19th Century Steinbeck Family Papers

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fast on our boat. The sparks went into the air to an almost increditable height & the appearance was like a heavy fiery snowstorm. Arrived in Troy N.Y. on Friday Oct. 10 about 1 ½ oclock. Now the boat stops, & I was going to start a foot for Albany a foot when the Capt. Mr. Wm. K. Fellows told me that he also was going to Albany & that I should go along with him in the cars. Mr. John L. Palmer the brother & law to the captain has been very kind to me while I was on the boat. The canal is a work of such magnitude as I never expected. Just before we came to Troy we had to lock down 16 times & a a great many times before making at least 50 times in all, & then the number of bridges over it. Just as Captain Fellows came back after a short absence & told me

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that he need not go to Albany but had things so aranged that it was unneccessary. I then took my blankets when he told me that he had been thinking of letting me have some money so that I need not march all the way. I was very much struck with this kind offer, as I never had thought of such a thing. I thanked him & told him that I could not expect any thing from him as he had already done so much for me, an entire stranger to him. So he gave me 4.00 dollars which will carry me home. I then found out that also a steamer leaves from here tonight for N.Y. & I decided to take this road as the least expensive one. Miss Mary & Martha Wells the Kaptains Sisters in law, were exceedingly kind to me. I promised to write to them as soon as convenient. I am now waiting for the steamboat to leave & hope that by Sunday morning I shall be with my dear once. [?]