Eau Claire April 26th 1883
Dear Grandfather!
Your esteemed and very welcome letter of the 3rd of this month  I have received.
 I am going to a big dinner given for Nils P. Estenstadsoien's  wife  Berit
 as  she  with  several Soknedalings  have  arrived here in Eau Claire. 
Yes, it is true to say that it was a  large  group.  Many  got  off  the
train  here, but  the  largest number continued westward to a well-known
place by the name of Menomonie about  3  Norwegian miles  west of Eau Claire.
 Ole R. Braek went there, although I met him for a few minutes  at  the 
railroad  station  here yesterday.  It  wasn't  for  a  very  long  time
 as you must understand the train doesn't stop for  many  minutes  at  any
station.  Enough  of  this.  I  am going bak to my own story and say first
and foremost - thank  you  for  that  welcome letter.  I see that you are
well and live as usual which is a joy  for me to hear, and the same I can
report that I am, and for that I have only the good  God  to  thank.  As
 mentioned before, the emigrants arrived here yesterday at 10:00 in the morning
in a very long train - it consisted of 10 passenger cars  entirely  occupied;
and most  of  them, or the greater portion of the were  emigrants.  It  was
 also  the  largest emigrant train that has gone past here for a longe time.
 Yes, I  think  it was the largest since I've been here.  That time that
Sivert Sneensgjerdet had emigrants with him it could  be we  were  just 
as many.  And for another thing, I can report that all who emigrated from
Soknedal and Storen  boarded  the 5th  of  this month at Trondhjem, arrived
here well and happy as far as Eau Claire.  They had had good weather on the
 trip and  especially  so  on the Atlantic Ocean.  I can then greet you from
several of the acquaintances amongst the  emigrants, but  that  would be
too long a list to enumerate the names of all those here, so this  will 
have  to  be  enought  on  this subject.
Nothing new of importance do I know to report to you this time.  Everything
around her is as usual.  I  understand that  there  at  home  in Norway signs
point to a late spring which is also the situation here.  Today it is the
 26th, but it  is  still cold weather and not much accomplished with the
spring-work, but we will hope that it will be better  by  the 1st.  Not 
many  sawmills  have started up yet, but most have decided to start this
coming Monday, the 30th.  Yesterday  I was  out  and  had  a talk with the
company I worked for last summer and came to an agreement to work for them
this  summer also.  Here  you  see  I  am  known  the best and can get the
biggest pay and the lightest work.  This company is known  as "Valley
 Lumber  Company", mill here in the city, amd has decided  to start
up next Monday.  Nothing further  for this time than an affectionate greeting
from your devoted grandson
A.P.Solem
You  may  greet  Siri  and  the  others  in  the  household.  I am  to  greet
 you  and  Siri  from Berit  N D Estenstad
*N D stands for Nilsdatter (Nils Daughter)