DD writes:
> The trick question I came up with while interviewing potential employees
> [& first used w/ Matt, Pam's Flame Buddy]
> Just to throw him a curve ball & see how his mind works
> "What's the last book you read?"
> I figure the best answer would be " Well, I just finished re-reading..."
> and the second best is " I work too long and hard to read"

When I get called in to train a work crew I often have to make snap
judgements on who to train. Everyone is standing around for me to pick the
trainees and get-to-gettin' and there's no time for lengthly interviews or
questions that might
be embarrasing for the workers to answer. If the training involves reading
or writing I'll
just ask who can show me their library card.

I told this to my wife's father and he had this story in return: Once
he had 8 German engineers show up at the lead smelting plant in the small
town of Viburnum,
Missouri, which he designed and managed. They were going to be there for a
few
days to learn what they could about American lead smelting. He was planning
to drive them into town from the local air-strip, drop them off at the
hotel, then  take them to a cafe for lunch and finally arrive at the
smelter. They would have none of it. The first stop had to be the public
library. He pulled up at the local Carnegie, they all filed in and right up
to the front desk and sighed up for library
cards. While the suprised librarian was busy typing up their cards, they
were busy
checking out books on the local history and culture, hunting in the Ozarks,
maps, gun catalogs, etc.. He asked the Germans if they didn't want to take a
look at the
geology and engineering section. They said, "No, we already know enough
about geology and engineering, we are here to learn about the smelter, so we
must know about the men at the hearth." It was clear they expected to learn
more from the men who stood under the 30' caldrons of molten lead, than from
the
engineer who designed the caldrons. The tavern just outside of town was
quite busy the next several nights and during the day the Germans sweltered
it out down on the hearth with the men who knew.

John Leeke, Preservation Consultant

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