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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. I was really disappointed instead of Bangor as I expected, the same week I left Vt. & Mass R.R. found me regularly situated on the N.H. Central. A situation too such as all young Engineers do not get. I have Engineer in Charge, Sec. Div. N.H. R.R.  12 miles long is the Div. in Towns of Goffstown and Weare. Hillsboro' Co. N.H. Salary $720.00 per Annum. As the Road is to be a long one & only part of it commenced upon I may perhaps have employment here if I choose for two or three years. At any rate the situation is better than building Plank Roads in Wisconsin; better for me as an Engineer, even if I could get $1000.00 or even $1500.00 per year there. Here I am getting ahead every day, learning gaining ground all the time, both in ability, and in what is almost equally