Eau Claire  September 12th 1880
Dear Grandfather!
Your letter of the 14th of last month I received the 10th of this month,
wherein I see that you are well and live as usual, but that Grandmother is
in bed and that it is doubtful,1 I suppose, that she will get up again, when
she has had it so long; it all depends upon  our  Lord  what  he deigns 
to  do  and  what is best for her.  I have also been well up to now and am
living comfortably, for which  I  have the dear Lord to thank.  And I am
working at the same saw-mill  as  before, and  I  think  it will continue
until the middle of November if the weather is favorable.  I have no new
of any consequence that would interest you.  Everything here  is  as  usual.
 As  regards  the present harvest I can report that around  here  they  are
 estimating  an  average year's yield as the newspapers report that in some
places it is  over  and in other places under an average year, but the fruit
trees (wild fruit) are giving  an  extraordinary  rich yield.  So  in  spite
 of  the  strong rain that fell in the month of June the  harvest  was larger
 than  expected.  In fact, the  rain  on  some farms that lie along the river
did great damage in that the water covered their whole  property so  there
 was little or no crops. And among these farmers I can name Even J. Fossum,
Ole A. Bordal*...
The remainder of the letter is missing, except for  the following  notation
 along  the  margin  of the second page.  Usually there were four pages to
 Anders P. Solem's letters.
K. Aspeggen I will greet for you the first I  see  him.  He also wrote you
a letter a month ago, but it....
*  The wife of Even J. Fossum was Gunnild A. Bordal, sister of Old A. Bordal
- all immigrants from Soknedal.  Two of the Fossum's grandchildren, Martin
and Peter Fossum  were associated with St. Olaf College  when  this writer
was a student there in the early 1940's.  Peter was a professor of Chemistry
and Martin was the manager of the Book Store.
Actually there was a very bad flood inJune, with a great deal of damage.
 According to the local records the Norwegian Church [First Lutheran] and
the Courthouse [then located in what is now Wilson Park] plus many homes
were full of refugees.  The two bridges collapsed, buildings were damaged
and some destroyed.
**(the translator, Genevieve Hagen)