Wondering about wild grapes

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Wondering about my first employment.

My first job was a chicken cooker for Kentucky Fried Chicken.  That was more of a temporary job on summer vacations.  When I got a call from a good friend who said if I wanted a job at the huge Pullman-Standard rail car manufacturing facility in Butler, PA to be at the employment office first thing in the morning and his uncle, who was a foreman there, would have me hired.  Of course I was there first thing in the morning waiting for the office to open up.  There were really only two big companies in my area, one was Armco Steel and the other was Pullman.

I got hired in and worked the first two years in the labor gang, which gave me a complete over view of all the workings of the huge plant.  I was told at the time that Pullman's rail car building plant was the second largest building under one roof in the U.S.  It was huge and while in the labor gang I even had to work on the roof.  From up there you could get the view of the entire building and it was huge.  After a couple of years the guys said I should put my resume in the office since I had a couple of years of college.  I went to Penn State for two years and was planning to go back after I and my family could get enough money for the tuition and living there.  To make a long story short, I got an offer to work in the Die, Tool, Jig & Fixture design department and I didn't leave Pullman for 17 years until I got an offer in Michigan that I couldn't refuse.  Thanks to what I learned working at Pullman, it allowed me to do the design work that I have loved doing for the rest of my working life.  In fact, I didn't actually retire until I reached the age of 70.

What, you may ask, prompted me to write this blog?  Well the fact is when I was digging around looking for the pictures I put on yesterday's blog, I came across this picture of all of us who worked together in the office of Pullman-Standard:

Can you pick me out of that group?  Four of the seven of us have passed away.  I do want to say that all of them were and are a great bunch of guys.

Well, were you able to pick me out?  I will give you a clue if you didn't.  I hated to wear a tie and I can not remember the last time I wore one.  I will wear a Bolo tie, but never a necktie.  Sorry if I am boring you with my memories, but I want you to have a great day, you hear?

16 comments:

  1. I'm glad you gave us a good clue because I wouldn't have been able to pick you out. I was mentally painting a beard on all the guys in the photo!

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  2. Trouble, I even had to be different back then. I was the one without the tie.

    Rob, Thanks. BTW, I like Hellmann's but prefer Miricle Whip. My wife said I eat so much of it I must have it floating in my veins. I figure it is OK as long as it stays floating and doesn't clog up something. . .

    Gypsy, Yep, no beard and no long hair. Except for no tie, I almost fit in.

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  3. Love this, Dizzy... don't you look all sweet ~ full of boyish charm... seriously. The guy on the left's shirt and tie? haha?... what a character he must have been.

    I love old photographs and history as long as I don't see a something dead... ;)

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    1. That guy had a souped-up race car done professionally by Don Garlits (Big Daddy) the famous drag racer. I got a ride in that car and WOW what a ride. I lost track of him and tried to find him on the internet and I think I found him living in Califonria. Glad you loved the post.

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  4. Guess you had a touch of the rebel even back then!

    Thanks for sharing the history with us!

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  5. You rebel you. First you ditch the tie. Eventually you grow long hair and a beard.

    Enjoying the old photos.

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  6. I just picked the best lookin' dude there... and got it right ;-) Love your stories... never boring!

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  7. H.J., Yes, I guess so. I always marched to the beat of a fifferent drummer. One of my choosing.

    Sixbears, I first grew a beard back when the hourly guys at Pullman went on a 6 month strike. Have had a beard ever since. Didn't quit cutting my hair until I turned 65.

    The Odd Essay, Oh you are just the nicest person, but you shouldn't lie like that just to make me feel good. . .

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  8. I knew which one was you, by your eyes.
    Even your beard and long hair don't hide them!
    Happy Tails and Trails, Penny

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    1. If I don't want to be recognized, I guess I need to wear dark glasses, right. As we age we change but our eyes stay the same (except they don't see as good as they used to).

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  9. I swore you were the little guy on the left. Even his eyes look like yours, and I figured: "Mustache then, beard now."

    Gee. I hate to lose.

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    1. He and I were similar in a lot of respects. Our nemes, although quite different, sounded the same and when the boss called one of us, we both answered.

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  10. Odd coincidence, this. My first job was at a poultry processing plant, long closed down now. It was in the killing room -- I lasted all of a half day. Got into Penn State, too, but ended up at the University of Vermont -- I guess I'm partial to frozen gonads ...

    As always, a great entry.

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    1. What year did you start at Penn State? I started the fall of 1961.

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