"In the summer of 1924 a decision was made that I would finish high school in Dazey where Iver (his married brother) was the depot agent, to learn telegraphy. In that way I would position myself to get employment with railroads.  I was not enthusiastic, as I did not want to leave Binford (Griggs County, North Dakota) and home. Besides, Orrie Freer had offered me a job at the pool hall. However, the decision was made, and Iver got me a job with a farmer, Mr. Madsen.  Madsen kept cows, and I was expected to assist with the milking, a task I had never done before and one at which I was not adept.  This led to much haranguing.  Although I was doing okay taking care of four horses and doing summer fallowing with a two-bottom plow, my inability to do a good job milking rankled Mr. Madsen.  It all came to a head one Sunday morning when I told him I was quitting. "Damn right you are quitting," was his answer. "You're fired!" Harvesting was in progress, and I had a job when threshing started with the Sad Brothers.  They were custom threshers with a large crew, twelve bundle haulers and two spike pitchers at the separator.  For me it was hard keeping up with the spike pitchers; one did not get much rest between loads.  Although I was wearing leather gloves, a blister that covered the palm of one hand developed.  Luckily, the rain came which forced us to shut down.  I was never happier than that morning when I awoke to hear the rain falling on the hay loft roof.  That morning I took the train to Binford, and Dr. Truscott (town physician)lanced the blister.  Later I was back threshing, but this time as an oiler on the separator.  The engineer on the steam engine also acted as the oiler on the separator, but it took too much of his time to keep oil in the bearings, so they gave me the job."