In traditional coal mining, this worker physically extracted the coal from the seam using a pick, wedges, or explosives. The role was distinct from the transport workers who hauled the broken rock away. It was a highly skilled and physically demanding position that required reading the cleavage of the coal to maximize extraction.
Heard on the job
My great-grandfather worked as a getter in the deep seams before they brought in the mechanized shearers.
Also heard as
- hewer
Do not mix it up with
- Putter: The getter broke the coal from the face, while the putter hauled the loaded tubs away to the shaft.