
          Pinopolis Aug. 6th 1842

My Dear Friend!

I received your kind letter
by the hand of Mr. Mc Elhern also the books for which
I feel very much obliged.

The enterprise at this place
is getting tollerably well. Our Locomotive has undergone
the necessary alteration and has been puffing along
a part of our R. Road experimenting most of the day
an yesterday giving pretty good satisfaction; But the
Road is not yet in condition to bear so heavy an
Engine over it without farther securing the blocking
The work is however going on rapidly and a week or
two will do much toward its completion. Your
Brother Mr. J. D. Torrey has confidence that it will
succeed.

My practice is (as must necessarily be)
very limited, some of the obstacles I will tell you
[added: of] when you come if not already informed on the subject
but I think they may not be insurmountable.

Yesterday
I received a letter from my family in answer to one
sent them with a proposition to pack up some of
our most necessary articles or furniture & put them
on board a Canal Boat and come with them
to N. Y. My wife writes that the task would be altogether
too much, having for a time suffered much
from a chronic affection of the chest and having at this
time 3 plasters of Tartar Emetic Ointment applied for
its relief.

It will be necessary for me to see them soon
but would be very glad to to see you first, much as I desire
to be with them.

My collections of botanical specimens
are pretty extensive but mostly made in this region
There is probably a greater variety fit for collecting at
this time than there has been at any time since
I came to N.J.

I hope you will not fail to come next week
if possible I would very much like to ramble about
with you for a short time

Yours truly in haste

P. D. Knieskern  
        