Stopping at a hotel $3.00 per day for two people.

   Work was scarce in the winter and living high so he and his new friend decided to go out in the mountains to seek work, but ran into heavy snow, and ice and came up above timberline where there was no shelter from the wind. Struggling along he thought of the comforts of his boyhood home in Roeskild, but it was no use thinking and there were still three more miles to go and they had to keep moving to keep from freezing to death, also had to keep the burro going and keep him from slipping off the trail. The burro seemed to sense the men more or less lost and from time to time would stop and sniff the air, and they finally left the whole thing to the burro. After struggling along a couple of miles they came to the top of the mountain and the other side did not look so bad. A half a mile farther on they met five men and thirty burros who were much surprised to see them and asked many questions.

   The men gave them coffee and food, then they scraped the snow away to lay down their blankets and went to sleep. The poor burro stood all night and had six inches of snow on their back in the morning.

   Got up at six and started out again at seven. They walked twenty miles that day and by night were far from the snow covered mountains. They went thirty miles the next day and came to Wagon Wheel Gap again.

   The friend left for Kansas and he stayed there two weeks and worked during that time.

   That job finished he with his burro went to Del Norte, thirty miles distance, no work there, then started for Sangre de Christo Range where he heard there was work, but after walking ten miles met a man who had just come from there and said there was no work there, then started back to Del Norte. He slept out in the open that night and it was cold. He could hear wolves, so did not sleep much; had to keep a fire burning all night.

   Walked nine miles the next day and had a roof over his head that night. The next day, November 22nd, he traveled thirty miles and no water and the sun shone. He appears to have been lost trying to get to some mountain that he was to pass. He realized he was in San Luis Valley, walking in six inches of sand and shrubs.

   He did not eat all day as he had nothing to drink and the sun was very hot. The burro with his pack also became hungry and thirsty, and it got dark and he was afraid to stop because of the wolves.

   He stood still not knowing what to do when he heard a rooster crow a long ways off. He thought it might be imagination but as the burro turned about and hurried ahead he followed him. After about ten minutes he was met by half a dozen dogs. A Mexican appeared and called them back, but he could not speak English, however the travelers soon had all the water they could drink, both man and beast. He was allowed to put his blankets on a bench on the porch, but he did not sleep as the dogs kept roaming about, also he feared the Mexican because of the money he was carrying.

   In the morning a young Mexican offered to show him the way out, however the young man asked what was in the pack, asked for clothing and money, asked if his revolver was loaded. Finally the Mexican left him.

   He had to go back five miles before he got on the right road, then walked nine miles until he got to the foot of the mountain he should pass over. That night he slept in an old hut and the next day, the 24th, of November he went over some mountains that were not so high and no snow, coming to a nice little valley where he met two miners also from San Juan.

   On the 26th of November he came to Rosita, a pretty town of perhaps one thousand inhabitants and some miners. There was not much work to be had there although he visited all the mines. He then got work in the woods for five weeks working very hard cutting timber, but he did not earn much; got another job for $2.50 boarding himself which was not high. The weather was good, little snow so he stayed there all winter, however still wanted to go to San Juan County so the middle of 1877 started again for Silverton, going alone.

   When he came to the foot of the mountain he met four persons who had three pack animals and were headed for San Juan. They were glad of his company as they were from out of the State.

   His burro led the procession and would not allow the other animals too close. When they got over the high mountain his burro had disappeared. He was found in a hut by the wayside which he remembered being on his way from the mountains.

   They allowed the animals to rest and stayed there one night. they rested there a day then started up more mountains resting occasionally until they came to the Rio Grand River, from there to Del Norte where his companions wanted to stay a few days, but he did not want to stop so went on.

   Three days later he came to the foot of a very high mountain where a large number of people waited for the weather to freeze the snow. He waited there one day and became acquainted with a watchmaker who also wanted to get to Silverton, so he helped him. He finally packed his own burro and started out coming over Cunningham Pass then on to Stone Pass.

   It had frozen hard and only that he had a good burro was he able to make it. He did not wait for any company but went alone. Just as he got nearly to the top of the mountain his burro slipped on a stone and almost rolled out of sight down the mountainside. He jumped and struggled long to help him back on the trail. He stood in five feet of snow trying to get the pack off the burro to help him in that way. Just when things were their worst two men with burros came from the opposite direction and as could not pass him, they helped him.

