Page 14 - Frank Murphy and the Open Hearth

ISSUE : Issue 52

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/8/1

hill, right by the steel plant. Was prac? tically all Polanders. (When you were in the Open Hearth, were there many black people working in the Open Hearth?) No, no. The Blacks were on the gas producer. That's where they made the gas for the Open Hearth furnace. I'm going to tell you a story. The first Black that ever worked on an Open Hearth furnace, I had him--he came with me. Dur? ing the war, I was short a man on the electric furnace, and I went in the shack, the labour shack. And I wanted one man. There was a black fellow sitting down there. And I said (to the foreman), "I'm short a man," I said, "on the electric furnace. And I want a man." He said, "Frank, there's no more men in the yard. General Yard," he said, "got all the men out. Can't get a man for you." I said, "What's wrong with him?" He looked at me like I had horns. I said, "Come on, boy, come on with me." And that was the first The Cape Bretoner Motel Indoor Pool Banquet Facilities 560 KING'S ROAD SYDNEY NOVA SCOTIA PHONE (902) 539-8101 Licensed Restaurant and Quiet Lounge Black that ever worked on the Open Hearth furnace--Jerome Gibson. After that, we had Blacks. I said, "Boy, he got two arms and two legs and he can shovel--that's all I want. I don't care what his colour is." I never did. (So when we say there were all kind of ethnic groups in the....) Yeah, but the Blacks were barred.... For some reason or other, the Blacks--I don't know how it started or where it started--but I know there were no Blacks on the Open Hearth furnace. Never saw one on it till I took that Jerome Gibson. (Were most of the people the same religion in the Open Hearth?) No, no, we had every religion. But it was predominately Catho? lic. Although we had quite a few other fellows, the majority of them--in those days, the Open Hearth was known as "the Vatican City." Because Peter Maclsaac was superintendent. And in the Blooming Mill it was known as "the Orange Lodge" because Bob Moffatt was the--he was an Orangeman or something--he ran the Blooming Mill. And then, in the Rod and Bar Mill, MacKay ran that in my time, and that was "the Ma? sons." The Masons worked there. It was pretty well broke down. Although there were some Catholics and Prot? estants in all departments, predominately, your religion decided where you got your Completely Renovated with New Suites The agricultural challenges of tomorrow are being taught today at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College Degree Programs: B.Sc. (Agr.) Option: Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Mechanization Engineering Animal Science Pre-Veterinary Medicine Plant Science Plant Protection Agricultural Economics Agricultural Soils Agricultural Chemistry The 1989-90 ac?? "'f'PS illM'HIIIilBI H m '''$' '''.''jiillli'' ill'' --' • ".'f'M.. Technology Programs: Agriculture Farming Biology Laboratory Chemistry Laboratory Landscape Horticulture Animal Health Agricultural Engineering Technician Programs: Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Business Animal Science Plant Science Farm Equipment demic calendars are now available. Wfmi ~-4mm*' Contact: The Registrar Nova Scotia Agricultural College PO Box 550, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 5E3

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