Joe Reinhardt
Letters from Alaska
May the 12 1898
Seattle Thursday
Dear wife
I will drop you a few lines to let you know that we are still in Seattle and will probily stay 3 or 4 days longer we had to wate for the Inspectors to inspect our boat before we could get out and they are so slow in geting redy but they came at last rough and graty
we had to make some changes in our michnry before we could get away if we was on our job we would ben all right but as it is may be for the better we boys have got so tyred of staying
p.2 that we have maid up our mind to stop growling and be contended for we live on our boat we have plenty of grub such as it is we are in close quarters we had too men ingage to join us at Seattle but they failed could not the money so we have to look around to get too more for we are short of money and thir is about 16 boats going to Kotzbeu Sound the same place but we will be redy as soon as eny of them for thire are sail vesils and they go slow this time of year for the sea is very calm but we can go with sail and steam both they have cut the raits down afull in order to get the transpation for thir aful lot of vesels thire are building about 60 hear for the yucon track it is a sight
p.3 well anna I am siting in my bunk at present and the boys have gon up town it is about S Oclock in the evening this is an afull lovely town of the fine vesels that come in it is a sight thir a big gunboat a littel out in front of us She has bin layin hear for a week well anna I am longing for a letter but I do not know when I will get one of course I might got too befor we left but who would think it would take so lone to get redy if I and friend Moses had the charge of looking after the business to show(?) it along we would ben gon but Cap is so slow but we have maid up our mind to take it Easy we will get thir the I of July but we will
p.4 untill we get somthing befor we come home if it do not take to long before we get started we might get some letters at St Mikel or Duch Harbor I would like to know how you are geting along hear I have ben gon about 4 months of course the time flys away like smoke but never mind my dear thir is beter time coning but not before I get home it will take 2 or 3 day more hear then at Port Townsend about 2 days or longer I will write the Day we will start I will indevor close biding you good by and by by
From your Dearest my love to all
J.J. Rinehart