Why Are They Called Bootleggers?

On another forumn I'm on someone posed a interesting question " Why are the Deep Miners called bootleggers if they all have the proper permits etc."? The answer is because during the great depression the big mines shut down. The miners had to do something to survive. What they started doing was sinking small slopes down the coal veins on the big companies property and stealing the coal from the big companies. They would sell the coal in broad daylight in town. Early on the coal and iron cops and the town cops arrested the bootleggers but as time went on and the depression worsened the governor of PA allowed the bootleggers to mine without fear of being arressted. The name stuck and the small mines flourished.

Just to add the term "bootlegger" itself comes from prohibition. They made flasks that attached to your legs or could be placed inside of boots. That's why a lot of flasks you see have a quarter moon shape. Some of the smaller bottles in liquor stores to this day still have that shape.