HOM: Concrete

The Employment Service sent me down to Glacier Concrete for a job interview. The GC plant was right behind the Western Building Center that is across the street east of the Outlaw Inn. The main plant & yard is now the site of an apartment complex. The machine shop was across the street to the south behind what is now a liquor store. GC made concrete blocks, concrete pipe, grave liners, lids, curbs, septic tanks or whatever else was needed. There was a small crew and everything was quite labor intensive. Here is the (short) cast of characters: Les Truman was the owner and Arnold Swinehart was the manager. My old classmate Jim Melick was the truck driver & equipment operator. Jon Swinehart, Arnold's son, was the jack-of-all-trades & wanna-be foreman. In the theme of "it's a small, small world", Jon was married to Lois Nail's niece, Linda. Dave McCoy & Voyle Staab ran the machine shop. Les' daughter Gay ran the office. Clarence and a couple of helpers made the septic tanks. Woody & Tommy worked inside the plant. Arnold read my application and asked why Wards fired me. I told him (honestly) that the management didn't like the way I did things. He laughed, then said they would try me for a day. I was to report in the next morning with boots & gloves and be ready to work. If they were satisfied with that first day's work, I had the job. This was the spring of 1974. TBC (Me) (Blacktail Books)