Henry William Bigler Provided Work During Winter Hardship

“I continued my journey traveling in a north western part of the state of Ohio, preaching every chance I got till I struck the Angloze River. The weather began to grow cold and my clothes not good, getting worse of the wear. I commenced to inquire for labor with my hands instead of preaching, though however telling the people who I was, where from, and what my business was, etc. A man that owned a sawmill on the Angloze River (put) me to work one month, his name was Samial (Samuel) Mires, a Dutchman. He treated me very kindly though he would oppose the truth. While at work for this man I preached a few times in the neighborhood. After my month was up and got my pay which was all very good except a pair of shoes. In this Mires put me off with a very inferior pair and all together too large for me. In this thing I felt hard towards him for I have no doubt but he could [have] done better. I think it was the first or second day after leaving Mires I called late in the afternoon at a respectable looking house to get lodging for the night was cold and I was hungry and tired having walked some distance that day through woods the most of the way. I rapped at the door and was bid come in.”

— Henry William Bigler, Autobiography (1815-1846)