Joe identifies as a marble cutter as early as 1901 and has his own marble business by 1911. He is cutting and inscribing granite too, an increasingly popular and more durable stone than marble. This reflects the changes in power source, tools, and transportation that turned marble carvers into monument dealers, in this era. He distributes the tombstones by wagon to various cemeteries in Gananoque, Howe Island, and much further inland combining work with visiting family and friends.