It was horrible; as mines were worked untl they were tapped out, miners and their families would abandon their shacks, carrying what they could, because after working for so long they still owed the company money.
Capitalism is the best system out there, but when abused it led to the rise of communism for a reason. Without regulation, we’d be feudal serfs again.
Wal-Mart is becoming the new “company store”; soon it will be the only game in town.
Retail does tend to work as a company store - especially when marooned in the suburbs. They sometimes provide horrible, cheap food in the break room to keep the workers there. They even have rules that workers can’t leave the premises on their lunch break.
Of course, if we didn’t have Obama’s economy, retail workers might have better options to improve their lives. Just my opinion.
I’d also say that the abuses in the capital system first caused the rise in unions. There was a reason why unions got started. Sadly, it quickly degenerated in a criminal system that has been a disaster for America.