The Breaker Boys Biographies

John Stu "Shaftdigger" Richards
	Mr. Richards has worked extensively in living history programs for the National Park Service, the Eckley Miners Village and the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts. He has assisted in making programs for national TV on the "Discovery Channel",the "History Channel", and "In Search of History". He also organized and directed two performances of "Torchlight Vignettes" for the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, and appeared in the movie "Gettysburg". He is a member of "Theater Junction", a performing arts group for developing actors in Pottsville, PA, and also the Eckley Players. In 2006, he participated with a Welsh film crew doing a documentry on the "Molly Maguires" for the History Channel. Musicaly he is adept at the keyboard, harmonica and both the six and twelve string guitar. In his spare time, he is a tour guide at the Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland, PA.
Thomas D. "Mule" Symons
	Mr. Symons was co-host and Producer of the "Orange & Green Radio Show", an Irish music program on WPPA 1360-AM, Pottsville and WSPI 99.7 FM, Mt. Carmel for 14 years. He is a member of "Theater Junction", Pottsville , the Eckley Players, and has performed with "Innisfree Productions" of Allentown. He has performed at Eckley Miners Village, Pioneer Tunnel (Ashland, PA), living history programs for the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, Pottsville, and independent performances at clubs and luncheons throught out Schuylkill County. In August of 2006, he participated in the filiming of a documentry on the "Molly Maguires" for the History Channel UK. He is a regular contributor to the "Anthracite History Journal", Lutherville, MD, and a past columnist for the "Irish Edition" of Philadelphia and "an Scathan" of Ashland, PA. He is currently the Division Historian for the Jack Kehoe Division of the Girardville AOH and President of the Minersville Area Historical Society. His interest in musical instruments are harmonica, acoustic guitar, mandolin,tenor banjo, washboard, and muleshoes. He also likes to play the dulcimer early in the morning before anybody can hear him!
Thomas F. "Young Lad" Symons
	"Young Tommy" is now eighteen years old, a Nativity BVM High School graduate where he was co-captain of the football team and Defensive lineman of the year! In August of 2008, he begins studies at Kutztown University with a major in Criminal Justice. (We're going to update that photo quick! :) )He has been performing living history programs at Eckley since the age of seven as a member of the Eckley Players, the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, the Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland, PA and regularly appeared on the "Orange & Green" radio show with his father. He has also been involved with the "Molly Maguire Weekend" vignettes, presentations and train rides, Minersville Spirit Day, and numerous club dinners throughout the area. He is "dabbling" with keyboards and drums, plays harmonica, owns three guitars, and also has a keen interest in the mandolin. He was a student of the Driscoll Institute of Martial Arts, currently ranked as a Junior Black Belt. Due to the rigors of high school, "Younglad" does not appear as often as he once did, but still performs occasionally with the "Breaker Boys"
"Younglad at 18"