I'm sure there are different pay schedules for different mining jobs just as there are for any other industry, regardless, $200,000.00 is a large paycheque. No I've never mined before, and I don't personally know anyone who has. I've also never been paid anywhere close to that for a year's work.

I took an Alaskan cruise last summer and while stopped in Juneau we toured the remains of the old gold mine near town. Our guide was a fellow from Texas (if I remember right), he's an underground miner there and took a paid "leave" to conduct tours at that old Juneau mine. He clearly stated that people in his position make up to $85,000.00, which is a great paycheque.

I'm not so sure what separates Sudbury from where this guy worked, other than great geographical distance and about 2-1/2 times the pay. What I saw in that old gold mine in Juneau sure didn't look like much fun to do for a whole shift, but the equipment we were looking at was 100 years old, too, and it all ran on compressed air (extremely loud, they demonstrated). I'm sure working conditions in the mines have improved alot since then, and I bet those people back then were not so handsomely rewarded for their efforts.

The locals called the mine a "Glory Hole". The expression was that, when you died you were "sent to your Glory". So many people died in those mines the nickname was born.