Splice service technician
While he wouldn’t be in the time or place to receive radio signals from Patrick, Jack Beauvais operated his own share of cranes. At the time of this photo, he was likely operating this crane in New Jersey, sometime prior to his death on the job, on Wall Street in 1927. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Patrick Cross
All three of my brothers were ironworkers and they had a big nuclear plant they were building in Seabrook, New Hampshire.
They were taking everybody, even with no experience. Tying rods, rod busting, things like that.
So, I went to Montreal to get some tools. Pliers, work boots, gloves, whatever I needed and they supplied the rest.
I wasn’t the crane operator. I was what they called the “tag man” on the radio giving him signals to move the crane.
I stayed there for about five years. Finally, when they were done the job and they laid me off, I stayed in the area and lived over there in New Hampshire.
I did a few jobs in the area but it was hard finding work. I met someone who said her sister was working for New England Telephone.
She told me to put in an application. About six months later, to the day even, they called me up and asked me to come in to take some tests. It was balancing tests and I had to prove that I wasn’t afraid of heights, memory tests, and different kinds of things like that.
The job was permanent at least, every day. This way when Monday morning came around, I knew I had a job.
Back then it was payphones. I’m not sure if they called me an installer, or a service repairman. Eventually, I was a splice service technician.
After I got out of working in payphones, they had me working in different departments. I did a lot of running the cables, putting in the poles, driving the trucks.
After a year of doing that, they said I could go back to my old job, but they said I wouldn’t be working on payphones anymore, I would be working in businesses and houses.
It was so nice because you would ride around in the truck and you had your orders. Work at your own pace. I stayed there for 30 years after that.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Teionhsontéhrha' Nitia'to'ténhne'
(Left to right) Lois Beauvais, Joe Horn, Joe D. Horn, George Splicer, and Joe Stacey walked alongside a truck-transported steel beam, as it made its way to the job. Circa November 1953. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Patrick Cross ROKÁ:RATON
Akwé:kon náhsen nihá:ti ne iakwatate'ken'okòn:'a karistà:ke wahotiió'ten' tánon' kowá:nen tewatenénhia'ks tsi ka'shatstenhserón:ni ratinonhsonníhahkwe' Seabrook New Hampshire nonkwá:ti.
Kwah thikawenní:io ónhka shos shakotíhnha's, khò:ni' tsi niká:ien' iah othé:nen teieweién:te'. Tsi ní:ioht ne karón:ware' aiè:nerenke', taieronwarà:nerenke', tho nikarihò:ten's. Thò:ne ki' Tiohtià:ke iahà:ke' iákko' iontstha'shòn:'a. Tekahtò:raraks, iakoio'ténstha' ahtahkó:wa, a'niá:nawen, thikawenní:io nahò:ten' wa'tewakatonhóntsohse' tánon' ronónha tahóntkahwe' noià:shon.
Iah tetkeniarotáhrhokskwe' ne oha'kwarontkó:wa, "iontatenentshí:nes" ionkena'tónhkhwahkwe' iontewennenhawihtahkhwà:ke wahihró:ri' wáhi ka' nón:we ahrorià:neron' ne oha'kwarontkó:wa.
Ákta wísk niiohserá:ke eh watió'tehkwe', tsi niió:re' wahatiio'tenhserén:ta'ne' tánon' wa'onkehnháhsi', eh ítke'skwe' atonhontsaktóntie' tánon eh nón:we New Hampshire tki'terón:tahkwe'.
Tohkára nikaio'tenhserá:ke ontió'ten' eh nón:we nek tsi seronhkè:ne othé:nen atio'tenhseratshén:ri'. Wa'kheientéhrha'ne' tseià:ta néne iaká:wen tsi tiatate'kèn:'a New England Telephone tiakoió'tehkwe', né: ki' ne New Englandnéha teiehtharáhkhwa' raotitióhkwa'. Wa'onkhró:ri' iakhiatonhserínion'te' iakoio'ténstha' teierihwa'serakwáhtha'. Ákta ià:ia'k niwenhnì:take ohnà:ken, eh tho shahenhnísera, taionkwatewennátahse' wa'onkerihwanón:tonhse' iakatáweia'te' ne aionkwate'nién:ten'. Wahóntken'se' tsi ní:tsi akkon'tsheriharónnion' tánon' ó:nen'k tsi wa'któ:kenste' tsi iah teketshà:nis káneka tiótte', tsi ní:tsi othé:nen akehià:ra'ne', tánon' othenen'shòn:'a tekontén:ro. Aró:nen ki' ieiotkontáhkwen tsi nikaio'tenhserò:ten, thia'tewenhniserá:ke. Nè:'e iohrharátston tsi nó:nen enwentén:ta'ne' ohrhon'kè:ne, wakaterien'tarahtsíhon tsi watio'tenhserá:ien'.
Eh shitkahá:wi' ieiehwistenhtáhkhwa' teiehtharáhkhwa' kénhne'. Iah orihwí:io tewakaterièn:tare' tóka' ietokénstha' wa'onkenà:tonhkwe', tóka' ni' ne iekwatákwas. Kháre' ó:nen, teionhsontéhrha' nitia'to'ténhne'.
Shontio'ténhsi' thí:ken ieiehwistenhtáhkhwa' teiehtharáhkhwa', ó:ia' kanakténion ia'ontió'tenste'. É:so wa'keronwarahrónnion', wa'kenawa'ahtó:ton', wa'katorihá:ton' ka'serehkowátshon.
Ohnà:ken é:so iohserá:ke shontió'ten' thí:ken, wahonnì:ron' enwá:ton' ensewatió'ten' tsi nahò:ten' watió'tehkwe' nek tsi wahonnì:ron' tsi iah ieiehwistenhtáhkhwa' teiehtharáhkhwa' thaonsontió'ten', tsi watenhninonhseró:ton tánon' tsi kanonhsó:ton ienwatió'ten'.
É:so tsi ioiánerehkwe' ase'kén ensahonwi'seréhshon' ka'seréhtakon tánon' saientátie' ne nahò:ten' iesahnhà:'on. Saió'ten tsi nisaren'nhà:'on. 30 niiohserá:ke ontió'ten' ohnà:ken thí:ken.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde