The histories told of the economic competition, and how major corporations inevitably bought out most of the small, independent miners and prospectors.

The second being Lars Fuchs, an independent miner who has a dream of building a space habitat in orbit above Ceres.

Critically, the ranks of unemployed, independent and redundant miners are unofficially tolerated within unsecured, less-profitable mines.

Behind him a controlchamber that was like the Belter museum back at Ceres, an early-model independent miner.

But that would never be enough for the fiercely independent miners and frontier farmers that made up the population of this world.

But, ominously, official trade unions, which formerly supported the government, are now throwing in with independent miners.

Government officials contend that major mining companies, which are more conscious of their international reputations, are easier to monitor than independent miners.

Mr. Macdonald, referring to a movable population of 20,000 independent miners in the region, added: "You can't pretend these guys aren't there and hope they will go away.

Executives say tension should be eased by setting aside areas for independent miners.

More recently, (starting in the 1990s) smaller, independent miners have accounted for larger volumes of the ore to leave the area.