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Goffstown, N.H. April 28th 1849 Dear Sister Anne

 Your letter of March 20th has but just come to hand yesterday or the day before. It seems to have had rather a long passage: somewhat lengthened to be sure by difficulty of finding my whereabouts. My letters have been round strangely for a month or two past. The Vermont & Mass R.R. you know is completed to Brattleboro. After much delay until I got most out of patience, though I ought not to complain as my wages went steadily on. I got fairly away from Vt. & Mass. March 19th, and at Boston, on my way Down East, entirely out of business and perhaps with little prospect of any immediately in these dull "Money Crisis" times for Rail Roads. The next day, R.R. traveling being cheap for Engineers, I found myself at the N.H. City of Manchester, thinking to call upon a friend of mine at Epping N.H. on my way to Portland. Being at Manchester, I called, though with scarcely a thought of Employment, upon the Chief Engineer of the N.H. Central R.R. a new Rail Road just beginning from Manchester N.H. to Winsor Vt. The N.H.C. happened to be just then in want of Engineers, I happened to be recommended from the Vt. & Mass. as perhaps few are recommended, and was snapped up shortly.