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May 30, 1978
Report to: Dad
From Joan [Pursley] and Patricia [Cartmell]
Jonestown seems to be the talk of the town in Marabuma. It’s like a torch light has been lit. In the past week because of the band being there, it has been a great source of entertainment to the people here because they have no source of entertainment. In Marabuma they performed three and the headmaster of the school was very impressed and touched with Jonestown. In fact his whole family spent time conversing with our people and want to visit. At the first schedule performance there were about 500 people there and people outside, and about 100 people didn’t get to come because they had no transportation from a close by town called Hosororo. The general reception of the people there has been very warm. We feel that if the band were to go there perhaps once a month or so they could pull in quite a bit of money because the people there have money and nothing really to spend it on.
Patricia and I (Joan) went and visited several people for PR sake and people became more friendly. They appreciated the fact that someone would go and visit them and talk to them. Superintendents Brown from the police dept. and his wife told us to come and visit again. Also the school headmaster.
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE:
Barry Ward (Head of the PNC) He visited us one time and wants to come again and bring friends. He seems to be the one who is mostly impressed with Jonestown and Jim Jones. He is very intelligent and extremely fond of Patty. He said that she had won the hearts of the people here. He continually praises Patty. He seemed to appreciate principle when he saw or heard of it. He liked Patty’s honesty and bluntness he said. He said that Jim Jones is quite a remarkable man and said that he’s never seen anyone accomplish as much as Jim. He told Patty that she was a good representative for PT because of her sincerity and enthusiasm. We
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had a discussion about him afterwards among ourselves and we feel that he knows that there is more to us than meets the eye. He is very aware politically and claims to be a Marxist-Leninist. He showed us several books on Lenin etc. We feel that it is possible that he is trying to politicize people and said that he would die for this country and never leave. At our store he asked us if we personally have had any army type training and we said no. Then he went into how he had all kinds of training and told us how important it is to know and how to get around in the bush.
In another setting, (Patty, Rheavianna [Rheaviana Beam], Myself, Patricia, Barry Ward and Mr. Jackson – Senior Superintendent of works – (Very Kind) – were there). Barry asked us what we thought of Guyana’s security system and how good or bad we think it is and asked us if we thought it was possible that it could be infiltrated by the CIA my response was that it could be possible but we really wouldn’t know because we spend our time working diligently in Jonestown and producing. He mentioned how we are so organized and he wants to know how we do it because he wants to organize his people. Patty feels that he thinks that the only way to accomplish something would be through some type of armed struggle – (though he hasn’t outwardly said it.) We also thought that he may just be trying to pump information from us.
His concerns toward us seem to be consistent. He told Jackson to help us out because he had to go out of town for a few days and he’d call and ask how we were doing. He said that if anything happened to us he would feel personally responsible. His lifestyle seems to be very humble and he lives in a home with a lot of people and the house is small and a little run down. He is very fond of Dr. [Ptolemy] Reid and [Prime Minister Forbes] Burnham. He sent me a book down to the store. And he said that if I ever wanted to discuss any books with him he would be glad to. The name of the book that he gave us was Amerindian Integration. It explains about their contributions and important roles they play in the Guyanese society and culture, conferences, Amerindian officials and leaders etc. I was trying to figure out his reasoning behind
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giving us a book like that and I thought it may be possible that he thinks that we are politically aware and that he is concerned with politicizing people so he may want us to have more contact with the local people. This may be totally wrong. Barry is the one who got us the rest house for the band to stay at.
2. Mr. Jackson – (Senior Superintendent of Works – NWD Guyana)
He has been kind, given us rides whenever we needed them and had a party at his house for all of us and the performers. He is quite influenced by Barry Ward. He is very influential, somewhat egotistical, and has the nicest home in the area. He has his own office and is designing a market in Kumaka. His boss is Carmichael. He is 28 years old and a bachelor. He told Jimmy Jr. that Patty has demonstrated People’s Temple well. He said that he was afraid that we were isolationists and proved we weren’t when we came to the party at his house. He thought that we were a church utopia, but when we came to the party that he put on for us it humanized us. He may have reasons behind it but so far he has gone out of his way to be kind and helpful. We Cleaned Jackson’s house after the party and he really appreciated it. (Patty can explain some more) [Handwritten addition: “her opinion”]
3. Jim Holder (Assistant Regional District Officer)
This man was very cold when Patty and Rheaviana first started going to Kumaka and even the first time that Patricia and I met him in the store, he was cold and hardly talked. Then Patricia and I went and spoke to him a little while, built him up and told him about Jonestown and the beauty of it and how being in the group has had a wonderful effect on our lives and that if it weren’t for PT we wouldn’t have been able to go to college etc. Afterwards he’s been very kind more relaxed rather than being so uptight. He is really threatened by Barry because Barry spearheaded the whole thing with the show and I guess he wishes that he had been the one. I also think that he is threatened because
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the people like Barry and has their support. He also may be threatened by him for political reasons. Superintendent Brown is also somewhat threatened by him.
Patty gave a speech at the beginning of the first program and everyone seemed to know her and listen very attentively. The officials seemed to vie for Patty’s attention. The school children sang a song about her for her and she gave credit to Bishop Jones and told how her life has been personally affected. The people generally are very touched. The hard-core hucksters flock around her as sort of a mother figure.
Overall procurement is very positive. Superintendent Brown gave a small donation and spoke glowingly of Jonestown. He said to visit again. Jackson gave $40.00. Altogether we made a little over 500.00 in abt 3 days. In the story we made 3000.00. We stayed about Patty and Rheavianna went to Georgetown for a week. There are several places in that area that we haven’t gone yet and there are some more promises on money.