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Interviewer: Jim, when did you get involved with plumbing and heating?
Jim: That's a big story. I'd need to take about an hour to tell it.
In '39, Jack MacIsaac's down here, a neighbour of ours, he got a job. He was the same age as I was. He got a job in town with Silver and Mackenzie and they were looking for another helper.
Jack said, well if I can get Jim Hanifen, I'll see if I can get him to work for us.
So Jack came over in a big sweat. (He said) I'll get you a job.
I said, well no. See, it was June. I said no, haying time is coming up, I can't go now.
Haying time is coming up in a couple of weeks' time. I may go after haying, but I can't go now.
So he went back and told them. So they said, tell him to come for a couple weeks now, until haying time.
Jack came back and told me, twenty-five cents an hour.
I went in; they were putting a heating system in Jack MacIsaac's, the undertakers place.
I went to work for Mackenzie and I quit in two weeks' time.
Anyway, I finished the hay. I was questioning whether I'd go back or not. That was in June.
So they came after me again to not quit on them. So I went in and got along good.
At that time, that was in June '39, after that haying time my mother died. In September.
My mother was very sick when she died.
I went back. They came after me again; I went back with them and I stayed with them.
Twenty-five cents they gave me. I said I won't go for twenty-five cents an hour though!
I think they gave me seventy-five cents then.
I was getting big money then.
I have a slip in the house here where I was making seventy-five cents an hour, for forty hours!