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A Quotation in your letter strikes me as not always true. My thoughts are much disposed to 'tangle "passing o'er the life", usually. Just now 'it is Thursday Eve,' while I think of it, do you remember a Miss Stevens, from Guilford Center, at Foxcroft Academy? A Mr. Piper whom with I here became acquainted, lately informed me that his wife having formerly been such a Miss Stevens of Guilford, & attended said Academy, thought she had formerly known me or those of my name there. Pressingly invited I this evening have called. Said Mrs. P. is a very pleasant lady; called one of the first of Northfield. She was probably at school at F. when you were first under the administration of Messrs. Thurston & Dole. perhaps afterward. You speak of my remarks upon Connecticut River Bridge at Northfield. The contract has a specification so this effect.now copied from original document in my house - "In fine all the Materials & mechanical labor on said bridge to be of the best quality, and superior to that of any railroad structure in New England." Is that strange or impossible? You speak of "stone or iron bridges." We have an abundance of just such stone arches as you speak of on this road, as well as every where else. We do not call them "bridges." They are "Culverts" of different kinds "Arch Culverts" perhaps; over brooks, roads &c. This is a "Bridge" you may call it a stone, iron, or wood. The masonry granite will be founded upon about 1000 piles. In the 4 Abutments & 3 piers there will probably be perhaps 5000 Perches of hammered Stone, '25 cubic feet to ? no course to be less than 20 inches in thickness &c&. "In fine the granite & workmanship of the masonry to be superior to my Railroad Masonry, Wet or dry, in R.E." The Wood ('Iron'), is to be "Howes Patent" Truss work. - regular Rail Road bridge with all improvements, and an unusual amount of iron work. The contract is very minute, some ten or dozen pages, sums up with the expression I quoted you. Height of Bridge from top of piles from 60 to 70 feet. As for the cost, it would probably be less than such a bridge at Bangor. One of the best Quarries in the World, where they have started 3000 tons of stone