Mr. De Mohrenschildt. A roughneck, or roustabout, it is called.
Mr. Jenner. And you pursued that how long?
Mr. De Mohrenschildt. I think 3 or 4 months.
Mr. Jenner. We are still in 1939?
Mr. De Mohrenschildt. Yes.
Mr. Jenner. All right.
Mr. De Mohrenschildt. Probably in 1939. And I got amoebic dysentery in Louisiana, and got very sick. I had an accident on the rig, was badly cut up—something fell on my arm, and then I got dysentery. And, frankly, I do not recall whether they fired me or I resigned myself. I do not remember. Maybe both—resigned and mutual agreement. But I remained very good friends with the chairman of the board of the company, Mr. Blaffer. And he gave me the idea already then to go in the oil business on my own. He says, "George, a man of your background and education, you should be working for yourself," and he explained to me the fundamentals of the oil promotion, if you know what I mean—drill wells, get a lease—drill a well, find some money to drill that well.
Well, I said, "Mr. Blaffer, frankly it is a little above me to go in so early in my experience in the United States—to go into that type of business. I don't think I am capable enough to do that."
Mr. Jenner. Well, you didn't have the capital at that time, did you?
Mr. De Mohrenschildt. I didn't have the capital. But he said you could do it without capital.