   From then on all went well until he came to the very top of the mountain where he met a butcher with twenty head of cattle and three men to help him; they were snowed in.

   He helped them and finally got to Silverton on May 10, 1877. A week after he got work in the Silver Star mine on Cement Creek twelve miles from Silverton. On the 18th of May he and another man left with three burros loaded with provisions, but they did not arrive at the mine until the first of June, and the last three miles they had to carry some of the pack on their back going on snow shoes.

   He stayed at that mine all summer and earned good money. He bought himself a riding horse but that did not last long as the horse fell and broke his neck; $45.00 gone, however on the first of October he had $275.00.

   He was then asked by two men to help drive a tunnel for a couple hundred feet on King Solomon Mountain near Silverton. He worked there all winter. they built themselves a house to live in. It went very slowly and by the first of April they had only driven the tunnel eighty-five feet. they had four snow slides; one took some of their outer tunnel timbers with it. the slides all came in the night and did not hurt anyone.

   Once a week they went to Silverton for mail and supplies, five and one half miles, and there was lots of snow that winter. He ran out of money and sent to a friend in Denver for $30.00, and later sold his good burro for $35.00, and they continued digging until July. He then suggested they give up for the time being and work to earn some money.

   They worked here and there until October 1, 1878 when they again went to work in the mine driving the tunnel 180 feet and got some ore which did not appear very valuable, so they packed up and went back to Silverton, where he worked two weeks on a mine and got $25.00, later he went to work on another mine in Cunningham Gulch, got $2.50 a day and board. There were several Italians and Englishmen and one American working there, and one man cooked them all.

   The house they lived in was built so that a snowslide was supposed to slide over it, but they were mistaken. On the 12th of February a snowslide came down, broke the house into a thousand pieces, an Italian and an Englishman were lost. Some men were in bad places but finally were rescued, but before they got things into shape another snowslide came.

   Miners from another mine some five hundred feet away could see something was wrong, so three men started to come to help them, only one came to them, the other two were caught in a snow slide. It was impossible to do anything about those who were lost in the slide, so they tied up their blankets and such things as they had saved with ropes and threw them down the mountain, then they endeavored to get down the mountain before it got dark. One of the Italians had been hurt and had to be helped, but they got down off the mountain before dark.

   It was six weeks before the two men who were lost were brought out as no one dared venture up there. One had a wife and three children in Silverton.

   After resting a few days he got work at the Highland Mary Mine, but got only $1.50 a day and board. The work was not hard and he stayed there until April 1, 1879, then he and another man went back to King Solomon Mine where they worked until July, then to another mine for two months until October 1, then he went to work for the Poughkeepsie Mine, twelve miles from Silverton where he stayed until February 1880. He had good board and there were ten men working there.

   Julius Johnson had taken up a claim on Sulton Mountain in the fall of 1879 and it looked promising so he gave him a half interest and he was very much interested and went to work on that immediately. It was a big job, being 1500 feet up the mountain which was quite steep and 1-1/2 miles from Silverton, and there was already eight feet of snow and no house to sleep in so he had to go from Silverton on snow shoes every morning and home again in the evening, besides carry tools and provisions.

   After eight days Johnson came to help. After working three weeks they had succeeded in putting up a shed where they could stay the night, and the work in the mine went better. Some of the mineral had been assayed and showed it was worth $450.00 a ton which was good.

   They decided they would work all that summer and go to Denver on a pleasure trip in the fall. They worked with will all summer and sent some mineral to a smelter, but instead of $800.00 they expected for the ore they got $75.00, and could not go to Denver, to their disappointment, so went back to work in the mine to leave in good shape so they could work it again in the spring.

   On October 12th, they went back into town and got work where they could. After four weeks he got work in Peter Holmgren1s mine, where he stayed until Christmas.

   In 1881 they again began work on their mine, found good outlook, but again had to stop for lack of funds. After a short time in town he got work for Joe Day in Boulder Gulch.

   After working there a month he had to help a friend do his yearly assessment work on King Solomon Mine, took out $4000.00 worth of ore, then paid $200.00 for a patten on the mine.

   After that he worked in the Cleveland Mine for a short time, then he paid $100 for a building lot, and paid $85 for material to build a small house for himself.

