Tis a long time since I have written to you—not since I wrote a short note from Pittsburgh I received a few days ago a paper (Boston) containing a notice of you—I was much pleased upon reading it—
We are all pretty well all very well except Mat she has a bad cough—and she has had it so long that I begin to feel quite anxious that she should be rid of it I have had a doctor examine her lungs two or three times but he says they are not as yet to any extent affected I miss the advice and counsel of Dr. Ruggles in all such cases much—Mat caught a bad cold when we first moved to the house we are living in and she has not been entirely free from it since although she has been better once or twice—I am in great hopes however that in a few weeks she will get the better of it. How are matters progressing with you—I suppose as usual—is the hot weather in Washington pretty bad We have had a visit from Grant but he is coming and going like any other "man" and I guess it is a good thing people dont get excited [during] this hot weather
What do you think of the selection of candidates by the New York Convention—rather a lame affair isnt it—but of all the poor devils old Chase must feel the worse I can not conceive of a more general "cave in" than Mr Chase[e] made—and our friend A. J. cannot be over jovial at the result.
Do you ever see anything of Mason—if so how does he look and what will he do when Grant is elected Prest.
We are progressing slowly with the work—not so fast as I hoped or expected—Yet I guess 'twill come out all right We have most of the work under contract—one will be let tomorrow and but one or two more after that I am kept pretty busy the little questions of all kinds coming up require nearly all my time—we have a pretty large Engnring force—larger than they usually employ on work in the west—still none to many to keep every thing straight
Walt cant you get some tickets on the next great Pacific Rail Road spree and come out and see us and if you or I can get the tickets Mat and I will join you and go to the end of the road—would[n't] it be a jolly good time—I suppose they will have a trip or two of that kind this fall
I went a few weeks ago on a little sail up and down the river with a party that were "doing" the "Editors Assotn" I was much amused by the style of a large number of them—particularly of the young style—like young Noah used to be—fellows that thought that they had to look the newspaper as well as report for one The speeches were sickening—and the "eat" jolly—the sail splendid I wish you could have been along—not so much that you might have seen the "eds" but that you might have enjoyed the sail—yet it was'nt the sail to Cony Island by a long ways.
What will be the result so far as you are concerned should Mr Evarts be made Atty Gen—will it make your place any less secure? Are your friends in Washington all right as regards their "sits" O'Conner and the rest—I suppose the political boiling is really more heard than felt in regard to office holding—I know lost [sic] of fellows in Brook[lyn] (and it is the same with Engineers) that always think they are going to be deprived of office and "clout."
Well Walt I have to stop and go home to dinner—you would be very welcome to go if you only could I can tell you—Mat and the Children would almost love you to-death The children are growing nicely—Hattie has got so she can read a letter—Jess is still the baby and therefore dont learn or anything else but play—they both grow though quite fast—and will I think go through the hot season without much trouble—
I wish you would write me when you can—a letter way off here is quite an event and highly prized
Give our love to Mother when you write and the same to yourself
Affectionately your Brother Jeff