My Dearest Karen,

I Arriv'd in Braden Town late the Night of the 8th Instant without Mishapp, & along the Way found Occasion to Dine with your Cousin Lisabetta, & our Friends Brian & Rebecca joined us, which was quite a Nice Surprize. They were Kind enough to Fill me in on many Happenings since We mov'd Northwards & are Loth to see us go Further, a Sentiment I found Touching.

After Dinner I continued on my Way, & Found myself at my Destination some Time between Ten and Eleven at Night. I had some Trouble finding the Hotel, as Mister Gates's Mapp was Not quite Accurate, but soon it was Found, & I past into a Fitfull Sleep, as I fear'd I would not awaken Punctually after the long Journey Southwards. It may Amuse you to know, that the Hotel was but a short Distance from where our dear Friends Angela & Michelle & their Husbands used to Live before they left for the Frontier.

I met Early with Mister R----- P-------, a Government man who was to Oversee the Project, & we shared a rather Disappointing Breakfast at the Hotel, though the Dough-nuts were not too Stale. We then made a rather short Trip to the Licensing Office, where I Unloaded the Goods from my Waggon, & set to Work bolting them down.

The Engineers whose Task it was to Set Up the Net-Work had not done their Tasks adequately, & we were Forc'd to Wait some severall Hours while R----- got them Straitened out. As Mid-Night aproached, some of the Young Women who Work at the Licensing Office began to Complain that they had not taken Care of their Men-folk, & so we left Off after only fifteen and a half Hours & Resolv'd to commence again the next Morning.

I slept somewhat Better that night, yet the Breakfast was no better the next Day. After many Telegraphs to the State Capital, we had Resolv'd the problems caused by the Engineers, & manag'd to get our Apparatus working Proper after only a couple more Hours.

I have hopes that I shall return Home & see You once again before this Letter arrives, for with a nearly empty Waggon I should make Good Time, but should I be Delay'd please give my Love & Respects to our Friends & Family.

In Friendship
Love & Truth
I am Truly Yours,
Jeff