Dear Union Brothers/Sisters,

Attached is a press release for a new audio documentary... So far it has been well received by listeners and union organizations and is feature on the back cover of the Jan/Feb issue of the UMWA Journal... It is formatted in MS Word 7 (Word 95)... If you need it in a different format just let me know and I'll take care of it immediately... Any assistance in getting out the word to the membership would be greatly appreciated.

Yours in Brotherhood,

Ross Ballard II

PRESS RELEASE

Ross Ballard II
rossb@rocketmail.com
407/667-0421

Angela E. Garvin
Details Productions
detailsaeg@aol.com
215/646-6314

Ross Ballard II Enterprises and Details Productions announces the release of their latest book-on-tape, Kegs of Powder. Through in-depth research by author Melody Bragg, mining historian Ross Ballard II interprets one of the most profound secrets in our nation's history: slavery did not end with the Civil War. A masterfully created work, "Kegs" recounts the lives and times of early coal mining communities along the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Set in the early 1900’s, it exposes the life and death struggle for control of the richest coal field in America. Employing a dramatic style that combines riveting narration and explosive sound effects, listeners have found it both entertaining and educational. Short stories like "The Dun Glen Hotel" detail the free wheeling wealth and rapacity that lead to such noteworthy achievements as hosting the world’s longest poker game. By stark contrast the heroic "Red Ash and Rush Run — Sister Mines of Death" drives home the need for a savior in "Mother Jones, the Miner’s Angel". Learn how power, sex, and unbridled greed are swept into the vacuum created by an insatiable lust for America’s ‘Black Diamond’. This tape is a must hear for history buffs as well as those who enjoy great story telling. Kegs of Powder and other Mountain Whispers™ products can be purchased by calling: Classic Baskets and Gifts, Buckhannon, WV (304) 472-3033 – or from the web site www.NewRiverGorge.com ($12 for cassette tapes and $10 for books).