April 14, 1813 Dear Mother, Life in this new land is quite different than back home. It is warmer and the land has amazing views, views you would never see in the homeland. The other side of this greatness is that we work all week. I see the rest of the family very rarely throughout the week. Even though I get good pay I still miss the life we had back in France. I am not sure if you have them back home but here in the new land we had an inventor create an engine. A machine that does work without use of weather or living energy. At first we used it to get water out of our mines although now we use them in factories to make goods such was housing materials or survival necessities. These machines run on coal which we dig up from the ground. There are rumors going around at the factory that this is the revolution of society, that our factories are the industry and one day we will rely on them for almost everything. Although no one can tell the future. Sister is working in a clothing factory, she stitches the letters and patches on all the clothes after the machines make the basics of clothing. She thinks that with all the new non machinery that maybe they won't even have to cook. But that would be impossible. You won't believe this though, the engines that are being made can be used to move things. We can transport things across the country without using man power or animal or weather. The engines turn a wheel that pushes trains. In the past month we have been putting our produce on the trains and selling them to places across the country. It is much quicker and efficient, the trains are even used to send mail so that letters are sent faster. Although it’s not used just in the New Land, the engines are also used to power ships by turning a fan called propeller which pushes the water backward and the ship forward. So now we will have better communications with the homeland and maybe any other places around the world. I wish to see you again once my work is done Mother. The things that are happening here are incredible with the new engines and developments. More and more man work is being reduced. We can just go to a store and buy food or clothes without making them ourselves. Always a pleasure to fill you in on what’s happening here, hope to hear back from you soon Mother. I wish the best for you and may the future of our society be the best it can. Love, your son, Victor