In 1866 I build me a home on the lot I had formerly bought in 145th Street between Willis & Brook Avenue, but I had moved there the year previous in a house joining my lot, and there on the 16th of May 1865 my son John was born. Here we lived real comfortable, business was good and plenty of work. My wages went up as everything got to be higher in price. I finally made $20.00 per week, but with my building a home, I run myself in debt $1500.00.

I let out the second story of my house for $7.00 per month and I and my family occupied the lower part of the house. Now for some years we had good times, we saved from $200 to $300 annually. In 1869 I received the sorrowful news that my father had died, 72 years old.

In 1870 a war broke out between Germany and France. France seeing that Germany becomes more and more United and yet jealous so she took the chance she could yet for a pretence and declared war. But with that one strike, Germany became United - Baden, Wurtemberg, Bavaria, Hessen-Darmstadt, and Sachsen, all came in with a will.

Patriotic, side by side, all Germany joined and in less than a years time, France was completely defeated. During the war they raised the standard of the French Republic after Napoleon was taken prisoner in the battle of Sedan. For all, France lost every battle and Germany made as much as 600,000 prisoners of war, they made every effort to resist, but all in vain. They finally had to yield and humble themselves to the dictation of Germany.

The provinces of Elsass & Loraine were taken from France and put to Germany to which it had belonged previously the last two centuries, and France had to pay a further indemnity of 5000,000,000 Franks. The den, which France intended to dig for Germany, she tumbled into herself.

After peace was restored in Germany, my brother Christopher went out for a visit, he found our mother yet in middling good health, also my wife's parents.

September 27th 1871 our youngest boy Henry was born, and on 19th of October 1871 my wife's Mother died. July the 15th 1873 my wife's Father died.

All these times we had good business, sometimes I made as mush as $25 per week, until 1874 when business began to yet slag and I came to my regular wages of $20 per week.

Now in this time the Townships of Morrisania, Westfarms, and Kingsbridge, of Westchester County were annexed to New York City and they regraded the whole place, whereby they filled in the street where I lived and my house came to stand below the grade of the street which compelled me to raise my house five feet and fill in the lot, likewise which made me an expense of $600.