After we reached Leadville, we were told that Indians had slain the PRICE and MEEKER families in a sudden uprising and understood that these families were on the reservation to instruct the Indians how to cultivate their land.  It was rumored in Leadville that the Indians had sent word that they would massacre all white men in Leadville.  This was too big a job for them and they never tried it.  Many Indians could be seen now and then in Leadville, but they seemed friendly.

I remember one 4^th of July, several Indians came to Leadville to take part in the celebration, such as wrestling and racing against the white men.  These exercises were different on account of the high altitude, especially with newcomers or "tender feet" as they were called.  Indians were more accustomed to the climate and they carried off most of the prizes.

My partner, JAMES, and myself agreed to separate and to in different ways to hunt work of any kind and we would meet at a certain place that evening and also to find a place where we could sleep that night.  After some hours of walking around, I was fortunate enough to meet a working man.  I told him what I wanted.  He said he had a half interest in a cabin on Stray Horse Gulch.  It is less than a half mile from the center of Leadville, and that he would sell me his interest for thirteen dollars.  His partner who owned a half interest never came back.  He had left him a few days before for a six months trip down the Gunniston River to prospect and the Indians may have gotten him.  He was a Frenchman.  I took him up on his proposition and paid him the thirteen dollars.  I hunted up my partner, JAMES, and told him where we could sleep.  We found the cabin easily and we both thought it a fair start to have a cabin.  We were satisfied with the trade we had made.

The following morning, after a good night's rest, we started out to look for work.  We went in different directions.  I overheard some men speaking.  They wanted a man to work sinking a well, who was familiar with the use of dynamite.  I told them I could handle the explosive.  He gave me directions how to find the place.  I hurried to be the first on the job.  I found a man whose name was LLOYD, a real Yankee from Maine.  He had recently built a rough residence and a stable for his horses.  His occupation was that of a teamster.  Hauling was in demand between Denver and Leadville and also into the mountains for prospectors.  He happened to be in his stable.  I asked him if he wanted to hire a man to work in a well.  He said he did and he spoke to me about dynamite.  I told him I was used to handling it.  He showed me the well and it had a windlass over it.  The man who had sunk it down nearly twenty feet struck rock and said he could not handle explosives.

It was arranged for me to commence the next morning.  He would pay me two dollars per day and board.  I went back to my cabin in the gulch and met my partner, JAMES.  I told him I had found a job and that I would be away for a few days.  I was on hand early the next morning.  Mr. LLOYD had a hand to windlass for me.  I was lowered down into the well with some tools and commenced to work.  I found the rock was not a solid foundation and was easily broken through.  I did not need to use explosives.  Mr. LLOYD was pleased as he was in need of water.  I worked three days and struck a good stream of water.  I ate my meals in his house.  Two women cooked the meals--his wife and a sister.

After finishing the well job, Mr. LLOYD asked me to work another day to cut some kindling wood for him.  He had a pile of dried spruce trees near the house for that purpose.  Early the next morning I commenced to chop the wood for him.  It was snowing but not cold; at least I did not feel the cold.  I can remember the day well.  I felt good and strong.  My lung power was fine in that high altitude.  The call to dinner for me sounded good for my appetite was very keen.  I took my place at the dinner table with the other men.  I had plenty of boiled beef and beans, just the right kind of food for a working man in that climate.  As soon as I was done eating I hurried back to my chopping place.  I had a good pile already cut.  My day's work would not cease until dark came.  Snow was still falling slowly.  Whenever I looked toward the house I could see the two women watching me all the afternoon, and knowing they could not find anything wrong with my work.  I had already quite a large pile of wood cut and it was growing larger every hour.

When supper time came I ate with the rest of the men.  Then we sat around for a few hours talking before retiring to the barn where we all slept.  As we were all about to go out, Mr. LLOYD, whom I had not seen all day, called me aside and told me not to leave for a while.  I wondered what he wanted with me.  So I waited and at last he came and said he wanted me to come back to the kitchen.  He told me to sit on a bench at the table and I did so.  Soon his wife and sister came in smiling with a large pan full of ginger cake just baked.  It smelled good.  He cut it in blocks or squares.  Mr. LLOYD said, "Let's eat", and we did eat.  Why the rest of the workers were not invited I do not know.  Mr. LLOYD may have looked at the pile of cut wood which would do him for quite a while.  Whenever I eat ginger cake I always think of Mr. LLOYD.

I went back to my cabin on Stray Horse Gulch and found my partner, JAMES.  He had found some odd jobs, but no regular work.  There were several miners on Fryer Hill shipping silver ore.  I had some experience traveling around looking for work.  Many of the superintendents were Irish and others were Odd Fellows, and as I was neither, I was not employed.