Eau Claire, October  11th 1881
Dear Grandfather!
Your very welcome letter dated the very last of  August, I actually received
2 weeks ago, for which you are thanked!
I  see  by it that you are healthy as usual and the same for me also.  I
have for the most part been in the woods lately and  will  also  be  staying
 there  this  winter  and possibly  until  next  summer, as  I  have  just
now recently talked with two Norwegian fellows who are in partnership with
each other, that I would be with them one year.  I  have  now been with them
for a month and like it and am thriving there.
The  reason  I am now in town, is that Knud Aspeggen has now definitely decided
to go back to the old home Soknedalen.  When I received the letter that 
he  was  going  to  leave, I wanted to make a trip down and meet him before
he left, even though  I have nothing of importance I wanted of him.  I felt
nevertheless, that I wanted to see and take leave of  him  as perhaps  it
 could be the last time I have opportunity to see him here in this world.
It may not be impossible that  I also  could  come  to Norway some time on
a short trip,-if I should live that long, but  when  it  could be is not
good to determine yet.  I mut tell you a little more concerning my  job 
and  situation.  I went, as  you  already  know, to  the woods the first
part of July, but I wasn't there over a month  because  it  developed that
 he  didn't  have  work for us any longer as he had this time been fooled
on the woods in that there wasn't much woods there where he was going to
 cut, as  the  company  had  said there  was.  So  he  didn't  think that
it paid him to bother with this business; and, so when we were  finished
 with  the haying  we went down,(to Eau Claire area presumably)  Then I immediately
got work with a farmer I  knew  well  and  worked there for one month.  Then
I met these two fellows I now work for, which I knew well, especially one
of them.
These boys aren't actually in woods management, but they maintain  a  stopping
 place, which is such a place where the woods people and others stay over
night and  for  dinner, and my  responsibility  is  to  keep everything in
the stables in order, which sometimes can be hard and  other  times  not
 so hard, according as the activity (movement) is large or small.
As regards this year's crop, I can report that it was an average  year to
being with, but on account of the constantly continuing rain which began
the first of last  month   much grain  and  hay has been ruined. The latter
is ruined because of the rivers which nearly always go over  their  banks.
 And you  see, that  as  soon  as  the  water goes over its normal boundaries
in this country so low and flat, that it goes over its normal boundaries
in this country so low and flat, that it goes over large     areas     and
    causes     great     damage.
This will have to be enough as you can hear more from Knud about the situation
here.  You with everyone in the house are greeted with the best from you
devoted grandson
Andrew P. Solem