Searching for a Carpenter

For two or three years, I have had the idea to do an apprenticeship with a carpenter. If I could build anything, it would be a wooden canoe, but no one seems to do that in the area. In fact, no carpenter in the Spartanburg area seems to want anyone else to know that they are a carpenter. We live in a county littered with closet carpenters. My second choice would be to build a secretary style writing desk using traditional tools. Two years ago, an article was written in The Spartanburg Herald Journal about a carpenter who exclusively uses such tools. Unfortunately, according to the phone book, he does not exist and he has left the artisan group he used to be a part of. There are other carpenters who are members of this artisan group, but for another unpleasant surprise, the center does not have their contact information.
A week ago, I began conversations with a full time carpenter who has built several secretarial writing desks. He was interested in taking me on as an apprentice and my hopes were renewed. To be able to work with someone with 30 years of experience under their belt would be a wonderful opportunity. Of course, though, unexpected road blocks are always lurking and he discovered that with an apprentice, he would have to pay more for liability insurance. On Thursday, he called me with the final word and that road was officially blocked.
The same evening, a friend gave me the name of a man who turns wood, and though this is not the area of woodworking I initially hoped to work in, I jumped on the opportunity. Right now, I am still in the process of trying to contact him. I am also waiting to hear from Mrs. Zion's husband's secretary's father (I just thought it sounded funny) who works with wood. My hopes at the moment are to be able to meet with both of these men and look at their work areas and products and make a decision from my observations.