Also the company used to offer meals that weren't part of the paycheck (at least in Europe. I can't tell about the US) and would provide cheap shelter. Some towns were born this way, which is historically quite cool.
Although we don't seem to have a lot of stuff as bad as coal miners who'd cough up their lungs at the ripe old age of 40 after eating only a potato a day for 20 years (very slight caricature) so yay!
Although we don't seem to have a lot of stuff as bad as coal miners who'd cough up their lungs at the ripe old age of 40 after eating only a potato a day for 20 years (very slight caricature) so yay!