A Panama Canal Laborer Describes His Work: New-Comers Here Want Me To Go Across The Canal To A Native Village With Them As I Talk Spanish And They Thought I Could Guide Them A Little Better As I Know The Culture And Language Of The Natives

ALS. 3pg. 8 x 10. July 20, 1913. Balboa. An autograph letter signed James to his mother. James was working on the Panama Canal: We are having real nice weather here in Balboa. I got up rather early this morning and it is now 6:30 A.M. and the thermometer is just 76, so that it [is] really comfortable as you can imagine. Some of the boys that are new-comers here want me to go across the canal to a native village with them as I talk Spanish and they thought I could guide them a little better as I know the culture and language of the natives. One man is sort of a horticulturist and agriculturist from one of the western states just came here to work on the docks & terminals and he is very much interested in plant and jungle life here. I have told him about none of thethat I have found along rivers and in swamps and he is so much interested in finding some himself but they are a little hard to find that is you usually find them when you least expect to run into themthere is such little duty into Panama really if anywe had a shake up in organization and fortunately I came out with the survivors and have a real nice job. Am still on the permanent town site works and terminals and like that work so much. The letter has the usual mailing folds, but is in very fine condition otherwise.