One day he came in with a pan of dough to bake.  Tom and myself were in the cabin.  Tom was sitting on the bed.  I was sitting on a block of wood.  There were no chairs to sit on.  When our neighbor, HILL, started to place wood in the stove Tom told him not to come here and bother us with his baking.  When HILL heard him speak that way he picked up his pan of bread and started to leave.  He was a quiet man and did not answer back.  I told him to go on with his baking.  He said, "I don't want you to get into trouble over me."  I told him to go on and bake, that this was my cabin and stove.  He finished his baking and then said, "I will not trouble you again."  I was getting angry and I told to come and use my stove until he got his cabin built.

Tom's worst fault was that he would talk in a harsh tone.  After HILL left I said to Tom, "Why did you talk so rough to him?"  Then he said to me in an angry tone, "I don't want him in the cabin."  We then argued over his coming again.  "You heard me telling HILL to come."  We were both getting warmed up over the question.  Tom made a move from where he was sitting toward me.  I got up quickly and met him half way in the cabin.  I said to him, "Don't you make a pass at me.  If you do I will make it hot for you."  We glared at each other for a while and then he went and sat down again.

Brother Tom often got into trouble with other men over his way of speaking.  He was nearly six feet tall, had broad shoulders and was well proportioned.  He weighed 210 pounds.  He had many rough and tumble fights in Pennsylvania coal fields.  In a few days we forgot all about our disagreement and things went along smoothly until one day Tom received a letter from Pennsylvania.  After reading it I could see he was disturbed.  I asked him what the trouble was.  He then told me that he had been going with a young woman by the name of Carrie GOUGE, an English girl, and was engaged to marry her.  Now he was not going back.  He gave me his reasons why.  The letter tells me that Carrie went to a Sunday School picnic and walked back that evening with Morde PARCELL, a man Tom had a dislike for.  I reasoned with him that he should not look at it in that way, but Tom was stubborn.  At last he agreed to go back and investigate.  I also told him that the first thing he should do was to talk to Carrie before he broke off the engagement.  Tom was far from being pleased over the offer.

At last the day came for us to leave.  We had been down to Leadville and bought a new suit of clothes each and a complete outfit.  As we were leaving the gulch, looking ahead, I noticed a flat pocketbook lying in the path; I picked it up and found thirteen dollars in it.  There were no railroads to Leadville at that time.  We took the stage for Denver and said goodbye to Leadville.  The horses traveled in relays as fast as they could make it.  They were changed after so many miles.  In a few minutes we were off again, but it was hard on the horses.  Many could be seen dead lying on the road side.  The road was very rough in many places and dangerous too.  After we got out of the mountains it was pleasant traveling through the parks and then on to Denver.  A few years ago, I walked through them by moonlight and could see coyotes sneaking along the way.  As soon as we arrived at Denver, we bought our tickets for home by way of Niagara Falls as we wanted to see this sight.  We arrived there on a bitter cold day.  It was snowing and freezing.  We could not linger there long.  We had the pleasure of seeing those wonderful falls of water.

We arrived at Mahanoy City after ten days riding and found my wife and children well, but what a change had taken place from rocky surroundings to one of comfort and cleanliness.  you would have to go there and see those things to be able to fully enjoy the change.  When we arrived the mines were working and after a few days rest we went to work at a mine close by my home.

Brother Tom (JAMES) began to display himself by dressing up in a top hat, bright colors, bright neckties and finishing up with a gent's cane.  He went strolling along the streets sporting his earnings and visiting beer saloons.  Tom was a talker.  He could argue on most any subject.  His method of speaking made his enemies.  One Saturday night, in a saloon, he had to leave in a hurry.  Several half drunken men rushed toward him.  He fought with them, but was all the time getting nearer the door.  On reaching the steps leading up to the street he evaded them, leaving his top hat and cane behind.  They had a jolly time kicking his hat around in the saloon and they broke his cane to pieces. Tom mentioned this affair to me.  He had two other fights.  I helped him to straighten out by going on his bond.