Year: 1875

THE wear was 1S56--the month Decem-
berthe place Tamaqua. wasa young
man then, and strong one. did good
deal of travelling through the. State of
Pennsylvania, going from county town
to county town from the beginning OF
the year to the close. 1t was pleasant
business enough, for there was less rail
roading to be done then than now, and
more staging, and not infrequently long
rides on canal boats in the summer time.
| was not often hurried on my trips and
took my own time. My exact business
at the county seats consisted of hunting
up titles to obscure, wild lands, paying
taxes upon them and getting them in
good condition for immediate sale.


In consequence of the nature OF this
business | knew a good deal about the
topography of Pennsylvania and good
deal that, at the time, was worth know,
ing about its roads and its inns. All OF
the latter were bad, but some were better
than others. One of the worst OF them
was at Tamaqua, and possibly it Is there
vet, though when I last slept under its
roof it was in altogether such lament
able condition of decay, and its roof was
such very leaky roof indeed, that !!
doubt not it long ago disappeared out OF
the sight of men, and possibly OUT OF
their memories also-Tamaqua having
achieved railroad since, and, of course,
grown as only railroad towns do grow.


I arrived there in that December of
1866, on Monday afternoon, which was
quite as cold and disagreeable Monday
afternoon as I remember to have known,
though, when compared with the Tues
day that followed, it might be considered
rather warm than otherwise. / was halt
frozen when / got there, and was not
quite thawed out when | left, for had
yielded to burning curiosity to visit a
coal-mine, and fancy that TamaQua is
nothing but a coal mine, with thousand
mouths that every morning swallow as
many thousand miners and disgorge
them every night. 1t was then, and l
think it is now, o very black and sooty
place, with canal in front of it, q hill
behind it, and the huge mine / have
spoken of under it. 1t was not only
black and sooty itself, but its people
were similarly black and sooty; and so
were its horses, or rather it's mules, for
it seemed to have few of the former and
great many of the latter. Even its dogs
and cats partook of the general SCOTT
ness, and were evidently greatly de-
pressed by it. / was very cold when !
went down into the mine-which had its
shaft Just behind the hotel-and was
colder still when / came out of it.
went to bed cold, and got up cold, sc
cold indeed that thought would never
be warm any more. When l went
down into the frozen breakfast.
room, | locked out of the window and
saw that the ground was covered deep
with snow, and that 1t was still showing
as if it meant to exhaust the whole win
ter's supply in five minutes or so, being
very greatly pressed to do it immediate
ly. | drank my cold, black coffee and
ate my cold, tough beefsteak in gloomy
silence, thinking more than / had done
for q long time before of home, of its
pleasant cheer and warmth, and of the
loving boys and girls in it who were even
then, no doubt, expecting my speedy
coming, for this was already the morning
of Tuesday, and Thursday would be
Christmas Day. In that home was ST.
Nicholas himself, fol. it was that
brought home sin the night the brave
tree, with it's spreading green branches
it was that planted it firmly in the mid
die of the wide parlor; it was | thai
found the infinite variety of toys, cakes
bon-bons aud glittering baubles which
covered it; it was | that placed the ever
beautiful image of the Christ Child or
the topmost bough; that lighted the
many-colored tapers, and / that, a
the auspicious moment, suddenly threw
open the folding-doors and let in tn,
children to behold the glory of that won
drols Christmas miracle. a-


In my frequent journeyings through
the State, had seen many places whicl
/ wanted to get away from quickly, bu
l never saw another that | wanted t
turn my back upon so much as Tamaqus
1t was notaln any manner pleasan
place, and beside, if these nephews an


nleces of mine were to have Christina
tree at all in this year, 1856, though
must go home as fast as could trave


had come to Tamaqua in stage, and


must 60 away from It in stage-not t
Phlladelphia, exactly, but to the mex
railroad town, and that was distant,


knew not how far,