Letters to Lillian, May 27, 1922

Sampson Mine

Llanada Calif.

May 27, 1922

Dear Lillian—

Rather early in my stay to be writing, but I do not believe that you have my address.

This place certainly comes up to my expectations. One difference from what I expected is in the matter of women. There are two women and a girl in this camp and two girls and a woman, or maybe more in the upper camp. The girls from the upper camp were down this morning. One was very good looking.

The laboratory suits me fine. However, I am rebuilding it. I expect to get in a new window, I am putting in a new furnace, it being half done, and I intend to put magnesite tops on the table and a workbench. One workbench is already covered with magnesite.

Postmarked Berkeley Calif.

You will wonder at the postmark. You see I came with the boss. He is going back tomorrow. Myrtle* probably knows the other fellows that were along. Calvin Moore is the son of the other boss. Ed. Norton was along too. Both attend Berkeley high. We came down quite rapidly. The speedometer went as high as 50. When the speed cop caught us we were doing about 45 or 47. But he only gave a warning.

Tomorrow morning I intend to go up to the upper camp. You see the magnesite is quarried about a mile from here and brought down on the tramway. It is burned and pulverized. The sample for analysis is taken at this time. Then it is loaded onto trucks and hauled to Mendota. As yet, the work has not started. When it does start, a matter of two weeks or so, my address will be changed, but until then it will be the one enclosed

I intend selecting a site for my wireless tomorrow. The main difficulty will be a long lead in. In other words, my aerial will be some distance from my instruments. But I do not think that it will be too long.

Just as a matter of interest, the boss was just telling about the impersonation of the Britisher by the fellow we heard up at the University.

So far I have not connected with my sleeping quarters. I am staying in the guest house now with the boss. I will probably move tomorrow.

Well it is after 10, which is real late down here so I will have to close.

So write soon to
Jim
Sampson Mine
Llanada Calif.

P.S. I am a real chemist now JBC

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*Myrtle is Lillian's sister.