John Wilcox worked for the All-American Telegraph Co. and was constantly travelng from Galveston to Lima, until he was finally transferred to Lima. His primary job was to lay down the telegraph cable from Peru to Argentina. He met his wife-to-be, Margarita Dominguez-Salas, when the company had its offices in the port of Callao [in Spanish a double L is pronounced like a Y, as kaa-yaw], where she lived. Later the offices were moved to Barranco. For this reason, the terraces where the Cable was located were named "Malecon de los Ingleses" [in Lima, the word "malecon" is used for a walk or the area that follows the edge of the cliffs, and "los ingleses" means "the British", in other words, "the British Terraces"]. The old trolley car used to pass in front of the offices on its way to Chorrillos about a block beyond the park. On one side, the park looks onto Chorrillos Ave. and on the other onto Grau Ave. This is why when John and Margarita were married, they first lived in the Callao and later in Barranco.
In 1886 John's family resided at 1 William Street, Cwmbwria. At the age of 20, John began his apprenticeship on the 625-ton vessel Marie Jose of Cronwall, owned by John Jose & Co. of Falmouth. Under Capt. Williams, he set off on his first journey. The Marie Jose sailed between Swansea and the west coast of South America. Later, John signed on with the Stracathro on which he rounded Cape Horn on several occasions. Thinking to get a better position, in 1887 he joined the Pacific Steam Navigation Co., working mostly in the Panama Canal. He later spent eight years working for a company called The West Coast Cable (which became the All-American Telegraph Co.) as a Cable Jointer/Engineer laying submarine and land cables.
He will be remembered by his family as an being innovative and meticulous. | 
