slang term invented by the miners
>themselves, or was it created by the industry to refer to such miners?
>Did it originate here in the Black Hills, or does it date back further
>in the history of mining?
Peter
Dr Peter Claughton,
Blaenpant Morfil, nr. Rosebush, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. +44 (0)1437 532578; Fax. +44 (0)1437 532921; Mobile +44 (0)7831 427599
Hon. University Fellow - College of Humanities, University of Exeter http://people.exeter.ac.uk/pfclaugh/about.htm
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