-----Original Message----- From: P. Bailey Francis <bfran02@emory.edu> To: PASCHUYL-L@rootsweb.com <PASCHUYL-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, February 04, 1999 8:09 PM Subject: [PASCHUYL-L] Seventy Years in the Coal Mines, continued "We were increased in numbers so that we could hold services in Welsh, with Welsh singing. The country people were well pleased to hear the Welsh singing of gospel hymns. Welsh children were often invited to sing at other churches around on Sundays. There were always crowded houses to hear them sing. There were many good voices and all loved to sing. And also there were many musicians among the men and women with good voices. It was a real singing camp, making good cheer to all who loved music. High class music like "Heaven Are Telling" and "Hallelujahs", choruses, and many other songs, quartettes and solos would be sung in competition with Knoxville Welsh singers who were very good in music. There were many Welsh singers in Knoxville in the years 1880 to 1900. When I left Pennsylvania, I came with the intention of following my usual occupation of coal mining in case I should find conditions agreeable. If not, I would move on to the territory of Washington State, where new coal mines were being developed. Many miners from Mahanoy City had gone there. Although mining in Tennessee was quite different from that of Pennsylvania mining. Anthracite coal mining is done by blasting, but in Tennessee by pick mining. Mining here was less hazardous. <clip> Knowing that my wife had not made up her mind to move here, I wrote her that now I would have to stay here and that if she could not feel like moving from Mahanoy City, I would provide for her wants and would make a trip to see her as often as I could get off. In our correspondence my wife wrote me that she had decided to come to Tennessee. In the fall of 1884, she arrived in Jellico with the children, Maggie, Louis, and Mary. The families of LEWIS, WYNN, and LEYSHON, lived on each side of us, all from Mahanoy City, acquaintances of my wife, making it easier for all of us in our new surroundings. A schoolhouse was built close by, then church and Sunday School services were held regularly in both languages, English and Welsh, all striking for better conditions." From, "Seventy Years in the Coal Mines", by Philip Francis, published in 1943. This ends the first half of th book. The remainder of the book takes place in Kentucky and Tennessee and would be of little interest to Schuylkill County. I'll continue to post some additional excerpts from the beginning of the book that I didn't post initially. ==== PASCHUYL Mailing List ==== Please Support Rootsweb you can contact list owner at judjack@rocketmail.com or judjack@hotmail.com Rules for list at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1006 click on Mailing List. Visit the PaGenWeb Schuylkill County Page at http://www.rootsweb.com/~paschuyl/schuylki.htm or Schuylkill County Genealogy Ties at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/4280