Sampson Mine.
Llanada Calif.
June 6 1922
Dear Lillian- Your most welcome letter arrived yesterday, but since the mail here is tri-weekly I did not write until tonight. By tri-weekly it seems to mean one way one week and try to go the other way next week. But in a week or so we will have daily mail at another post-office.
My first mail was my grades. I did not do quite as well as I expected in first aid, but all my other grades were what I expected. Monday I received quite an assortment of mail. Two circular postcards, or to be more precise, one of them was to tell me that my pictures were ready, the other was a circular. Then I had an invitation to Harry Brown’s wedding, a letter from my kid brother and one from you. Pretty good for one mail. Do your part and see if we can keep it up.
By the way I am something more than chemist now. I am storekeeper too. The fellow who kept store left Saturday and I inherited his job. But I do not expect to keep it as another fellow is here to take it. Said fellow, a Mr. Black is going to move in with me tomorrow. I have a large tent to myself, which I do not need. When we get time we intend
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to move across the creek onto the knoll, where it will be cooler in the evening and where my wireless will be better.
I have been rather busy today. I ran an analysis this morning and another this afternoon. Each is done in duplicate. I cannot run two at once on account of lack of apparatus. In fact I had to leave out one determination this afternoon because I did not have enough crucibles. But I can do it at the start of my next analysis. Tomorrow morning I have to collect a sample and analyze it. The next morning I have to go to the upper camp for another sample, and then analyze it. We expect to start operations any day now, the present delay being for engine supplies.
Running a store has its disadvantages. No matter if I am busy and someone wants to buy something, I have to find time to sell it. I handle everything salable. Shoes, clothes, groceries, tobacco, guns, meat, and vegetables about comprise the list. This writing paper came from my store.
I have not gathered my radio together yet as I am waiting for payday. It is about due now so I expect to get set up soon.
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You ought to see me now. The 49’ers had nothing on me. I have not touched a razor to my face since I saw you. I want to see what it feels like to have long whiskers. I will get picture for you before I cut them so you can see too.
Your suggestion in regard to having your dad come on a fishing trip is taken under advisement. Fish are nix here. About 10 miles away there is good fishing but no road to it. The hunting here is excellent. Last Sunday we nearly ran over some doves, quail call quite often, rabbits are numerous, and deer are plentiful.
The scenery up here is quite unusual. The Panoche valley, near here, on the road in, is quite pretty. I have already mentioned the wildflowers.
You say that Maynard [Lillian’s brother] is afraid that you will be untrue to me. Tell him that if he worries about it as little as I do he will not be annoyed. Not that I don’t care, but my opinions are different.
I spoke to the boss about coming down for July 22. I told him why I wanted to come and he only kidded me along. You see this place runs day and night seven days a week when it once starts. But I think that I will be
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able to get away for the occasion. I would like to see Violet [Lillian’s sister] take the big jump and I want to see you too.
In all probability time drags more for you than for me because here I am busy all of the time at work that I like. The result is that I do not get much time to think. But I have even been figuring what nearby mountains I could climb to see Berkeley and San Francisco and see that your town is all right anyway. I get some consolation out of looking at the moon, knowing that you can see it the same as I, but the satisfaction don’t compare to seeing you.
Everyone around here seems to be part or all Spanish. Dennis the carpenter has an Irish enough name but he has a Spanish wife. The cook is Spanish as are all of the kids in camp. I saw two today that I had not seen before. Small girls. They came to buy some stuff at my store.
One thing that I nearly forgot to mention is that my kid brother signed up for the Citizens Training camp at the Presidio, July 6 to August 4. Which is all the more reason why I should come up the latter part of July. I think that I will be able
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to get away all right.
I was prospecting about the other day, and I came across some wet cells which will be very useful to me. They will save me about $12 [in today's dollars: ~$150] on my wireless if I can make them work. I claim to know something about such things so I expect to have them in running order about an hour after I tackle the job. But whether I can use them or not is what bothers me. I can undoubtedly get electricity from them but it may be noisy.
Now that it is night I have to wear a hat. I have my straw Kelly on for an eyeshade. Generally I go about with no hat, no coat, sleeves rolled up and my shirt open at the neck. That’s the kind of place this is.
Well the paper won’t last for many more letters if I don’t quit soon. So.
Goodby for this time.
Your
Jim.
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