By Bill Lynam

Thomas "Tommy" Starkey Eells came to Prescott, Arizona, in the early 1880's for the gold. Like others, not all who came made a fortune from mining nor returned home. Tommy was one of them.  Tommy was a carriage maker from San Francisco, California. He was also an accomplished tenor and guitarist, said to have accompanied Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale," coloratura soprano, who toured the U.S. under the auspices of circus owner P.T. Barnum.

Sharlot Hall Museum has five letters he wrote home to his wife, Sarah, and daughters, Lillie and Mamie, from 1882 until 1887, that his great granddaughter, Carolyn Kelperis, donated. They speak of his life in Prescott, his mines, mines where he worked or looked for work, his hopes of hitting it big and his loneliness from being away from his family. 

His letters speak a little to his thoughts and emotions and a few to the events in his life...very few. Tommy was not much of a conversationalist; his letters home had two messages; first, "I have no money to send," (with one exception), second, he loves his wife and the children, is lonely, and wants to come home. 

In a letter home dated Christmas Eve of 1882, he has just returned from working for two weeks at the Centennial Mine. "I'll send [money] as soon as I get it". He mentions people who owe him money but have not paid. Tommy has his own mines. To hold them, he states, "I shall go to work and will have [it] all done to hold them for another year by January [1883]. He signs off to "my dear wife, that he expects we may be happy before the last of next year [Dec. 1884]." 

Eight months later, on August 19, 1883, Tommy writes from Copper Basin on the occasion of his wife's birthday. He sent her a $50 check and admonished her, "[to] not pay anyone but keep it for your own use." Further, "there is no news to write and I get no letters." 

About the Prescott area, he writes: "This is a nice place to live plenty of trees and water and it is not so hot. I am twelve miles from Prescott out in the mountains There is nothing but men here Have been mending my shoes this morning and will take a walk through the mountains and see if I can find a mine." 

"Please have the girls write for I still like to hear from home. From your lonesome husband, T.S. Eells." 

Two and a half years later, on March 10, 1885, Tommy mentions he had received two letters from his wife but was surprised that she did not know where he was. Tommy goes on, "after I wrote you about our being snowed in, we were never able to do any work at the mill at Jersey Gulch and the snow is 4 or 5 feet deep." 

He spent four days in Turkey Creek and earned $5.00. He heard there was work at the 'Desonas Mine' but there was none. 

At the Peck Mine, he met Governor Tritle's geologist who said he'd look over Tommy's properties, if Tritle, a friend of Tommy and his brothers, approved...On that hope, he wrote Sarah, "If it was as good as he had heard they would help me along. I may sell out everything." 

Tommy approached Frederick H. Tritle, the 12th Territorial Governor of Arizona, and hit him up for a loan. "I told Gov. Tritle I was broke and if he sent me these men [to check out his mine], he would have to pay all expenses." 

Tommy goes on desperately to his wife, "if they don't come, he will try his luck in Mexico or some other part of the country." He responds to his wife's accusations, "You speak in your letters as though I was trying to hide myself. But, I can say I have never done anything that I was ashamed of, only I have been unfortunate and have not been able to send you money but not from any fault of mine. God knows I have suffered thinking of your position and my inability to relieve you but someday, I will show you and everyone, that no man loves and honors and respects his wife and children more than does your poor but honest husband Kiss the girls for Pop and tell them I will never forget them or their mother." 

In a letter to his wife almost a year later on February 11, 1887, Tommy responds he's "glad you are in San Jose for I think you will have better health there than in [San Francisco] and will be by your own people " 

Tommy also expects Gov. Tritle will bring investors to buy the Centennial Mine which owes Tommy $2,500. For the moment though, Tommy is batching with G.T. Shaw and is waiting for the Governor to return from one of his expeditions in southern Arizona to raise militias to put down cowboy disorder and Indian raids. Shaw gets the grub and Tommy does the cooking. They stay in the house since it is snowing and wait for the weather to warm up. Also, Tommy is ill but feeling better but very thin. Said he would have made a "good thin team" with Mamie, his daughter. 

Seven months later, on September 15, 1887, Tommy writes from Point of Rocks that his daughter Lillie has written him and sent a picture of her. This reminds him, "She is a good picture of the girl that I fell in love with some twenty six years ago and who has been my good wife for over twenty years." And, he is "pleased to know the girls are have a happy time..." 

Tommy mentions his mines "are looking well and he's taking out good ore but working all alone." He also mentions that the Prescott and Arizona Railroad is coming (which it was, but not until three years later) and "all the mines are laying still" waiting for it to come through. "Men that have good mines will reap the rewards." Tommy describes his mines on the Hassayampa River, "some eight miles south of Prescott There is no danger anymore of Indians." He signs off, "your loving Hub and Pop, Tommy." 

Tommy stayed on in the Prescott area for another 15 years, probably doing the same thing, looking for gold but having very little success. He died at the age of 67 and is buried in a pauper's grave in the local Citizen's Cemetery. We don't know if he ever made it back to California to see his wife and children...most likely not. 

(Bill Lynam volunteers for the Sharlot Hall Museum.) 

 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(m120pd)
Reuse only by permission.
Perhaps as down on his luck as T.S. Eells, this unidentified miner shows off his cabin, complete with a can stovepipe. Eells left his family in the 1880s in hopes of finding gold and glory in Prescott, Arizona. Eells, father and husband, found the same thing his family in California found...plenty of loneliness.