Water Resources People and issues
And so, during the interview we talked about the work, and I got a picture of
what it was going to be, but it was going to be drafting work in the office
there. The office at that time, for the Engineering Division, was in the Calvert
Building, which was at the corner of Fayette and Light Streets-at the bottom
of St. Paul Place in Baltimore. The building is gone now, replaced by a new
office building.
After the interview I went out to the Western Maryland Railroad office that
afternoon because I still had visions of working outdoors. My younger daughter
has the same feeling. She doesn't want to work indoors. She wants to work
outdoors; it must be in our genes.
Anyway, at the railroad it was a typical interview. "Yeah. You've got a good
resume. Don't call us, we'll call you. Right now there's nothing, but we may
have something in the fall and we'll call you."
So I called up John Starr and I said, "I'll be in in the morning if you still want
me." He answered in the affirmative so I started to work on June 14, 1939.
Ever since I got that job, I've had a great affinity for the Corps of Engineers.
I think it's one of the most efficient agencies in the United States government.
Not always efficient, but-but let rne tell you an example, which also will tell
you why I remember that the interview was on June 13, 1939, and that I started
work there on June 14. In those days, working for the federal government, you
got paid on the 15th and the last day of every month. Everybody griped about
that extra day you worked on the 31st. They never said a word about February
getting that half month's paycheck for only days' work.
On the
which was on Friday, the second day of my employment, the
paymaster came around with his file of checks and I can't remember for sure
what he said, but I can reconstruct it. He said, "What's your name, boy?" And
I said, "Well, my name's Ted
but you won't have a check for me,
because I just started work yesterday. And he flipped through his file, and he
pulled out a check which was for for two days' pay at 0 per month.
Remember, in those days you got paid actually by the day and so, you know,
0 is a day. Can you imagine getting a pay check on your second day of
work for the government today?
And I'll never forget that, because that was my first paycheck on a regular job.
Well, I had paychecks previously from my summer work, but this was really
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