Joe's financial position

As a student, Joe worked just as hard as he had all of his life, depending upon nobody but himself. He was teased by the other young men about his tattered clothing and rustic ways, but he was determined and ignored them the best he could. When he was completely broke and finding it even harder to financially survive, he took a dangerous job with the Grand Coulee Dam excavation team. Joe was determined to finance his next school term and was willing to accept and perform whatever job would pay the most.