Thinking about one of my first employers this morning. I am remembering Carl Johnson, Carpenter contractor from Fontana, Wisconsin... Carl would pronounce his name Yoewnson. Fun memories. 1.50 an hour. Wow, that was 60 dollars a week. I was 17 and strong as a bull. I remember Carl had sent for another bride from Sweden because he had lost his first wife a few years before. She was a very nice blond lady but spoke no English.
There was fellow named Stanley working for him. Carl did a lot of work for S.P. Beers Lumber Company from Walworth and we did a lot of work along the South Shore of Lake Geneva.
Carl drove a powder blue, 1959 Ford pick up. Stick shift and Carl would ride the clutch so much that he would go through a clutch about once a year.
I can still hear his voice the day we were unloading some roofing tear off material. He was just flinging it out of the back of the truck when a piece of shingle caught me in the shoulder. Carl jumped back and said "Yeesus Yohnny, did I hurt ya." Still amuses me to think of it.
Then there was one of my first days and Carl says, "Yohnny yer gonna have ta carry dem shingles and dat feldt on da roof cause Stanley here's got a vooden leg." Well, I laughed and then Carl reached his hammer handle over and tap tapped on the wooden prosthetic that Stanley wore. Stanley had bummed around a bit when he was young and fell under a moving train. Think he use to tip a few back too.
Just a fun memory ya know. Yah, sure you betcha!
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