   After that he worked a short time at North Star Mine on Sulton Mountain, got $4.00 a day. After working there awhile he was idle, then back to Cleveland Mine until May 1882. Then came Joe Day and offered him and Johnson $3.50 a day which offer they accepted. He worked there a couple of months, then worked for himself, in the meantime he and his partner sold three claims for $5000.00 cash and a $5000.00 note.

   On October 4th he took his horse and again started over the mountains, going eighteen miles the first day, when he came to a camp, stayed over night. Later on came two men also from Silverton, and they were very rough, and he did not know if they were after him, owing to the great amount of money he had on him. He slept that night with one eye open and his revolver at hand, but was not disturbed. Next day he went nineteen miles to Galloways. The two men had started out when he did but had disappeared, however he was still uncertain about them. He continued to Wagon Wheel Gap having ridden forty-five miles, where the two undesirable men appeared. One was immediately arrested for robbery in Silverton.

   He stayed there eight days, then took the train to Denver. He stayed there two weeks and visited old time friends. He had such a good time he was reluctant to leave, having been in San Juan County six and one half years. The fare from Del Norte to Denver was $15.00. He went from Denver to Hastings, Neb.; fare $18.00. There he had two lots he had never seen, which in 1873 were far out, now were in the center of town. He stayed there but two days, then to Chicago, fare $18.95. Stayed there eight days. Everyone was so busy there, as though it was the last minute and he did not like it. A friend was to come and travel with him. From there they went to Union City, Penn. where his friend had friends. They stayed there but one day, then to Corry where the friend also had friends. From Chicago to Corry, $10.00, then to Washington,D.C., $12.20. Stayed there eight days and saw all the important buildings. He considered Washington a very beautiful city. Went to Baltimore, stayed two days, fare $1.20, then to Philadelphia, fare $2.80, stayed three days, then to New York, fare $2.50, arrived Nov. 1882.

   They stayed two days at the Metropolitan Hotel on Broadway, cost $4.00 per day, too much, then moved to Stephens Hotel, on same street but nearer Castle Garden, room one dollar a day and they ate where they wished. That was better. They stayed several days in New York and saw the sights having a wonderful time.

   On Nov. 25th, they boarded the steamer Rhyland bound for Antwerp, Belgium. Had seventy-five passengers. traveled second class, ticket $47.50. They had lovely weather. He became acquainted with the first and third class officers, both Danes. Most of the passengers were seasick, but he retained his good appetite. He gives a daily account of the trip as to weather and distance traveled each day, but did not record that.

   The trip on board ship to Antwerp took twelve days. He enjoyed seeing all the Holland windmills. He stayed three days in Antwerp, where he enjoyed the wonderful art gallery. He traveled from Antwerp to Hamburg, Germany, arrived December 10th, stayed three days, from there he went on a smaller steamer and for the first time became seasick.

   Arrived in Copenhagen and stayed at a hotel. He was glad to set foot on Denmark again after an absence of twelve years. In Copenhagen he found his sister Kirstin. They were overjoyed to see him, as they had not know that he was coming.

   After a few days he went to see his other sister, Maren who lived on the old homestead. His parents and one brother had died during his absence. He enjoyed visiting places of his boyhood, also school acquaintances. They did not always believe his tales of America, although all he did was to answer their questions. He visited his former employer where he worked for seven years. they were glad to see him and treated him as if he were their own son. He visited the wife and two daughters and had dinner with them, repeating the visits several times during his stay.

   He spent the winter in and around Copenhagen, but soon tired of the idleness, so decided to return to America. He had married the daughter of the building contractor, Hans Pedersen, whose wife was cousin to his father, and his bride1s stepmother. It was that relationship which caused him to visit the family where there were two daughters and five small boys.

   On April 18th, they sailed for America, and he looked forward to seeing the American coast line. they traveled second class and soon became acquainted with people aboard ship. The boat they traveled on was not speedy, but substantial. The weather was good until they reached Newfoundland. They finally reached New York where they stayed a few days, then went to Denver then on to Silverton where they arrived May 25th, 1883. They stayed a few days with Julius Johnson until he bought two houses, furnished for $1650.00. It was the first time in a very long time that he had had a real home. He soon got work as a forman in one of the mines five miles from town. He got a horse and rode home two or three times a week, as his wife could not talk English. His daughter was born December 7, 1883, later they went to Denver, where his wife died March 5, 1883 [more likely 1884]. His daughter was boarded with friends, and he returned to Silverton and his job as foreman.

   There his diary finished.