a Chapter 3 COMPANIA CONSTRUCTORA UTAH 37 The project’s first superintendent, Henry J. (Hank) Lawler, was known for his diligence and competence, but he found it difficult to adjust to the Mexican culture and climate. on the following conditions: an annual salary of $12,000 plus expenses for himself and his wife, and two months vacation each year. Probably he would not take all the allotted vacation time, Lawler wrote, but wanted it reserved. “Should anything happen to you in the meantime [I] don’t think it unfair to have [a] thorough understanding, so the time will be mine if I care to take it.” Promptly, W. H. agreed to Lawler’s conditions. Although Utah had five other major contracts underway at the time, top management apparently considered the feisty Lawler and the daunting Mexican project a perfect match. Unfortunately, Lawler remained painfully unconvinced. After establishing company offices in Tepic in July 1923, Lawler bypassed W. H. in Ogden and began flooding E. O.’s office in San Francisco with complaints about working conditions and his personal sacrifices. Although most of the equipment he needed to begin work had arrived, seasonal rains hampered the startup. In an