”When my grandfather finished his term as head of the Federal Capital Public Works Commission, he was immediately invited by Rodrigues Alves, President of the Republic at the time, to assume the post of inspector of Works for Improving the Wharf of the Rio de Janeiro Port. This new position was completely against the plans of the engineer, Bicalho. Ever since earning his engineering degree in 1871, 21 years ago, he had held the six most important directorial positions in Brazilian engineering, and didn’t want to add a seventh without taking a break. It’s one thing to work for twenty years straight, but it’s a whole other level when you spend these years responsible for everything, including all of the most important decisions.
That’s when the skilled politician saw a solution. Worried about losing his best engineer, Alves suggested that Bicalho set up his office in his own home. For my grandfather, who hadn’t opened a book since graduation, not even to keep himself up to date professionally, it was perfect. He accepted the offer on the spot. This was his only chance to gain some extra time to study. The poet, Manuel Bandeira, a close friend of the Bicalho family, knowing how worried my grandfather was about how the meeting with the president would go, went to his friend’s house that very night to hear the news. Upon hearing about the arrangement, he broke out laughing uncontrollably, as he announced that had already picked, written, and come up with a title for his Sunday column for Jornal do Brasil: The employee who never clocked in.
That’s how the “Big Fox” kept his engineer for another eight years. Allowing him to work in the tranquility of his own home!
My grandfather Bicalho had numerous offspring: twelve children. According to Manuel Bandeira, an unbiased witness despite the great friendship nurtured by the family, all were gifted with exceptional intellectual and moral qualities. I must emphasize two of them who, without taking away from the accomplishments of the others, were a step ahead of the group: Uncle Honório who was a writer and Aunt Julieta, a celebrated painter. The rest were not far behind these two. Such high expectations fell upon then student of engineering, José Maria, who ended up following the same profession, in the footsteps of his father.”