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Looking
back on my years of employment, Daverman's is the only employer I
really miss. They started me in the telephone business. Ed Daverman
gave me the chance I wanted, even though I did not have the proper
skills for working for an Architectural and Engineering firm. He kept
telling me to improve on my printing, over and over.
Ed let me work for one of the Telephone Companies Daverman's had purchased where I gained experience in how telephone systems actually work. I installed telephones, maintained cable records, cleared trouble, climbed poles, pulled in open wire, all that old stuff. Actually this a friendly set up but really I don't think the other workers liked that I was really a Daverman's employee. I worked there two years. This the 1st place I let Ed down. I opened my big mouth to employee's who were setting up a union, saying Daverman's could easily permit higher wages, etc. I had no idea what I was talking about and that statement did a lot of damage. I performed as a staking chief, area survey agent, and resident engineer for many projects after that. I then had a hunger for bigger and better things, I quite Daverman's and became Continental Telephone's 1st Outside Plant Engineer. There I set up construction standards, designed conduit, long line cable systems and controlled multiple switching system conversions. Here, I had my first encounter with intimidation. Another employer took over one of my conversion projects while I was on vacation. He prepared many things that I knew would not work and my manager allowed him to keep this up even with my objections. It was kind of a delight that the conversion actually locked up all the new equipment and was cleared up under my guidance. Intimidation continued and being very upset, I quit my job. The person who first hired me, arranged a transfer to Minnesota where I helped in a merger and designed another switch conversion. My future did not look good though and I called up Ed Daverman. Back I went to Michigan. In Michigan things were good again, I not only controlled a three exchange upgrade construction project where the contractor made more money than he expected, but I designed my first cable record system. It was here I became interested in cable records. The records maintained from the day this company became dial, which Daverman's created, were in very poor shape. The telephone company did not know how to keep records. We had to re-survey everything before the new design could go forward. From then on, I made my career in records as well as plant construction. Still I had a thirst for more responsibility and with mild impatience, I quit Daverman's again. I then became a managers assistant for one of Daverman's clients. It was Shiwassee Tele. Co. in Perry Michigan. I created their property records and wrote my first booklet on Telephone Cable Records. I should have stayed with Daverman's, even though their telephone section gearing down, because I grew more impatient with no real challenge in view. I quit again, becoming the chief engineer for Northwest Telephone Co. in Freeport, Illinois. Here again I created property records and controlled a flash switching system conversion and toll cable from Freeport west through company exchanges. We were real happy here. Then the unspeakable happened, the manager, the guy who hired me, liked my wife and thought it would be cool we played switch. Well that freaked me out. I quit on the spot and found a job in Arkansas. The day we moved I told the company owner and she did not believe me, so my move good. In Flippin, Arkansas, the company set me up with drafting board and supplies and put me to work. I created their property records and built a new home in Mountain Home. This is where I spent many days writing my book on Property records. This was not a good place to raise our children, too many people from Chicago who were very prejudice. Black persons were only allowed to buy gas in this town. But there was another problem at work. This is another occasion I maybe could have worked out. The owner was an elderly person who had become senile. He started to call me some pretty awful things. I quickly quit again and found a contract job in Puerto Rico. Got on a plane and left my family crying at the airport. The day I got to the Island I was shown where I would work and where I would life. I was scared to death. I got on the plane the next day and returned home to a very happy family. You know, that company owners wife, let go back to work until I found another job. We went west. In Kingman, AZ I was engineering line in the desert and in Lake Havasu. The family did not like it. We had to stay in a dingy trailer until a house was available. The home office for this company was east in Conn. The head of engineering was a retired Bell Engineer from New York who did not know his job. He would get me to call the home office then stand behind me and tell me what to say. Again, not a good situation. The family hated it here so I looked for another job again. We mover to the North West, where I always wanted to go. In Bellevue, WA we lived in a rented house, down town, and watched the city grow with new tall buildings. I worked for an Engineering Company in Seattle and rode the bus to work. I work in many states from Virginia to Alaska. Much of the time for the Navy. One project was in Subic Bay, Philippines, where my Navy ship worked out of for many years, but after I got out of the navy. Our children grew up here, graduated from school and college from her. We have NO REGRETS for moving here. The regrets I have is not knowing how to work with difficulties, I do now. I was not fair to my wife or children. I also don't think I was fair with the Daverman's. They still are the most kind and professional persons I have ever worked for. We have retired in a home we purchased in Bothell, WA. We love it here and are close to our children and grandchildren. We are too far from our families in Michigan but they have gotten see the North West by coming to visit. If you made it through the memo this far, you are a kind person. Thanks! Vern |