letter home during building of railway from chinese worker

Dear Mother

There are a ton of tough gamblers here but I have made one friend.  His name is Wong Fu.

The food tastes like cow dung.  I miss the nice soggy noodles and sticky rice from home.

 Last week the weather was burning hot.  Today there is a deafening lightning storm.

 Luckily it is Twelve people died, sixteen are hurt, and five are sick.   Wu Fi is sick but he’s getting better. 

 I have made $20 and Wu Fi has made $5. We have both made $260 but Wu Fi needs medicine and it costs $20 a pill. 

The work is excruciatingly painful. Five red beards have gone home because they think the work is too hard at the collecting water station

 a day off, but we only get one day off a week.  We have to work 24/7.

Love Your Son,

Wu Kwazi